What do you do on Christmas Eve?

[10PollyPockets]

I'm looking for some Christmas Eve ideas!
Two children 6 years and a 10month old. Usually we go to the cinema and out for dinner on Christmas Eve and visit family Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Looking for something different to do on Christmas Eve this year due to having 10 month old. Does anyone go out or stay in and do something Christmasy indoors? Thanks!

we:

• make cookies for santa (using this recipe, and then mix icing sugar and water, add red food colouring, and dip the cookies in. add some sprinkles and you are done)

-make some reindeer food (oats, bird seed, and a small bit of grated cheese. it's eaten by the birds)

-go to visit santa (google search brings up ones close to home which are open on christmas eve)

-out to an early dinner (around 6 ish)

-early bed for the kids

-adults wrap last minute gifts, have some wine, relax.

all the best x

Usually have a lay in if we can Christmas eve. Then get up have a nice breakfast bake some cookies for Santa and then DH wraps kids up warm and takes them to park while I tidy up and get a bit of prep done. Then when they get back my dad delivers CE box from the elves. We play couple of games, bath the kids then we put on the snuggly pjs that have been delivered in the CE box and make the hot choc thats always in there. Then settle them down to watch a Christmas film, once it's finished it's off to bed for the kids and me and DH sit and have a couple of glasses of wine before filling stockings and putting presents under tree. I like Christmas eve better than Christmas day

This year we will visit family as we are spending Christmas Day at home. Take away in the evening and a few drinks and maybe watch a film. Kids are older now so it’s all pretty relaxed.

Work till 12/1, come home prepare some of the food, watch films and track Santa with the dc, we always have a Chinese takeaway on Christmas Eve, then DP take the kids out to see the lights in our area so I can do operation move Christmas presents to a more approachable place. We then watch more festive things and then the kids leave out the stuff for Santa and go to bed, we then have to wait 30 minutes to make sure they are defo asleep 😂😂

Our Christmas starts on Christmas Eve - big buffet meal with the whole family and drinks and games, plus church in the afternoon. DM and I spend all day making food.

It’s my favourite day of the year

We spend the day getting the house sorted for guests arriving we have a buffet for dinner the kids have there Christmas eve boxes once my sister arrives around 6.30 7ish then they go up to bed for 7.30 . Once there settled and I've tidied up after the buffet me my husband mum sister and dad open all our presents have a few drinks then the evening is usually about playing with /setting up our presents then before we go to bed we put out all the kids presents. Then alarm set for 7 so I can get up before the kids and make all the adults tea and coffee before I wake the kids up 🎄🎁

We have our Christmas dinner on christmas eve. Then open the hamper that has mysteriously appeared under the tree with a movie and game and pjs.

Cook and clean the house from top to bottom!
Like to try and get the dc out for a walk too, but we always have between 20-24 to us for Christmas Day so there’s a shit load of crap that needs doing. This usually happens from the 23rd really

Put the Christmas trees up and spend the whole day watching Christmas films and eating snacks. At bedtime we open Christmas Eve boxes (always Christmas pyjamas and hot chocolate), drink the hot chocolate (and leave one for Santa along with cookies for the reindeer) and then kids go to bed while me and DH put presents out and make footprints with fake snow.

Honestly I’ve always preferred Christmas Eve to the actual day, it’s the build up and excitement.

We always have the ‘North Pole breakfast’ on Christmas Eve morning. Usually consists of snowman and Santa Claus pancakes, a red smoothie and a Christmas chocolate of some kind.

Then I rush around like a blue arsed fly baking with my Cath kidston Christmas apron on- that’s something my DC always recognise about Christmas and love . I put on the snowman and snowman and snow dog for the DC whilst I crack on. I bake something for that night and also Christmas Day dessert. The DC then bake and decorate Santa’s cookies.

We went to a Christingle service a couple of years ago which was great, considering that again for this year.

We have a bit of a buffet with lots of nice nibbles.

The Elf on the shelf delivers the Christmas Eve presents which are always new pjs, socks and slippers, a lush Christmas bath bomb each, hot chocolate and marshmallows and a chocolate Santa.

They have a bath with their Christmas lush bath bombs and get into new PJS. We then watch the polar express with hot chocolate, cream and marshmallows. Leave the cookies, carrots and milk out for Santa.

I read the night before Christmas then they hopefully go to sleep so Santa can get to work .

I can’t wait.

These are all really good ideas!
I love the making cookies and North pole breakfast ideas! Also looking at the lights is a good idea as I think we will still go out for dinner.
I prefer Xmas eve as it's like the calm before spending the next few days driving between families.
@OutPinked I think my Dd would love to be adopted by you she is obsessed with pancakes and lush bath bombs.
I'm liking the Xmas eve boxes and new pjs!

Usually have a cleaning session in the morning whilst the kids chill. Then everyone gets dressed & we meet my friend for a walk across the common & go into the high street for lunch & hot drinks before walking home again.

I then prep food & tidy some more. Finally it's a simple early dinner for the kids, at which point the elf delivers them new pyjamas. They have a very excited shower, new pjs, early to bed at which point DH & I will eat, drink & around 9pm or 10pm when every one is asleep we get out the gifts to put under the tree.

Bed ourselves around 10.30pm before Xmas day starts around 5am

We make cookies using www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/best-sugar-cookie-recipe-ever/ this recipe and then watch Christmas movies until my DH comes home. We have an early dinner (always Chinese food) and then take some cookies up to my family.

When we come home, the Elves have left the Christmas Eve box with new pj's, bath bomb plus the usual Night before Christmas book, Santa plate etc.

We then do bath, a small buffet and our DD goes to bed - we then get the presents set up and drink wine :)

We spend the day prepping for dinner the next day so the vegetables etc. get all chopped up so ready to go. We'll also get the table set up and laid for the right amount of people.

We then go to church with our godmother and her family which is our favourite tradition. If you're good at church, she would let us have her gift that evening. We then all have a buffet style dinner together then head home to bed.

It's nice as we all did this as children and we continue to do it now we're grown up with our own children.

I love the making cookies idea, going to save these recipes for next year as we are in the middle of an extension and kitchen is useable but a bomb site!
I bought a Christmas Eve box - £2 from asda, bargain! So far got dh & kids favourite sweets, a Christmas rubix cube, pass the parcel in penguin form, bath fizzers for dd and might get the baby a new bath toy. New pjs are a cute idea!

Also saw in asda for £1 - marshmallows with little snowman faces on them, going to get them another day for Christmas hot choc

This year I'll in the gym at 6am, then we'll go out for breakfast.
A lot depends on the weather so we'll either do the cinema or go for a walk
Salmon for lunch
Then a friend is having a party in the afternoon, home around 7pm/7.30pm (depending on if we walk or drive - I quite fancy walking so DS can see the Christmas lights and I can have a glass or two of fizz
Get DS to bed, then put the presents under the tree and snuggle up with DH to watch a film.

I love Christmas Eve

When boys were little we would go to Gullivers or TwinLakes for Breakfast with Santa. Tickets have to be booked though.

Now they're older l take them to the local theatre panto

Baking, carols at Kings, watching a cheesy Christmas movie, big buffet in the evening. I've always loved Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
Mine kids are no longer small but my dad used to take them out somewhere for cake and hot chocolate in the afternoon and go to look at the lights.

We go out for breakfast, then to a Panto then home for tea which is pizza, salad and doughballs. Kids have a Christmas Eve box with pyjamas, and we watch something Christmassy before they go to bed and I turn into Santa. I love Christmas Eve!

Usually do some Christmas baking/decorate a gingerbread house etc. Watch something festive, maybe go for a walk depending on the weather. Then it’s a Christmas Eve bbq for dinner! And drink prosecco while listening to Christmas music and watching log fires on YouTube once the kids are in bed!

Put the tree up, decorate the house.
Nativity, back for tea at our house.

I usually spend Christmas Eve cleaning the house, putting up decorations and wrapping presents (it's usually after midnight by the time I get around to the wrapping though, so technically not Christmas Eve!) then fall into bed exhausted at about 3.00am Christmas morning! I need a deadline to make me do anything!

We follow my family's tradition of a big buffet tea with lots of cake etc around 5pm on Christmas Eve followed by family present opening (Santa presents are Christmas morning). When I was a child we stayed up to go to Midnight Mass at 12pm but now we usually take our kids to church earlier (lots of churches do short child-friendly crib or Christingle services mid-afternoon). We quite like a stop off for coffee and cake too. My home country has a tradition of placing a candle...electric now obviously :-p...in every window on Christmas Eve so we always do that just before bed with the kids' help. I totally love Christmas Eve and prefer it to Christmas Day.