Christmas Eve ideas ?

[MsMiaWallace]

After a crappy year I'm thinking about Christmas.
What are you planning to do Christmas Eve? Do you go anywhere or have traditions?
I'm after inspo!

Our tradition is to go to a Christingle at Church and have friends round for drinks.
Neither may happen this year although I hope they can

We go to Lapland UK every year. They're normally small groups anyways, so I would think it will still go ahead this year. Just a hit more distanced

There's a particular episode of South Park that I watch every Xmas Eve, it's not even an Xmas themed episode, the tradition just sort of happened and I don't want to break it

We normally do a pate & cheeseboard night with baileys on the rocks light the candles, watch an Xmas film and get in our new pjs!

Sometimes we maybe go to the local pub early afternoon for a bottle of Prosecco then finish off with cheeseboard.

I'll have a newborn this year so defo a cosey night in!!

We normally try to do something in the morning to tire out the dc, like ice skating or trip to Beamish which is near us. This year I think we might go for a walk and do some baking instead.

I try and keep Christmas Eve free so that I have a stress free day. Over the last few years I have ended up in different people’s houses or them in mine for drinks. As it wasn’t planned there was no pressure and it was lovely.

It’s very difficult to plan at the moment, isn’t it! I think this year DH and I will be on our own, as we have elderly relatives who will be spending Christmas with parents and it’s not worth taking the risk.

I’m not sure how ‘christmassy’ it’ll feel, but a simple one without lots of pressure to be here, there and everywhere actually doesn’t sound too bad.

My favourite Christmas eves inevitably involve a few festive drinks in a pub with friends early evening, but not too many that it’s a late night or I’m hungover for Xmas day! I also like Xmas eve telly with a mince pie (or 2). Have done ever since I was a child. I actually think I prefer Christmas Eve to Christmas Day!

No DC, it would be very different if we did, so I have to work hard on keeping busy / doing cozy indulgent things, so I don’t feel too sad.

We bake in the morning, put the pudding on to steam and cook lots of lovely smelling stuff then go out for a very long walk either in the hills or at the coast. Friends and family tag along and we take flasks of hot drinks and aforementioned baking. We time the arrival home with the sun setting and eat macaroni cheese with gammon and peas and then apple pie and custard. We always watch a Christmas film and then read three books (The Tomtes' Christmas Porridge by Sven Nordqvist, Christmas on Exeter Street by Diana Henry and of course, The Night Before Christmas). Children go to bed and we eat gingerbread and make Christmas magic*, hoping the DC stay in bed while we do so.

*not a euphemism

Every year we have to go to our families where it's loud, crowded (all very happy but not my scene) and ferry people about. This year I have the highest of high hopes to have a queit night. A nice meal, a feel good film. The mood of happy calm carrying over to Christmas day. Ahhh, bliss.

No traditions - if in US with family it's usually a takeaway as so much cooking already for the next day. Here I'm usually doing last minute wrapping. I like the idea of midnight mass but would be just too tired the next day.

I prep all the Christmas ‘lunch’ and then cook it. We then eat it in the evening on Christmas Eve. That way when I wake up on Christmas morning I can relax in the knowledge that the food is all cooked and we have a buffet for lunch sometimes with about 16 people. I wasted so many Christmas mornings not enjoying the children when they were young because I was running in to the kitchen to Put the turkey in or peel the potatoes. About 5 years ago I realised I much preferred Boxing Day to Christmas Day and this is purely down to not having to cook so I announced to the family and told them that if they weren’t happy with my idea they could take over the food purchasing, food prep and cooking. Funnily enough no one else wanted to take it on and our new tradition was created. My only regret is that I didn’t start it earlier.

We normally take the kids to the cinema in the afternoon, wander around the xmas lights on way home then have a carpet picnic buffet with xmas film (xmas eve box delivered whilst we were out hot choc /popcorn / new pjs) before putting out Santa's goodies and then I do pressies once kids are asleep.
First time in 22years this year that we could get away without the traditions but think will just keep going as we love it.

It depends as me and the ex alternate xmas days - last year it was my "'xmas day" with my son. As I have him xmas this year I imagine it will be a chill day - snacks, movies, putting the presents out. I'll have a 3 month old by then as well this year so anything stress free is a win for me x

@fizzandchips that's GENIUS!

Before my DM died, Christmas Eve always meant a wander round town together, shopping for ourselves in the early sales and going for lunch (then drinks as I got older). We'd go home to have a picky tea of cold meats, roasties, pickles, cheese, etc while playing trivial pursuit.
I'd then have a shower or bath before bed, and come out to a present on the bottom of my bed - always new pyjamas!

When I moved in with DH I would spend the morning & afternoon with my DM and then go to Christingle in the evening with him and his family (SIL is a vicar so we'd go to her service) then we'd go home to have M&S party food, some champagne and watch Christmas tv

Last year, DD was 6 days old so I'm pretty sure we just went for a walk round the village in the afternoon and ate my body weight in party food and chocolate while watching tv.

The traditions we want to have, as DD grows up, are:
• A family walk either at the beach or along the river or even just in our village
• Going to the Christingle service with all of the family
• New pyjamas on the bed on Christmas Eve
• Reading "the night before Christmas" in our bed with DD before she goes to bed

@fizzandchips

I prep all the Christmas ‘lunch’ and then cook it. We then eat it in the evening on Christmas Eve. That way when I wake up on Christmas morning I can relax in the knowledge that the food is all cooked and we have a buffet for lunch sometimes with about 16 people. I wasted so many Christmas mornings not enjoying the children when they were young because I was running in to the kitchen to Put the turkey in or peel the potatoes. About 5 years ago I realised I much preferred Boxing Day to Christmas Day and this is purely down to not having to cook so I announced to the family and told them that if they weren’t happy with my idea they could take over the food purchasing, food prep and cooking. Funnily enough no one else wanted to take it on and our new tradition was created. My only regret is that I didn’t start it earlier.

Love this! The idea and the attitude.

Like @fizzandchips we had Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve evening. That way lies a stress free Christmas Day where it didn’t matter if the children ate their selection boxes all day and we could just put out a buffet to be nibbled at and shared as and when, between family, games, walks and an evening film. Fab
.

It's just me and teenage DD. We have a bit of a pamper session in the afternoon the get in our PJs. I do a baked camembert and a bottle of prosecco and we'll watch some cheesy Christmas movies.

Not sure it will happen this year as my dad's v.poorly so we may be with my parents.

We often have to go to a Xmas eve party at dh’s friends house. I don’t like the party and always dread it. Got my fingers crossed that it’s cancelled this year! Every cloud and all that

When I was younger I used to go to the cinema every Christmas Eve

Dinner out then midnight mass. Used to tour the Christmas light displays when kids were tots

Bake a treat for Santa with the kids in the morning. I throw a lasagne together for later whilst they’re playing with flour.
Go for a walk with the extended family to the same (sentimental) place then all to the pub for a round.
Back home mid-afternoon, homemade lasagne for dinner.
Open Christmas Eve boxes. Early bath, new pjs on, all of us on sofa for Christmas films.
Ceremonial sprinkling of reindeer food (bird seeds) outside, putting Santa’s treat out and his drink (just do happens to be DH’s favourite drink too), kids take the stockings up to the fireplace upstairs in our bedroom as that’s where Santa climbs down the chimney.
Kids to bed early.
DH and I flop on sofa with drinks and cheeseboard.
Frantic present arrangements from all the hiding places once kids asleep.
So exciting!

We usually get some aspects of the Xmas dinner prepped and have a lazy afternoon. We have close family over (around 8 of us total) and have a nibble dinner - cheeseboard, sausage rolls, meats, crisps etc and we have drinks, music or play a party game. Everyone is usually home around 11pm and we have an early night.

This year I'm thinking of having everyone over on the 23rd instead. I fancy a walk on Christmas Eve morning before getting the food prepared then having a lazy day with Christmas films/tv but it might not be the same 🙈

Its dp's turn to have ds. First time for that , so not sure what I will do. Enjoy the calm before the storm probably
He'll be back for xmas lunch so will probably prep that .

We are often driving to family somewhere.
Don’t know if we will be able to do that this year. If we are at home, we go for a swim to tire the dc out. They are 9 and 12 now, not sure that’ll still work!