Christmas Eve- what do you do?

[EchoLimaYankee]

This year DH is off work on Xmas eve. I would love to make a special but not crazy day of it. We have a 2 and 6 year old.

Sadly, we live nowhere near the coast. We do have nat trust membership though. I would have loved to have gone to a christingle service like I did as a child. That’s not happening this year obviously!

What do you do? What has worked well for you?

I am English but living in Sweden. Christmas Eve is the big ticket here. Huge dinner around 5pm various courses (way too much in my opinion). After dinner FIKA (coffee and cake) by the tree and presents are handed out. The children have main and Swedish side presents. Christmas morning their stocking is left by the tree when we get up they have the English side and smaller surprise gifts. This has worked for us and spreads the frantic present opening Mickey.

Why it have a nice meal - picky bits nothing too stressful, maybe open one present or all watch a Christmas film

I always worked Christmas Eve but when I got home we baked something Christmasy, gingerbread men, shortbread, that sort of thing. Then we watched Christmas movies.
This is a wee tradition that has stayed with us although as my two are now 16 and 14 the baking has fallen by the wayside but everyone loves movie night and it's always The Polar Express!

In the morning (weather permitting) we’ll go for a winter walk in one of the local country parks in the morning.
In the afternoon we’ll watch a Christmas film, probably Muppets Christmas Carol and a bit of veg prepping.
After dinner we’ll go for a walk locally to look at the lights. I’m going to slow cooker hot chocolate this year for when we get in.

We have rice porridge on Xmas eve morning where I have put an almond. The one who finds almond in their porridge gets present. It's Xmas monopoly this year and we play it afterwards. During the day we will bake some gingerbread men and dc will decorate them for Santa.
In the evening we have Finnish style Xmas dinner and dc open their presents from my Finnish relatives.
Xmas day goes then in English way with stockings and English Xmas lunch.

Have a very light breakfast, quick spruce up of the house with everyone pitching in, take a long walk in the morning if the weather allows, perhaps delivering cards or gifts en route, then home for lunch. In the afternoon we decorate the Christmas cake, prep the veg and bring down the presents to put under the tree. The DCs are in the church nativity at 4, then home for snacks tea, baths and PJs, watch The Snowman, put a drink and pie out for FC, hang the stockings, light a candle for the window, then the DC head upstairs for bed.

We set the table ready for Christmas morning and then DH and I open a bottle of fizz and enjoy a bit of quiet time.

I really cherish the few hours of quiet, with the house clean and decorated and everything set for the big day.

I’m so enjoying reading these lovely plans. We will be having a family walk and then coming home and the children will open their Christmas Eve boxes where I’ve bought them matching pyjamas and bath bombs. Christmas film, takeaway pizza followed by bath and bed. I definitely like the idea of opening some bubbly on Christmas Eve so will also be doing that. I will miss going to church this year as I loved to do that usually.

Annual Christmas Eve party at a friends house where the kids get hopped up on sugar cookies, then home, bath, magic reindeer food, hang Santa's key and bed for the kids (usually with the help of melatonin and/or phenergan!)

Then DH and I wait until we know they're asleep and then crack a bottle, put on a movie and frantically wrap presents. Wait until we're off to bed then chuck all the gifts under the tree/in Santa sacks as appropriate and then pass out.

The next morning it's always DH and I impatiently waiting for the kids to bloody wake up with coffee and champagne. The one day they choose to sleep in...