So whats your Christmas eve tradition ?

[fakeblonde]

About 5 years ago we really put our foot down here about running around after everybody else and looking in on other families enjoying Christmas Eve while we seemed to have to visit the world !
We now are entirely selfish Christmas Eve and run around after ourselves !
We do something nice with the children-usually nip into town for a coffee and last min pressie buy.
Then we dress up and go carol singing around the wards at our local hospital-about 40 of us ! The kids love it .We then go for drinks at the "big " house (thats what dc call my friends rather nice house ).We get home about 6 and light lots of candles before watching polar express and champagne for grown ups !
Bedtime is great obviuosly.

Oh and we track Santa on the internet too !

When dc all asleep our neighbours pop over in pj`s for a weeny bit more champagne !

Dad then seives icing sugar around his feet all around the fire place and so santa leaves snowy footprints !!!!!

I think we get as excited as the dc ?
Does anyone else still feel like a big kid ? x

I always listen to Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings at 3pm on Radio 4, whilst preparing veg and doing the ham.

We then go to the candlelit crib service at village church and usually have a few friends back for mince pies and a drink.

Once kids are in bed we either snuggle up with ginger wine, chocs and a film or have a few friends round for another drink.

The Carols from Kings is something my dad always does too so it's quite a nice tradition. When the lone choir boy steps up to sing Once in Royal I always get a bit happy/weepy

We read Twas the Night Before Christmas to the children, they get their new pyjamas (which they LOVE) and then I make them hot water bottles and they snuggle up in bed.

We also usually watch a film that afternoon and nip over to the neighbours for a few drinks.

Then once they are in bed, dh and I realise we've forgotten upteen presents and draw straws for who has to go late night shopping .

Twas the night before christmas - must root that out its lovely.

Someone gave the children the most beautifully illustrated book of it. I'll see if I can find it. With sort of olde worlde type illustrations.

Always get house nice and tidy, bath and new pj's on and then snuggle on the couch and watch the snowman.

Ds will then go up to bed and we'll have a glass of wine, put the christmas music on and set his presents up in the living room ready for the morning.

Love christmas eve!

where can we track father christmas on the internet? sounds great! thanks.

We go to DP's family. We have a big traditional meal (about 5 courses). Then when you are so full you can't move the youngest bring round your presents to open. All while enjoying a few drinks

www.noradsanta.org
-on from tomorrow and tracking christmas eve is fab.

Wrap Christmas pressies until the early hours of the morning whilst consuming alcohol and wishing we'd wrapped them earlier.

Every year... without fail!

I love Christams Eve. We watch something christmassy in the afternoon, then church service and carols, DC have a lovely bath, dry their hair and put new jimjamms on (Nana buys them every year). We always buy a new christmas themed book to read to them before bed. We then sprinkle reindeer dust on the step outside (half sparkly glitter/dust and half oats. It sparkles on the doorstep so the reindeers and Santa are guided to our house!!!) AH Bliss

Nine Lessons from Kings as we "do" the veg.

I do the icing sugar thing too and nibble the carrot left for the reindeer and all that...

Generally a bit of tidying up and sorting

In a way it is my favourite bit of Christmas...the excitement and anticipation

We don't really have any traditions except for the new pj's one.

I want to see my dad on xmas eve, as we won't see him xmas day or boxing day. After that we will come home and the kids will have a bath, change into their new pj's, write a note for Santa and leave him a drink, some cookies and a carrot for the reindeer.

Once the kids are in bed, I run around like a nutter sorting hundred things out.

I might do the icing sugar footsteps this year.

Oh, for anyone who is trying to get their dc to give up a dummy. Dd2 left hers out for santa one year, and he left her a letter to say that he would give it to a baby reindeer. She was very impressed and never asked for her dummys after that.

Usually we have mad rush for last minute presents/food shopping (I always say I'll be more organised next year).

Have a nice lunch out somewhere then home to watch a nice Christmassy film.

Then

Kids

One of their favourite's for tea
Bath
Snuggly Pj's on
Put drink and cookies out for Santa
Nice Story read in Bed
Sleep

Adults...then rush about like mad things tidying up,wrapping and putting out pressies,stockings and making Santas footprints,eating milk and cookies etc,whilst supping plenty of alcohol before tumbling into bed in the early hours only to be woken at some unearthly hour of Christmas morning.

Xmas??? Love it

lol fio

mine is

get mil
listen to mil
mil watches telly at ear splitting volume
go to bed

Make up one of those Gingerbread house kits (only started this last year). Have some lunch, go next door to exchange presents with our neighbours. The children have a drink and a biscuit at their kitchen table with Bruno the bear who is now about 70 years old and gets into his best Christmas clothes.

Back home to watch a Christmasy film or walk in the woods depending on weather to get fir cones etc. Start tracking Santa on the computer. Bath and new pjs. Toast marshmallows in front of the fire dipped in melted chocolate. Christmas poems and story, put out carrot for reindeer and something for Father Christmas, then children off to bed.

We chill out and wait for them to go to sleep. I love Christmas Eve.

Bite back the rising tide of panic and nausea at the prospect of the following day.

Exactly the same as MarsLady!!

Plus make mince pies and sausage rolls.

Toated marshmallows - mmmm will try and sort that this year.

So it seems everyone has new pj`s at christmas !

Fiofio - we had to put our turkey in the bath one year as wasnt any where near being defrosted - dh lit him a candle and put some music on for him too !!!!!!!!!!!!

Collect turkey and last minute veg etc.

Long walk (whatever the weather)

Nine lessons and carols

Christmassy film

Early 'Midnight' Mass (really miss proper Midnight Mass. Last verse of O COme all yea faithful sung for the first time as midnight strikes

Put baby Jesus in the crib

Hot chocolate, mulled wine, mince pies, sausage rolls.

Empty fireplace.

Leave mince pie, glass of whisky, carrot and bowl of water out.

Read 'The Night Before Christmas' and the new Carol Duffy one.

Put stockings on end of bed

Lights out.

Dry eyes , and then I'm afraid pretty much as Marslady says.

Last minute panic rush downstairs to bite end off carrot...

Next morning they come in trailing their stockings

God, I love Christmas!!!

This looks interesting -
its a world wide interactive advent calendar

www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/calendar/

I love that website

advent calendar

We are at home for christmas for the first time ever. We are going to take the children ice skating at Hampton Court Palace, then my parents will arrive late afternoon. Will watch a nice christmassy movie, have a nice (light) meal then we do the mince pie whiskey and carrot for santa and the reindeers, put the santa stop sign up in the garden and hang santa's key on the front door for him to let himself in (as we have no fireplace). Children in bed (eventually) we will sneak all the presents down from "narnia" (the hidden cupboard in the back of my wardrobe) where they are all waiting wrapped (preen). My father will do the Santa footprints, and then dh and I are off to the pub for a drink with a few of the neighbours whilst my parents babysit.

I can wait to get the house decorated and fell all christmassy. Is tomorrow too early?