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

Comeoveneer that sounds marvellous !
We are putting our tree up this weekend.

We always watch The Snowman on video. Except this year we havent got a telly. Perhaps we could look at the book instead...

My parents decorate their tree on Christmas Eve, and we go over to their house to help with that.

Last year dd1 made some 'reindeer food' at preschool (oats mixed with glitter) on Christmas Eve we went out with a torch and sprinkled it on the front lawn. So we'll do that again this year.

We're doing new PJs for the first time this year; dd1 is getting some lovely Xmas penguin ones.

make mince pies watch a chrismassy film ,go and see grandparents then home in pj's and we make a big sandwich mummy at one end of the sofa daddy at the other and 5 dc squashed in between and reas the night before Christmas then it's bedtime.

Awww you've got me all chrismassy now lol

to track santa on the internet

www.noradsanta.org/en/home.htm

has the links and information you need. we

We have done this as part of our Christmas eve tradition for the last 3 years the children absolutely love it. Also easier to get them to bed when they realize Santa in on his way.

Other traditions for Christmas eve make my home made Ginger Cake, read the Christmas story and the night before Christmas. Once children are in bed sort presents, drink sherry go to bed!!

We watch "Little Bear and the Christmas Star".

It's great.

Ditto Mars. Open bubbly, get jolly, wrap and wrap, creep about the house holding bundles of unwrapped pressies and expecting to be caught any moment. Fall into bed circa 3.25am and curl into feotal position praying that the visit to MIL the next day takes no longer that 12 minutes.

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Old family tradition: leave a glass of sherry and a carrot on a tray. In the morning, there will be a note in my dad's slightly pissed handwriting saying 'Thanks for the presents. I loved the carrot, and Rudolph enjoyed the sherry. Love from Father Christmas.'

Every bloody year.

watch christmas films wrap pressies bath ds put him in lovely new pjs set up his toys from santy have a take away as oven resting up for the next dayearly to bed

Interested to find so many buy new PJs for Christmas Eve. Hadn't heard of it before but think it's a great idea

We track Santa on the internet until his reindeer have their dinner break, luckily at a farm up the road from us during which time Santa takes to the road on a tractor driven sleigh round the local village where the children get to climb on the sleigh, talk to Santa and are given a slection box before being told by the great man to go home to bed quickly.

Morning. Run around getting last minute pressies and food.

Afternoon. Work.

Evening. Watch christmasy film, put up pillowcases for Santa. Leave mince pie, orange and milk for Santa, carrot for rudolph. When kids are in bed, frantically wrap everything. Fill pillowcases, eat orange, carrot etc. Have drink. Go to bed.

This year I am determined to wrap everything early, so I can relax more.

we watch "the polar express" snuggled in blankets on the sofa with the kids with hot choc and marshmallows and after they are in bed with new pjs, santa key on the door etc me and dh watch "it's a wonderful life" and have a few drinks.

am so excited about christmas already!

We allow them to open one present from under the tree.

We give children new pyjamas which seems to hasten them off to bed. Then we do a bit of frantic wrapping and transporting of presents from their hiding places o under the tree.

Last year was the first time we made it out to church for the midnight service. I would like this to become a tradition.

We go to a fab Carol Service in an enormous barn on a real farm. The little uns can pat the donkey, see the sheep, goats etc that are all in pens around the barn. You sit on hay bales and sing your heart out. The message is short & v.easy for all ages to appreciate. There are very funny sketches that get the real meanint of Christmas home

and tractors to pull cars out that get stuck in the fields

The only thing I do is go to bed at 4pm ready to get up at 4am!! to open the pressies!! DP doesn't like this but tough!! lol

I like the PJs idea AMerryScot. I think I'll adopt that tradition.

We go to a local village about 20 mins drive away that is so undeniably 'Christmassy' and has a great deli and doll's house shop (amongst other twee little shops)

We buy last minute pressies, dd gets to buy something for her doll's house and we spend a fortune in deli on local cheese and nice port. My mum, dad,bro,sis and nana and grandma all come (it was tradition started by my mum and dad) and they visit the priory there which is beautiful...

Once home it all gets a bit manic at my parent's with veg prep and cranberry sauce making, aided by the consumption of snowballs (yes THAT 70's classic drink!) or whatever you fancy, then santa's treats out etc etc..

OH bring it on! I can't wait. All I have to do between now and then is, erm, have a baby!!!!!!!!