What are you doing Christmas Eve?

[MsMiaWallace]

DH is at work until 2pm so looking at inspo for afternoon with 3 small kids.

What are you guys up to?

When my dd was little we would go to the afternoon nativity carol service at the church (kids go in costumes and go up to the stage) , then we would come home, have a mini buffet tea and watch a Christmas film. Then it would be pjs on, prepare a snack and drink for Santa and bed-time (early!) I always gave her a new Christmas story book wrapped up to open and we would read the story together before she went to sleep. Those were the days...[sigh]

I’m loving reading all these! When mine were little we used to go to town in the morning, all errands would already be done so we’d just hang around, enjoy music, and all the excitement, then Christingle service mid afternoon, they would eat the sweets and it would be dark when we came out, walk home past Christmas lights. Watch The Snowman (turn it off just before the end because DS would cry when it melted) Not too early a night, in the hope they’d settle quicker. I used to sleep very little myself, listening for them waking up and finding their stockings. Was soooooo exciting! Miss those days.

Driving 5+ hours to MILs.

A trampoline park in the morning (already booked), Panto in the afternoon and a meal out in the evening. I want them tired haha

We might go to a carol service if they’re not too tired because the church is across the road from the restaurant we’re eating at.

(late) breakfast with santa at a local restaurant, then taking children to the park for a little while in the afternoon (or more likely partner will take them and I will clean the flat ready for Christmas day), making mince pies, an easy dinner, early baths and a Christmas film. With a bit of luck we will be able to tire them out enough that they will go to bed early.....it hasn't worked so far but there's a first time for everything right?

We have a wonderful but unusual Christmas Eve tradition. Christmas Eve for us is a bigger event than Christmas Day.

Started by my great grandmother in the 1930s, she would serve an enormous fish supper and party games for the family, before midnight mass. My grandmother inherited it in the 60s and added bowls of punch, cheese boards and pork pie. My mum inherited it in the 90s and added an enormous joint of ham whilst the fish component was scaled (ha ha) back to a token bit of poached salmon.
We stopped going to midnight mass after my great grandma died in 2003 but I have now inherited Christmas Eve.

This year, we have 15 people, including all the little ones. Everyone stays overnight. Party games, punch and ham. And so many Christmas songs!

I've added any special layered Christmas pie and apple crumble (because we have an orchard).

I'm growing a new person in my belly and maybe one day it'll be theirs, if they want it. 🎄🎄🎄

@Bluebellbike that's such a lovely thing to do.

@beachtosunset thank you.

[quote Mantlemoose]@Bluebellbike that's such a lovely thing to do.[/quote]
@Mantlemoose thank you also. My exH has been alone since we split in 1993. My second husband died in 2008 and ever since then my ex has come to us for Christmas. It will be tough knowing that this is his last. Our little family gets ever smaller.

We've made a tradition of walking to the local candle factory to look around the shop & the lovely 'Santa's Workshop' display which has lots of differently decorated trees & moving mechanical christmas figures/animals.

We usually buy some Christmas scented candles or reed diffusers but the main tradition of the whole thing is for the DCs to do candle dipping, where they each colour their own candle by dipping it into different colour dyes.

We then walk back home through the village & the newly dipped candles get put away for the next year, & we get out the ones from the previous year to burn on the fireplace during the evening.

Big dog walk in the afternoon. Christmas service at church. Then home for party food and DC will open their presents from us. Film and bed. Oh and wine for me … :-)

Family walk through the sand dunes/beach with the dog....drinks at the pub with 2 sons.... to DD house....watch the GC put up their stockings ....drink for Santa etc.....home...pjs on ....Me and my partner in the back room with Alexa playing Christmas music....log burner going.

No kids, husband working over christmas as he usually does - I am hoping he will work the morning on Christmas Day so we get to have dinner together.

Christmas Eve I just watch my favourite movies, have a glass of Baileys.

Even though DH will be working, I still love the atmosphere, the opportunity to rest and self indulge and watch 'Scrooged' for the millionth time just becasse I love it.

Christmas cracker hunt
Christmas film and wine night

Working 1pm until 5pm. We have family arriving about the time I get home and they are staying over Christmas and New Year so this means that it will be all hands on deck getting the house shipshape and Bristol fashion in the morning. Husband and kids will drive to airport to welcome visitors in the afternoon. In the evening we will have a nice meal all together with family that we haven't done since Christmas 2019 and it will be crazy with everyone catching up. Thinking of doing for food a charcuterie and some nice bread and some salads, that way I can stick it on the side board and people can just eat what they want. The children will watch Another Bloomin' Christmas before being packed off the bed. If they are all twitchy and the weather is clear we might take them for a stomp down to the beach just across the way from us and walk off some of the gremlins so the little buggers will sleep.

We will go to the cinema to watch The Muppets’ Christmas Carol, then home. I might go to the service in the cathedral, then come home and prep food for the next day while listening to carols from Kings.

I spend some time prepping for dinner the next day. Last year we took the dog for a walk and it snowed while we were out! Magical. A few streets were doing advent windows so we looked at those, then when we got home our elf had gone back to the North Pole but left new pjs and a bath bomb, so kids got ready for bed. We always do buffet food Christmas eve, try to get the house tidy and calm for the next day and get them to bed at a decent time so we can be Santa!

@FourTeaFallOut

Park, bowling, Die Hard.

Like your style

The year I had a toddler and was 36 weeks pregnant we went to Deep Sea World aquarium place and it was virtually empty. We had a great afternoon on our own with the sharks! Most attractions are completely empty on Christmas Eve and it's nice and relaxing

hoping to go to mass when i finish work

DS will have just turned 1 by this Christmas, barely remember last year as i was only a few days post partum!

We will pop by Dmums to get last minute food ready in the afternoon. Then an afternoon wrapping whilst DS naps. Probably take a walk around the block to see all the pretty lights when it gets dark and then in the evening we'll do Christmas eve boxes, watch elf and set out snacks for Santa and Rudolph. I'm really looking forward to setting out own traditions for DS as I loved the magic and traditions of Christmas as a child

I will probably be going to work for the morning...if we are back working in the office. DH and dd usually meet me afterwards for lunch (coffee and sandwich) in town and any last bits before we go home, with a last look at the Live Crib outside the Lord Mayor's house en route.

If not working, dd and I usually do the Christmas Eve swim in aid of homeless charities at the local sailing club. DH holds the towels and then there is a general gathering for a final warm drink with friends before the club closes for Christmas.

If we don't swim, we do try and get a walk before f
Getting stuck into the prep for 25th (peeling veg, making stuffing etc), and dd always makes cookies for Santa (sometimes from scratch, but I always freeze half a batch earlier in December so we can just slice and bake if it's too chaotic).

There is a fair chance though, that this year, I will go to work and drive straight from there to go "down home" to DPs and DMIL for the season...which is a 2.5 hour drive Ona good day.

Not much. Prepping Christmas dinner. DD is 21 and will probably be chilling on the sofa. Not much help from me either

I’ve brought a gingerbread Wendy house for my 5 yr old daughter which I might get her to paint. £9 from home bargains and some tree decs to paint. Will do some baking although last year my 12 yr old and 5 yr old argued over that.
Wrapping. Xmas films like the snowman and the snow dog.
We drive round and see the Xmas lights. Last year we ate Burger King in the car. Oh and clean.