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Christmas

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Original poster

Christmas Eve

160 replies

angeltattoo · 11/11/2021 18:23

What do you do on Christmas Eve? We never plan anything and it always then just feels like we're 'waiting' all day.

The kids are a bit older now (8 & 6) and I don't have to spend the entire evening wrapping and also for the first time in 8 years I am not cooking Christmas dinner, so no mountains of veg to peel.

So it would be good to do something nice but I can't think what, what do you do?

Thanks

OP posts:
SevenSwansASwimming · 12/11/2021 23:18

Best day of the year.

We start with pastries for breakfast. The morning consists of food prep, accompanied by cheesy Christmas pop songs and a tub of Quality Street. In the afternoon we go to the church crib service. Once we get home the elves have usually left new pj’s for the DC’s which they put on. Then we put out reindeer food, watch carols from kings followed by a Christmas movie and have a buffet tea.

Once the DC’s are in bed me and DH do the stockings and presents under the tree then have a glass of bubbly.

LivingForPinkGin · 13/11/2021 09:33

I love Christmas eve, definitely the best day of the year. We are going to go to the cinema this year in the morning then if the weather is ok a play in the park to burn off some of DS energy.

We will go to the childrens church service.

I am putting biscuit mix and decorations in the Christmas eve box so we will make some biscuits to leave out for Father Christmas while
listening to Christmas carols, and then when it goes dark either a walk around or drive around to see the Christmas lights.

Hetyanni · 13/11/2021 15:56

Toby Carvery for breakfast, take kids swimming to exhaust them or maybe park depending on weather, home for Christmas films and party food, bath, read the night before Christmas and then a nice early bedtime. Me and DH have ham egg and chips, get slightly pissed and watch a Christmas film.

LyndaLaHughes · 13/11/2021 16:09

We are going out for lunch and then off to the theatre for a matinee. (West End show)

InFiveMins · 13/11/2021 17:15

Christmas Eve is my favourite day. We usually go for a walk, have a nice lunch, sometimes go to Church, watch Christmas films, and there is usually something good on TV in the evening that we'll enjoy. The excitement and the build up is the best part!

Whatinthelord · 13/11/2021 17:16

Board games and part food. Then a Xmas film. Usually a walk before all that.

thethoughtfox · 13/11/2021 17:38

@MissMarplesGoddaughter

I love Christmas Eve too.

Making mince pies to the background of Carols from Kings
Setting the Christmas day table
Putting holly around the pictures in the dining room
Cutting the first slices of Christmas cake
Going for a twinkle walk to see all the neighbourhood Christmas lights
Listening to Christmas carols
Snuggling down under a blanket to watch TV movies

Have a new puppy so a Christmas Eve walk will be a new tradition. I'm sooo calling it a 'Twinkle Walk'
thethoughtfox · 13/11/2021 17:42

We watch Home Alone and have hot chocolate snuggled on sofa.Then prosecco and party nibbles and putting the presents under the tree and filling stockings.

Feedingthebirds1 · 13/11/2021 17:43

Just me and DP.

In the morning go into town to have a coffee and people watch. The cafe we usually choose has full length windows and a good view of The Perfume Shop, which is always good for a giggle seeing all the men dash in in a panic but at the same time thinking do you actually know your DW/DP at all?

Afternoon any food we can prep ahead of time, which is most of it, to Carols from Kings. Tea is poached salmon, new potatoes and green beans, followed by something lemony and creamy (usually posset or syllabub). There's usually something comedy on R4.

Off out to the neighbours, the whole road gets together for an hour, then Midnight Mass and Baileys, with just the tree lights on.

Agree that Christmas Eve often feels more exciting than the day itself.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 13/11/2021 17:58

Go for a walk? Play games? What do you normally do when you have a day off together?

zeeboo · 13/11/2021 18:17

We normally have a trip to the park or dog walk in the morning. Then home to do last minute cleaning, carols by candlelight at church in the evening, pick up a curry on the way home. We watch a Christmas film while we eat and then take the annual Christmas Eve photos of the 'kids' (older ones are now 22 and 21) in their Christmas PJs holding their stockings. Leave the stuff out for FC to eat and drink and then go upstairs where I read the same stories that I've read every year since the eldest was born. My daughter 22 still listens but funnily enough my son no longer poses for the photos in pjs but in his puffa and he then goes straight out to the pub with his mates Grin

Natsku · 13/11/2021 18:21

The day before (Christmas Eve is the main day for us, so on the 23rd) we eat pizza and watch a Christmassy film.

APurpleSquirrel · 13/11/2021 18:36

We always go out for either lunch or dinner to a restaurant. Have been doing it since I was a child, & now do it with our children. Usually take the PIL with us as a thank you for all they do for us - it's nice not having to cook & just enjoy ourselves. Last year was the first year we haven't been able to do it for I can't remember when. Hoping we can do it again this year.

WhatIsThisPlease · 13/11/2021 18:37

I used to bake and prep as much as I could then at 4pm took DC to our village church for the christingle service. They used to be so excited walking home afterwards. We put the christingles in the window, lit the candles and read 'The Night Before Christmas.

Christmas Eve has always been my favourite day of the year. DC are grown up now but they still remember how excited they used to get at that point of the day.

Enjoy your day OP, it's just magical at their age 😊

PurBal · 13/11/2021 18:39

Morning is usually a write off due to a birthday on 23. Then mulled wine, mince pies and church.

QuornSausagesAreTheDevilsPenis · 13/11/2021 18:43

If I'm not working it's usually walk/church/pub and Muppets Christmas Carol. Muppets has to be fitted in even if I am working!

QuornSausagesAreTheDevilsPenis · 13/11/2021 18:44

Oh and following Norad all day!

SophieHatterPendragon · 13/11/2021 19:12

Christmas Eve is my favourite part of Christmas 🎄

In the morning we have a nice breakfast. DH does some tidying and we have Christmas music on lots
Of singing and festive feels.
We see my family in Christmas Eve my mum and I alternate hosting. If it’s my house we have a roast (lamb 😍) if it’s my mum she puts on a buffet with all the festive treats.

We live in a sea side town so after the food part is over we go for a walk on the beach to help digest our food. Then when we get home again it’s a Variety of tv, board games and the times big Christmas crossword (my brother and I are very competitive about who can get the most answers)

Once it’s just DH, our 3 kids and I we give the toddlers (2&3) a light supper, do the mince pie, drink & carrot for Santa & his reindeer, read the jolly postman Christmas and night before Xmas and bed!

DS1, DH and I watch muppets xmas Carol or elf. Then once DS1 is in bed I wrap the gifts while singing Xmas songs or watching die hard

QuornSausagesAreTheDevilsPenis · 13/11/2021 20:21

Forgot to add, we always read The Night Before Christmas before dc go to bed. Even though dc are teens!

ithoughtisawapuddycat · 13/11/2021 20:24

I'll be at work (although we don't do any work) until about 3pm. Then home for a quiet evening with hubby.

No kids and staying away from going out to keep my dad safer when we visit over Christmas as he is currently vulnerable.

33goingon64 · 13/11/2021 20:30

Waiting around to be avoided at all costs especially with DC! Why would you do that? We go for a walk or even swimming to tire the DC out. We've been known to have lunch out. But definitely lots of fresh air required. Then carols from King's at 3pm, mince pies and a drink with neighbours, watch The Snowman, light a fire, write a note to Santa, DC to bed. Stocking duty. Early to bed as we know we'll be awake early!

Gizmo98765 · 13/11/2021 20:44

We live close to the beautiful lake district so depending on the day. Nice long lovely walks in the beautiful lake district to tire them out with a meal out at Keswick or Ambleside. Or a meal out and a visit to a pantomime and when they outgrew that a cinema trip. We always hung stockings up for Santa and left mince pies carrot for Rudolf and always read twas the night before Christmas.

Letsbekindplease · 13/11/2021 21:11

Lovely Christmas Eve traditions here
I usually always woke early on Christmas Eve and watched some films. Then before dinner time I’d bake something which always ended up a disaster. Then at night time we would watch family films together.
Now I have a 2 year old so I’ll be probably visiting some family as I’m working a back shift on Christmas Day.

Original poster
angeltattoo · 13/11/2021 22:44

Some lovely ideas here. I must find our Night before Christmas book before then, it's here somewhere!

I want to make the most of the magic feeling for them...I think I'll do buffet of party food and cheese and meats for dinner.

Just to decide what to do in the day...fresh air definitely needed before it gets dark...maybe a walk somewhere to look at the lights and get the excitement going...Glitterball

OP posts:
AnneElliott · 13/11/2021 22:48

We used to go to mass and the carol service when DS was in primary school.

We have a tradition though of a curry with family friends in the evening which we look forward to.