Christmas Eve

[angeltattoo]

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

Get out on the bikes or for a long walk in the morning - helps burn off a bit of excitement energy! We have an afternoon buffet and play games with little prizes. Have a little walk round the village to see the lights and then a Christmas film before bed. It's always been my fave day.

I must the only person working still

I host every year but always book Xmas Eve as annual leave. I get up and prepare all the veg etc first thing in the morning. We then have breakfast, shower, fresh PJ's then watch back to back Xmas films. Food wise I make a party type buffet that we pick at as and when hungry

Gotta work in the morning, get home and I help DP and mum with the veg prep and cooking the gammon. We give kids thier Christmas Eve box, we order Chinese for dinner., kids have a bath, we watch the nightmare before Christmas, then DP takes kids to look at lights around the neighbourhood whilst I start operation ‘move the presents to a more accessible place. Kids go to bed at around 9 and we wait for them to sleep and then it’s operation Santa

Drink loads of baileys or mulled wine.

Christmas Eve is my special day with DD as we're always with my elderly parents (just mum as of this year ) on Christmas Day and then DD has to fit in visiting her dad afterwards when he's back from his partner's family.

She's 17 now, so we're going for a beach walk and brunch, then back home for a pamper sesh (doing a Christmas Eve box with face packs, bath bombs etc). Hot choc, mince pies and jigsaw mid afternoon then baked camembert and films in the evening.

I'm looking forward to it way more than anything else we have planned tbh.

Ahh I love reading about people’s Xmas eve traditions! It’s my favourite day of the year. I don’t have any children yet (currently 34 weeks with my first) so usually Christmas has been spent with my parents and extended family.
Christmas Eve morning I’m always up early for a long walk with my dad and getting last minute bits. While we’re out my mum wraps extra presents/tidies/puts on carols and bakes some mince pies so the house is lovely and Christmassy when we get back.
When she was alive we used to go and collect my gran and bring her back, but now I usually chill and watch a Christmas film (usually The Grinch!). Then we get dressed up and go round to our local Chinese with extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles etc), eat and drink a lot then come home for 10ish for an early night (and so my mum can do my stocking even though I’m 30 years old!)
I’m so excited for when my baby is here and a bit older and I can start some lovely traditions with her.

Your Mum sounds lovely @Asthenia and like she has really made Christmas so very special. I'm sure you will do the same for your own child and continue some of those traditions and find some new ones along the way too! Christmas is magical for dc and my 2 have really made it amazing; i'm so excited to see their faces!
You will have the best Christmas in gift of all this year; treasure every moment!

Christmas gift&

Carols and biscuit baking in the morning, posh late lunch at the Ivy in Brighton, stop off at the pick & mix on the way home, new pjs, watch TV or play a game in front of the fire, mince pies & sausage rolls & Baileys. Put the stockings out, and a glass of port for FC. Best day of the year.