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Christmas

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Christmas Eve Plans

31 replies

HalloHello · 23/12/2021 09:10

What does everyone do Christmas Eve to get in the spirit? I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old 🙈 DH working until lunch time! We always have fish finger sandwiches for tea Christmas Eve as we know everyone will eat that and it's easy and quick! But other than that, no traditions!

OP posts:
FortunesFave · 23/12/2021 09:14

We have a Christmas Eve dog walk to see the lights locally. Our kids are teens now but it started as a way to get them tired for bed....and we all still do it!

We also make cookies or some other festive baking and have a nice buffet tea, The DC seem to love the buffet more than the Christmas lunch to be honest!

Christmas music on all day too. As your 3 year old is small, you could make some tree decorations or paper chains with him or her and maybe have a festive walk in the dark too.

languagelover96 · 23/12/2021 09:14

Put up a wreath
Christmas quizzes

RussianSpy101 · 23/12/2021 09:15

We always go and see Santa on Christmas Eve. This year we’re doing it at a theme park.
Home, sprinkle reindeer food on the garden and the drive, hot chocolates for the children and bed.

mumonthehill · 23/12/2021 09:19

At that age just have a peaceful afternoon, maybe some craft and a film with treats, then fish finger sarnies, bath, reindeer food and put stockings out. Then try and have 5 minutes to yourself!

firstimemamma · 23/12/2021 09:22

We bake something every Christmas Eve, last year it was gingerbread men. Mind you I only have a 3 year old and no young baby to contend with so appreciate you may not feel up to that!

cliffdiver · 23/12/2021 09:24

We went for a walk last Christmas Eve to see the houses with Christmas lights.

DDs loved it, and want to do it every year.

Our elf usually leaves a Christmas Eve box, which has Christmas crafts (usually from The Works / The Range etc) and a gingerbread house to make (but this year we have a Cadbury one).

We usually make reindeer food (oats and cake sprinkles - no glitter) and put up the Santa stop here sign.

We'll also watch The Snowman and read The Night Before Christmas before bed.

Largethighsbadeyes · 23/12/2021 09:33

Nice dog walk with family. Clean up a bit. Put the non santa presentsunder the tree. Bath for DD and while she's in it the Xmas eve elves Come and leave a couple of little presents on the bed. Then it's downstairs to hang the sticking and put a drink out for santa. Then a Christmas film usually Home Alone and then we all get in our bed and read Twas the night before Christmas. Once DD is asleep santa presents go in the stocking.

Largethighsbadeyes · 23/12/2021 09:34

*stocking

Largethighsbadeyes · 23/12/2021 09:34

Oh and hang the magic key on the front door as we don't have a chimney

peaceanddove · 23/12/2021 09:35

Our DDs are 17 & 18 but still like to do all the traditional stuff. So we'll go out for brunch then back home to do a good tidy through of the house, ready for Santa coming. Then in the evening it will be the traditional watching of Polar Express + hot chocolate + snacks.

ichundich · 23/12/2021 09:39

Where I come from Santa comes on Christmas Eve. So when we're in my home country, we celebrate Christmas with the family. Here it feels wrong though, so we go for a walk in our woods instead. Last year we decorated a tree there with food for the animals. After we get home we have nice party food, music and light lots of candles, and then play a board game or watch a movie.

AuditAngel · 23/12/2021 09:47

When ours were small I always organised an outing to wear them out, often soft play which tended to be quieter than usual, or the cinema.

We attend Mass at 6pm, then when children were small they were put to bed by grandparents while we went to the pub and a late night curry. These days, after Mass we all go for a curry, with cousins who live near by.

Always new pyjamas on Christmas Eve, but we don’t do the matching ones as we all like different styles (fleecy/cotton/leggings with a t-shirt)

Officially I have to work, because some of our offices are working, but i I am owed the time (after working a day while on holiday) so will only respond to emergencies

Bellafrenum · 23/12/2021 09:47

My children are 5 and 3 so traditions still very much being formed. This year we are going for breakfast with Santa about 10 at a local Carvery. Then we will head back through town centre. If the weather is OK we will give the kids a run around the park. Otherwise, just wander around the centre of town, let the kids go on a ride each.

Then get home and maybe bake gingerbread biscuits for Santa (I have a back up mince pie if I cba). Christmas film, hot chocolate etc. Dh will start on the jerk ham.

There is a Carol concert at a church up the road at 5pm so might go to that.

Then the best bit is the evening! We will give the kids party food, put the bits out for Santa, read The Night Before Christmas together, then give them a relaxing lavender bath and bed. Then we fill the stockings, put the gifts under the tree and, when we are sure they are completely asleep, put the Santa gift at the end of their bed.

Then ham, egg and chips, booze, a film and a snuggle. Can't wait!!

bananaboats · 23/12/2021 10:18

We go my parents in the afternoon as we have Christmas day at home and usually just a quiet one in the evening some good snacks and Christmas movies.

HeyFloof · 23/12/2021 11:50

Christmas eve box from the eld arrives for wake up containing new pj's and stuff. Christmas cruise on the canal first thing, then making Welsh cakes or biscuits to decorate.

Handprint on the Christmas sack (painted handprint on a pillowcase which santa leaves a present in.

Church (on zoom) christingle in the afternoon. Might take DS on a dog walk after this, or to the park.

Bath, Reindeer food, putting biscuits and prosecco out for Santa, all to the tune of hysterical excitement from 5yo until he eventually conks out.

When he's eventually in bed, we track santa on norad and then I open the window in the bedroom and my Dad stands by the back door with the jingle bells.

FortunesFave · 23/12/2021 12:20

@mumonthehill

At that age just have a peaceful afternoon, maybe some craft and a film with treats, then fish finger sarnies, bath, reindeer food and put stockings out. Then try and have 5 minutes to yourself!
What is it with fish finger sandwiches on Christmas Eve? I've seen three different posters say they have this today! I can't think of anything more unfestive! Grin I mean...I know it's easy and kids like it...but really?!
DrunkenKoala · 23/12/2021 13:04

Our normal plan is to go out for a walk in the local country park in the morning. We then stop off a Tesco cafe for a festive tea/coffee/hot choc and treats. Nip round Tesco store for any bits that we still need to get.

Home for lunch, which is festive ham rolls and salad. After lunch finish decorating the Christmas cake and do the Gingerbread house. Watch a Christmas film.

Tea is usually fish and chips and mince pies for pudding. Then we go for a walk around our local streets to see the house lights. Hot chocolate when we get in.

The evening is a bath, clean pyjamas and then mince pie and carrot out for Santa and Rudolph. Then bed!

Unfortunately Covid has struck us so our normal morning walk and trip to Tesco cafe is off, as is the evening walk, but depending on how everyone is feeling we'll do the cake and gingerbread house and I need to make a sponge cake for the trifle.

RuggerHug · 23/12/2021 13:05

Watch the Muppets Christmas carol!

wonderstuff · 23/12/2021 13:10

We have friends over in the afternoon, years ago it was because lots of friends were back in town and we were one of the few with our own place, it was dubbed ‘escape the parents party’ then we had kids and made more friends locally and it was a post-christingle gathering, now the kids are too old for Christingle, but we still invite friends over. I’ll be cleaning and tidying in the morning. Santa comes when the kids are in the bath and leaves new pjs for them.

EgSk · 23/12/2021 13:42

We have a 2 year old and a one year old and this year we are doing a light show at Kew Gardens. I’m hoping to make it a Christmas Eve tradition. We tried to go last year but it sold out early. I booked last April for this year 🙈

After the light show we will head home for bedtime stories including The Night Before Christmas ( obviously hehe)! We will put out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer ( we bake shortbread cookies every Christmas Eve morning so another tradition).

Oh and we were gifted matching family Christmas Pjs this year so we will change into those after bath time. I love that sorta stuff 😊

After the kids go to bed I’ll bring out my homemade cheeseball that my family have made every year growing up . Cheese and wine , some cured meats , grapes, nuts and cookies . We usually have family over .

I also love tracking Santa on NORAD Tracks Santa . It’s been a tradition since I was a kid but back then we would track on the radio !

And then later before bed I’ll bring out the presents and do the stockings .

I love Christmas Eve . It’s my favourite day of the year. Christmas is my second favourite day but Christmas can be pretty full on .

wonderstuff · 23/12/2021 14:24

@EgSk have a fantastic time at Kew we did it a couple of times when the kids were smaller and it was absolutely lovely.

Thesearmsofmine · 23/12/2021 15:17

Christmas Eve is my favourite day of the year!

This year we’re going for a long walk then home to track Santa, I bought a Christmas escape room game suitable for kids and we’re making Christmas tree shaped pizzas for dinner and we need to make mince pies too. New pyjamas and watching The Snowman.

MrsBerthaRochester · 23/12/2021 15:17

I will be doing all the cooking on xmas eve as I dont have an oven so have to work between one small slow cooker and one ring on hob!
Also need to clean house for fussy friend who is coming.
In the evening will open a bottle of prosecco and watch a movie with kids.

SheWolfOFFrancee · 23/12/2021 15:29

I’ll do baking with our 3 DC in the morning. Christmas songs on and me singing along (my 9 yr old will tell me I’m so uncool).

DH will be frantically wrapping his presents that he’s having delivered last minute Xmas Smile

Then we head to my mums for buffet and family time. Spend the afternoon there. My brother will be there too. Lots of music and chatting. When my grandparents were still with us we’d usually put on an epic film like Ben hur or a musical and all end up watching that while the kids play. My brother and I will see who can get the most answers in the telegraph big Christmas cross word (of course I’ll win Xmas Grin

We usually go for a family walk on the beach then head home to get the kids ready for bed. Track Santa and put out his amaretto and cranberry drink & biscuit along with a carrot for the reindeer

Then Xmas movies and pizza for me and dh

StylishDuck · 23/12/2021 16:39

We have a Christmas Eve box. This year it has new PJs, new mugs for hot chocolate, a book for each of the DC and some treats. We would usually go a walk at some point but we're isolating at the moment so we can't do that. I'm trying to get everything ready today so we can do nothing tomorrow. Apart from bake a Swiss roll for Xmas day dessert that is. We'll watch a Xmas film before bed then DH and I always have a Chinese and crack open the booze when the DC are in bed.