What are your Christmas Eve plans?

[MsMiaWallace]

DH is off this year which is unusual!
Looking for inspo for days out with the kids in the hope of tiring them out.
Preferably indoors in case weather is bad.

We'll do food prep for Christmas dinner, watch Christmas films and probably take DGS to look at the Christmas lights.

@Dogsgottabone I love Arthur Christmas! It is my favourite Christmas movie.

No kids here but plans could incorporate older children maybe.

We have a leisurely breakfast, sometimes I make a Terrys chocolate orange Christmas pudding (covered with Malteasers and sooo yummy).. we have a dog now so will take him out for a walk in the local woods, then early afternoon into our village to take a final look around the shops and for a hot chocolate.

Tea time we head to my parents where we have hot roast pork sandwiches, then we head out to the local church for carols before ending up in the local pub for a drink.

When we get home we get our (usually new) pyjamas on, eat quality street and watch either Home Alone, Lampoon’s Christmas or A Christmas Carol.

I adore Christmas Eve!

I tried to make the chocolate orange pudding with maltesers last year as had done them previously but the chocolate oranges had shrunk and it didnt fit in my glass any more that i use as a stand . It was a disaster 😂😂

We’ve just arranged to have a bit of a Christmas Eve afternoon buffet at ours with some family and possibly a few neighbours round. We wanted to do this during the covid years (didn’t do a Christmas Eve thing before that), but it obviously kept getting cancelled. We’ll go to the market during the morning to get all the nice last bits and treats in for Christmas Eve and over the holidays. Once everyone leaves we’ll have a quiet evening with a glass of fizzy and definitely the Christmas Father Ted episode, it’s a tradition to watch it. That leads nicely into Christmas Day when we visit my own parents (who can’t make it to us the day before).

Cook in the morning

Football in the afternoon

Buffet in the evening

We usually book to go swimming in the morning. Not very festive but I love that feeling when you're all warm afterwards and step out into the cold air - and definitely works to tire DC out and make them a little less giddy for the rest of the day.

Panto in the afternoon. It will be DD's first time, she is 3 and I'm so excited!

When we get home, pjs on, and get ready for Santa, hot chocolate, mince pies, and Christmas stories.

We always go out to dinner at Smith and western on Xmas Eve. It's mine and dh's getting together anniversary and the kids love s&w so we always go there now. During the day we'll try to tire the kids out with an activity, either swimming, softplay, local farm, long dog walk, we'll plan nearer the time. Then early dinner out (normally about 4pm, dh and I skip lunch so we're hungry early enough). The elf leaves the Xmas Eve box in the morning and it normally has some colouring or activity sheets in it to keep the kids entertained at dinner. Then home for Christmas pjs, Muppet Christmas Carol with hot chocolate and popcorn. Then mince pie etc out for santa and kids into bed. Then dh and I relax with a glass of bubbly and fill the kids stockings. Although we'll have a 6 week old this year so might not be quite so relaxing

We are seeing Santa Christmas Eve.
We have a tradition of getting a takeaway Christmas Eve. Other then that we have no plans currently.

It’s my favourite day 🥰.

Farmshop collection slot first thing with DS then we have a coffee on the way home - this will be our 20th year.

I set the dining table whilst DH preps the veg and then we all get ready and meet friends and their children in the local pub/restaurant for a late lunch and a few drinks. Home a bit squiffy around 6pm to find the elves have left a hamper with pyjamas for everyone staying over (DH and I plus 3DC, BIL and his BF this year) plus bath bombs, sweets, popcorn and a nice bottle of something for a nightcap.

Movie, nibbles and bed by 11pm for everyone but DH and I who spend an hour filling stockings and putting gifts under the tree.

Our DC are now older but we have done this since DS was a baby in a pram and every year is an open invitation to all. I love it.

oooh! I have never really 'done' anything but inspired by this thread so I think I see a bit of bowling followed by Yo sushi in our future (the Dcs favourite way to spend any day)

Local coffee shop for hot chocolates in the morning then home all day.
We usually collect my ex-husband later as he spends Christmas with us and his son.

We have hot gammon rolls in the evening with apple sauce and snacks. H cooks them while prepping the dinner for the next day.

Both boys (8 and 15) have new pjs and a book before bed. They go to bed quite early still on that night so we can relax, get everything ready and have some mulled wine.

I love Christmas Eve! 🎄

Teen DD here. I don't cook on Christmas Day so I don't have any veg. prep. to do which saves a lot of work. I have visitors over the Christmas period though, so I usually give the house a good clean/change bedding etc. in the days coming up to Christmas. There are always jobs to be done on Christmas Eve morning. I usually hit the shop early for fresh bread and the butcher for meat for St. Stephen's Day. The whole town has the same idea so I chat to a few people in the shops and wish them a Happy Christmas. I go for lunch with DD to a local restaurant. Again, I usually see people that I know. When we get home, it's lovely knowing that we don't have to go out again or drive anywhere. We light the fire, have a shower, change into our new pyjamas, get out some goodies and watch a Christmas movie. Once DD is in bed, I fish out the presents (already wrapped) and set them out. I usually finish off the night with a glass of wine or a Baileys with ice and watch something Christmassy on TV.

Christmas Eve is our Christmas Day, it’s great done before every one else.

Same here - I’ve always found Xmas Eve so much more special than Xmas day.

I always cook a large gammon ham then we have cold cuts on Boxing day. I am so excited as this year is first year in 35 years I won't be cooking Xmas day as going to my ds's. I will cook Xmas Eve and 27th instead.

Amazed so many are not at work, enjoy.

We spend the morning prepping the food and watching Christmas films. Then in the afternoon go to a Christingle at a local church then come home for a Chinese takeaway dinner. The Salvation Army does carols, mince pies and hot chocolate in the evening so we go and have a sing-song before coming back for showers and an early night ready for Santa. Once the kids are in bed I finish the last minute wrapping and start on the bottle of Baileys.

We usually do veg prep and make desserts. Set the table and get anything we can done ahead of time. DS is 3 this year so I think we'll make cookies for Santa and do carrots for the reindeer. We usually have a bath with a new bath bomb and last year while we were in the bath, DH went outside and rang a bell and shouted ho ho ho which got DS really excited. Then hopefully settle with a Christmas film.

I have my hair cut first thing on Christmas Eve. By this point everything that can be done is done. We try to go to the cinema at some point on that day if there is something we want to see. We go out for our main meal whether that's mid day or 6ish. I love it. Last year I made a sneaky trip to Aldi and bought loads of Christmas food that was reduced to 25%. I was able to drop bags of food to people which was fun.

Jesus I spend the whole day running around like a demented woman cleaning and tidying and wrapping and delivering presents and last minute shopping of all the forgotten things!
we have never had a lovely Christmas eve, it’s just too bloody busy. And I’m not being a professional ‘I’m the busiest’ twat, we just have 20 people round for Christmas dinner every year and it takes a shit load of effort.
I love and hate it in equal measure and I don’t even cook, dh does all the cooking and prepping.

Depends if I am working this year or not. But usually the morning is spent tidying the house, we then go to the local common and go for a walk with my friend and my kids.

Followed by lunch at a local cafe and then a walk back. The afternoon is veg prepping, movie watching and general chilling.

This year we have my mum coming, for the first time. I'm not sure she will arrive in time for the walk.

In the evening once kids are in bed we will have champagne and nibbles and watch a cheesy action movie to fall asleep to 😁

Dh will probably be doing his Christmas shopping that day 🤣. I'll be doing some tidy up and food prep in the morning. In the afternoon the children and I will be baking Christmas cookies and making a couple of desserts then we'll watch a Christmas movie. We'll have a takeaway for dinner. They'll receive their new pj's before their baths. After they go to bed, I'll have a drink and watch another Christmas movie while dh is wrapping his presents 😆.

My birthdays Christmas Eve, so usually a day doing Christmas/birthday things with family & my DC, they love it because it gets them into the Christmas spirit, although they sometimes say it's not fair that I get 2 days of presents 🤷🏻‍♀️😂