Any ideas for making Christmas eve special

[Chocolatesnowman2]

Christmas day and boxing day always follow the same routine
But I've never managed to create our own traditions for Christmas eve .
Kids are all much older ,youngest is 15 .
So I've probably missed the boat .
But any ideas greatly appreciated,
I just want to make it a bit special
Just hearing what other families do on Christmas eve would actually really help and might give me ideas ..thanks xx

Playing board games on Christmas Eve?

I remember an imagination game we used to play on Christmas Eve, but yours might be a bit old for this. We'd wear our winter clothes in the garden, and we children were blindfolded and spun round. We'd listen out for sleigh bells passing overhead (the bells were actually tied to a tree branch, and pulled on a string, or on a very long stick). If we were lucky, we'd hear the thud of a present being dropped into the garden.

We have a chocolate fondue whilst staying up waiting for Midnight Mass.

when my kids were teens we used to go to the indoor ski or skate place and then for Nando’s on Christmas Eve. When we got home they were allowed to crack open the glitterberry J20 and Christmas snacks. Happy days 😂

We always make the gingerbread house on Christmas Eve…always watch Santa Claus the Movie…my adult DD says the best bit of Christmas Eve is the smell of it as we make sausage rolls and mince pies in the morning.

I love this.
We have much loved guests join us for light lunch as they'll be elsewhere on Christmas day. I prep veg for the following day with radio on while teens happily lounge around. Christingle service at our church and our once a year takeaway pizza for supper.

When I was that age we had a mulled wine / hot chocolate and mince pie party with friends and all went to midnight mass. It was always our house before midnight mass and we had a group of about 12 teens and their families that went.

You could do international theme? Many people celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve so plenty of interesting food and traditions to choose from.

My memory of Christmas Eve as a kid was playing board games with my family and I loved every second! Probably one of my favourite Christmas memories tbh. We'll be doing the same!

We go to the panto then out for lunch , then a crib service late afternoon followed by Christmas snacks and movies in our pj’s.

We have a special dinner, like meatball lasagne or fish pie. Then we usually stay up to watch midnight mass on TV . Although my suggestion that we actually go to midnight mass are met with derision.

We go to a Panto on Christmas eve. Also make the biscuits for Father Christmas....despite both kids being a bit old for this they enjoy the tradition still. Then we cosy up for a hot chocolate, watch something festive / Read Christmassy books before bed.

Scratch nativity play at local church and then Chinese food, for the last 16 years at least. Then sometimes next door for a quick drink.

We relax and have lots of TV - Christmas specials of stuff only - and chill time during the day. It's the day we start eating the Christmas snacks 😍 Then order a takeaway and watch The Polar Express.

THEN DS goes to bed, and the adults begin the proper fun - our own special kind of Cluedo. We have a Secret Santa every year, and from around 9pm to Midnight it becomes a detective game where you figure out who has who based on clues people have dropped and how items are wrapped. There is lots of misleading and downright lying, proper interrogation, fake crying, made up drawn out stories of shopping for the gift. Just before midnight you draw up your list of who you think has who, then hand it to the person to your left for grading, and as we open the gifts at midnight the giver reveals themselves and you mark off the correct ones. Most correct guesses wins (they don't actually win anything).

If you do the same thing every year surely that is tradition.

How old are your kids? Will they be at home? I always went out with friends on Christmas eve. Mine are younger and we bowling. I have friends who always uses to go for dinner on Christmas Eve.

We go to the Pub, Mincepies and carols and a charity Christmas quiz.

Hot roast pork baguettes with stuffing & apple sauce with sides of coleslaw and sweet potato fries eaten in the lounge (a treat in itself) watching a film.

It was ice skating and hot chocolate when DD was a teen. We all loved that.
Now it’s Christingle, carol singing and the pub, followed by a lovely supper with smoked fish(me) sausage rolls, charcuterie and cheese (DH) and a bottle of fizz.

Usually some kind of luxurious fish for dinner as it’s technically a fast day so there are lots of Xmas Eve fish dish traditions across Europe - good recipes out there to discover. Probably a cosy fish pie this year.

Church in the evening (not midnight mass!) as that frees up time on Xmas day.
Put out the stockings, maybe prepare some veg
I like it because it feels so much lower key and lower expectation than Christmas Day, it’s easier to enjoy.

Lots of ideas there ,and actually very helpful as to why I've found it difficult to establish a routine.adult kids are all mid 20s plus the 15 year old ..half of us have a diagnosis of autism,so the panto / mass / visit neighbours/ friends we wouldn't cope with as to busy .
Food, we are all vegan ,and you don't really get the same things in the shops each year instead of turkey,it's always hit and miss what's available.
Board games ,the family refused to play with me ,as they say I ruin the game..so we haven't actually got any games after various years of me ruining monopoly.plus someone always throws a strop or the board (.that's not me ).
So that was all helpful for me to understand why I've not managed to establish a routine.
Hot chocolate with vegan marshmallows and cream ,and a new dvd we haven't all watched sounds promising,as does me doing a special dinner ,..maybe a small buffet Christmas eve dinner time .
I'd love to go to midnight mass ,I've never been

We nornally go to tge cathedral for carols and then on to a festive pub, sometimes meeting with relatives. This year we are in london so it is westminster abbey and a walk along the south bank. Something out of the house is good i think as you are cooped up after that. Ice skating? Light show?

Sorry crossed posts. A quieter walk to look at christmas lights? To be honest though i wouldn't overthink it. If none of the oprions appeal don't do them just because you think you should. Making tabe decorations or something?

Christmas horror film like Krampus or Black Christmas or Better Watch Out

We used to make all our own Christmas cards , early Dec ,and spent days with glitter everywhere.but obviously they are all to old for that ..plus two may not be at home anyway..
A walk round some Christmas lights also sounds nice

I will be coming off my last nightshift xmas eve morning so will be home and putting on the tree lights and straight into the shower.

After this when teen gets up he will get his xmas eve box and generally it will be a relaxed chilled out day with prepping the xmas day buffet. The afternoon is usually spent under cosy blankets watching a movie and then baths and new pyjamas.

By that point I'm like a demented sleep deprived buddy the elf to my husbands grinch but like to stay up and enjoy xmas eve and teen usually grabs a board game or card game and spent time with the pets.

Supper will be something simple and has been a tradition since I was a child of homemade sausage rolls, chips and beans. My teen has joined in my tradition of having a bit of xmas cake and cup of tea at night. Years ago when adult dc were little I would always have a cup of tea with xmas cake at midnight xmas eve by the xmas tree and enjoy the absolute stillness and peace and quiet before the xmas day madness of SANTAAAAA.

Board games ALWAYS end up in chaos in this house especially monopoly. Monopoly was banned until last year and teen who has ADHD and autism was accusing older adult DC of cheating. I was the banker and literally was rolling about on my sides expecting the board to go flying with the debates left right and centre. Christmas is the time of year when they all revert to being back to toddlers 😂