How is a “normal” Christmas Eve in the UK?

[Sillyquestion123]

for context I’ve been living in the UK for almost 17-18 years (have lost the count!) but I’ve never fully “assimilated” so many things are still somewhat foreign to me. I’m not even a Christian and where I come from the big day is the 24th and the 25th is a complete after thought of just eating left overs and watching TV.

We have a 6yo and a friend of ours invited us for drinks on Christmas Eve. It felt a bit awkward to me because:

a) she knows we celebrate on the 24th
b) we’d be getting our 6yo ready for Santa, etc..

however, she’s never been cultural aware and always points out how much she enjoys our food from a can/jar (no matter how many times I’ve told her it doesn’t resemble anything like I eat and would never even try it) and once made my birthday a celebration around football which I hate.

Anyway, I know I’m being precious, but considering she’s also not British I would have thought she’d be able to pick up these things a lot more easily.

Back to my question…. Would it be expected to go out for drinks on the 24th with a 6yo?

Different for everyone.

Can I ask what your country of origin is?

🇲🇽!!

OPs point was that the friend has tried OPs cultural food from a jar that tastes nothing like the actual cultural food.

Just like my tomato pasta sauce tastes nothing like the jar shit.

It really varies. Our second Christmas as a married couple we were invited to a wedding on Christmas eve. Not something either of us had done before but we decided to make sure all Christmas prep was done by the evening of the 23rd. It was actually really lovely and we got home in the evening (it wasn't a dancing till midnight kind of wedding) and just chilled and watched a Christmas film. We decided from then on to always finish the Christmas prep on the 23rd so Christmas eve is a chill day. Sometimes we don't and we are wrapping presents at midnight on Christmas eve but mostly we manage it. We always go to inlaws on Christmas day so Christmas eve is for me, dh and the dc to spend together just us.

Before I had kids, xmas eve was for socialising and a meal out, but now it's chilling with the kids at home, making cookies etc. We sometimes have a friend pop round for a drink, but we take it easy. However we also work in retail, so only get home at 5pm after three weeks without a day off (our own business) so we definitely just like to chill.

I think much depends on what stage of life you are at. Prior to having our DS, we were often in the pub with friends. Now I have a child, I make it very much centred around him. We generally go out for a walk/park during the day, then around teatime we bake cookies and watch The Polar Express. DS is 11 now and quite into music so I might try and cram a Top of The Pops Christmas Special in there too. Once he’s in bed, I open a bottle and enjoy a nice glass of wine.

I know what her point was .

My parents used to have an open house type thing on Christmas Eve and people would pop in for 5mins to exchange gifts/cards or a couple of hours for chat and mince pies. No one would have been offended at anyone saying no to coming.

I used to have a kind of friend of a friend who invited me once to an "open house" on Christmas Eve.
I had no idea what she meant. I had never heard of the concept before.

A normal christmas eve is chocablock. Its rammed with many buyers. Christmas day is dead on the streets

Oh right..... Glad we sorted that one out