What do you do in your house on Xmas Eve? I want to think of something special.

[mazzystartled]

We are going to my mum's for Xmas Day this year, for this first time since the dcs arrived.

I want to think of something nice and Xmassy that we can do as a family on Xmas Eve. Dcs are 4 and 1. Any ideas?

We go to the children's carol service at the local church at 6pm (despite not being religious) and see lots of friends
Then back for mulled wine etc
Then stocking hanging, mince pie leaving out. Carrots and water for the reindeer in the garden

Christmassy dvd, read The Night Before Christmas...there are some nicely illustrated versions, make reindeer food...oats & glitter, go for a walk, church service. Track Santa...google Norad. Make mince pies.

New pjs - an incentive to go to bed if not settle down that early

We have my parents over. We open our Xmas Eve presents - a new pair of pj's each, new DVD and a new book, all Xmassy themed, except the PJ's.

We then get the girls ready for bed after a nice tea, snuggle up, light the fire, watch new DVD and then leave out wine, mince pie, water and carrots for Santa & the reindeer., go up to bed, having a feel of empty stocking, quick look out of the window, before reading the very special Night before Xmas pop up book and whatever new book they opened.

This year the DVD is Shrek the Halls or a Beauty and the Beast special xmas story. And the book is The Grinch Who Stole Xmas.

At some stage, one year, I intend to start sneaking in a trip to church.

for the past couple of years we've always taken ours to the zoo, or to the 'big' park anything to get lots of fresh air and general wearing out tactics... I like the new PJ's idea... DS is almost 5 DD is 3

Some lovely ideas on this thread

I want to plan a couple of things but am scared of jinxing myself, as last year I had my head in a bucket for most of xmas eve and xmas day.

New Pjs

Night before Xmas book

Leave stuff for santa and reindeer

Bed quickly so our little elf can get all the presents wrapped

Then off to midnight Mass for me.

We have a special tea with novelty cake, which have been weird and wonderful over the years as DCs helped, designed, made, according to age. We have had a gingerbread house, a Father Chrismas sleigh, igloo, father Christmas upside down in a chimney, skiing, a snowman and a climbing wall. We all have one small novelty present at this tea.

We have a treasure hunt leading to a few early presents(usually new PJ's and a Christmas DVD).Then off to bed quickly with said items.

We make a gingerbread house 1st thing then go for a tramp on Dartmoor looking out for holly(only a couple of snippets).

We come back to make popcorn and hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and watch a Christmas film,this year it will be Santa Claus the Movie. We arrange said holly.

After film play board games until tea after which the dc then eat the gingerbread house. Then it's bath, story(always The Night Before Christmas)hang stockings up and bed.

Dp and I then wrap until the wee hours drinking far too much mulled wine

I should add the dc are off the ceiling with excitement all day!!!!

My dc are 5,5 and nearly 4.

I forgot we make Xmas shaped gingerbread biscuits which the kids decorate with icing and silver balls,mince pies for Santa too.

Had a lot of crappy Xmas Eve's weatherwise hence the packed day as a lot of it seems to be indoors. Always get out on the moor Xmas Eve and Boxing Day with out fail though.

When I was little we used to troop next door where the elderly neighbours would let us put our letters to santa up their chimney.
We just moved to a house with an open fire so we are putting the ds's letters up the chimney and have invited a few of their friends round at tea time to join in.

Trouble is we practised over some logs on fire the other night and the papers just flopped down on to the fire - am wondering if either coal is much hotter so the heat rising more will hold up the letters... or was my old neighbour some kind of illusionist and I have these fond memories of something that didn't really work

Make ginger bread stars and put them on the tree.

Apart from Carol singing round our local xmas and watching The Santa Clause we track Santa.
My DC's love seeing where he is up to.

thanks, loving these ideas.
usually our xmas eves are spent frantically wrapping [or in dh's case buying] presents, but got a few days off beforehand this year so hopefully we will be better organised.
trying to think of a suitably festive evening meal that we will all eat.

We watch the Snowman every Christmas Eve.

We all go to a real barn with animals you can pet, sit on haystacks, sing our hearts out, listen & laugh at the sketches, smile at the other 300 people there and feel really Christmassy.

Then we drive home past all the local famous "Lights", as some of the villages have amazing displays, so we look at those.

At home we slice the Christmas cake (as no-one can manage any on Christmas Day)

Peel the spuds & carrots, make the stock with Turkey giblets. Stuff & dress the turkey. Hang the stockings, put out santa snacks (even though youngest is 13, DH insists!)

Watch a movie & go to bed!

glad it's not just me mazzystartled

I'm usually frantically wrapping presents and making stuffing and ironing my clothes for church the next day!

Must turn over a new leaf this year ...all of your Christmas Eves sound so civilised ...

go round our estate looking at the preposterous christmas light displays and we have a score card each and award them points on artistic merit etc

sprinkle reindeer food in the garden, put out drink and snack for FC, hang stockings

get ds into pjs, come back downstairs, to candlelight and a really atmospheric medieval carol cd I have
share some posh fizzy cordial together then ds goes back up to bed

lovely

Oh I didn't realise you haev to have a tradition.
Can't you just do what you feel like?

I do make 'snow footprints' with a cardboard template and icing sugar though ...

sorry that was probably a stupid thing to say