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?

well of course you don't have to have a tradition. our tradition thus far consists of me sitting alone in house [or with v small baby attached to breast] swearing about dh's abscence, which is why I am asking the kind of thing people do, in order to plan something slightly less grumpy.

We do the letter for Santa which is then put up the chimney. We then all rush to the window and -lie- exclaim "there it is! Did you see it? They always agree" (or at least they did.

Very sad as this is the first year my dd has hunted that she doesn't believe although still wants pressents from "Santa" (Which she says gesturing speech marks with her fingers.)

We also video them singing christmas carols and songs next to the tree in their new pjs before they go to bed.

We do the Reindeer food too poor dp always seems to be sweeping it up at 2am slightly worse the wear, one year one of the dc are soooo going to look out of their bedroom window and spot him doing it.

The dc often end up watching The Snowman whilst I make tea on Christmas Eve,it's a good one to start winding down with. We loved Postman Pat's Xmas last year at this time too

We always decorated the house on Christmas Eve. It involved going out for a special walk to cut greenery, which I always liked. Then we'd go to mid-night mass, which was alway ute exciting as it was so late. I don't do either of these things though. dh has recently (last couple of years) started reading the children the Dickens Christmas stories over Christmas. That's kind of nice I do the new PJs too.

This year we are going to be sitting in an airplane though! Hopefully there will be something Christmassy going on

we have open house between 1-3 every christmas eve for all our friends to drop by for mulled wine and mince pies. it is dh's birthday.

we go for a walk on xmas eve and return to find that jack frost hasleft 2 pressies for ds on the doorstep (because only santa has a magic key). a pair of pj's and a book along with a letter thanking him for being a good boy and to keep up the good work.

We go to the zoo or Blue Planet, it's the best day of the year to go, always empty!

However as they have got older long cycle rides seem to have become more popular so might do that instead.

The nicest Christmas Eve we've had with the children was the year we went to see Nanny McGee at the cinema and then went to sing carols with the local church on the village green. Unfortunately the cinema we went to (within walking distance along the river, so really lovely and no need for town and crowds) is now closed and no other year has seemed to have a suitable film out, so we haven't been able to repeat it.

So we usually go a walk in the morning, ending in coffee and cake at the deli. Then mooch around in the afternoon with perhaps a board game or a DVD.

Then we prepare a "picky meal buffet" ready to eat when we get back from the carols on the green - wellies and lanterns a must! The picky meal usually involves veggie sausage rolls, Garners red cabbage, various other savouries, then mince pies and Eton Mess. Then - stuff out for Santa and bed for the children and Baileys and stocking prep for me and dp.

we do lots of nice things too on christmas eve...since our gang of friends have all had children (and we all keep adding!!) we now meet in a local family pub at about 3pm...we have a meal together..adults around one huge table, children around the other..we all dress up, and then go home in drips and drabs as and when we need to.

we change into our jamies (new ones this year...thanks to mn!) crack open the sherry, some pop, mince pies, choccies etc...and watch some christmassy tele or a film....elf or polar express.....home alone, or similar.

a few years ago, our cinema was showing polar express in their cheap kids 11am showing..me and dh blubbed our way through it!

For some reason my ds insists on doing cheese and biccy's on the rug next to the fire before bed!!! Don't know how it started but he loves it.

As a child we lived next door to my grand parents, and on Christmas Eve, Dad would take us to the fair, and then we would go sing carols at GPs window. It's the one part of Christmas from my childhood I really miss. Am all tearful now thinking about it even.

But now I have DD so am looking forward to starting new tradiations with her. She'll only be 18 months this Christmas so a bit young as yet, but depsite making me tearful I just wanted to say this thread has also made me happy looking forward to Christmases yet to come.

We're going to make some paperchains and a gingerbread house kit - £1.00 in Ikea or £4.99 in Lidl.

We do church at teatime, then invite the family over the road in for drinks & nibbles.

When they have gone we sit down to a VERY special dinner, lobster & Champagne. It's something we did every year before we were parents, and DS joined in the dinner for the first time last year aged 8.

Then he goes to bed and we will do the last bits of wrapping & so on, then hopefully sit quietly with a port or baileys or summink, before trying to get ourselves into bed before midnight, ready for the tooooooo early start on Christmas day.

We go and watch a pantomime in the afternoon at our local theatre, when we come home we get a few treats and drinks ready as my sisters and nieces and nephew come as well as my mum and dad, The children raid the tree for chocolates and we adults have a glass of baileys. We swap presents and generally have a nice afternoon. After everyone has gone we put all the presents we have been given under the tree, and get all excited about father christmas coming! I give the kids their christmas eve presents (pj`s and slippers), we have tea and put out the reindeer food, mince pie and wine for Father Christmas. We track him for a while on norad then i read the night before christmas. before they go to bed! I think i like christmas eve better than christmas day!!