What you do on Christmas Eve? Share with McDonald’s - £300 voucher to be won

[EllieMumsnet]

Whether Christmas Eve in your household is the calm before the storm or the storm before the calm, it can be a great day to just spend some quality time with family and/or friends. Christmas Eve is celebrated in a whole host of different ways, with traditions varying from going for a long walk, to having chinese takeaway for dinner, to even guessing what the presents around the tree are. With that being said McDonalds would love to hear what you and your household gets up to on Christmas Eve.

Here’s what McDonald's has to say: "“We know it’s a hectic time of year for families, so if it’s a quick coffee when you’re out shopping or popping in on Christmas Eve for some free Reindeer Treat carrots, we are here to help you get #ReindeerReady on your way to Christmas 2018!”

Is Christmas Eve a time where you stay in your Xmas pj’s all day and watch films? Perhaps you like to go to you the pub with friends and family? What about going for a winter walk around your local park? Are you still prepping the presents and dinner for Christmas day? Do you and your family host an annual Christmas Eve party? Or maybe you have a traditional Christmas Eve breakfast, lunch and dinner that you look forward to all year round?

Whatever you and your family gets up to on Christmas Eve share it on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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If the children are here, it's a series of child-focused preparations. Carrot and mince pie out for Santa, reading "The Night before Christmas" while snuggled in new PJs and watching somethig Christmassy on TV.

No children isn't that different, just maybe the choice of TV programmes and tipple.

We usually have a takeaway, watch a film, and wind down ready for the big day, the boys go to bed on time and leave a carrot for the reindeer, mince pie for Father Christmas and glass of milk.

It's always the last chance to buy something I've forgotten like the brandy sauce, watching a Christmas film and having warm mince pies and mulled wine after dinner.

I aim to have most of my jobs done by Christmas Eve, so all I have to do is a final tidy and put the presents under the tree! We go out for a drink as a family and then open our stockings before bed.

Planning ahead. We know what we need to get and have a list of job that need doing and when. Still busy but makes it all go smoothly so we can enjoy it all.

We try and make it a nice fun, relaxing day for the children. We have a nice breakfast and lunch. We bake something nice and make something Christmassy. We play some games and watch some Christmas films. The children have a bath, put on their new pj's and we have a tea party then watch their favourite film before bed.

Christmas eve we spend as a family going to cinema and having a McDonald's after. All the handing out of presents and cards is done before then. So we can relax together. Then after children go to bed we sort their gifts and go to sleep.

New pjs, a great Christmas dvd, mince pie and a carrot for Rudolph and off to bed with the high expectation of the following day 🎅🎄

I buy bits each week a few months before, then do a big fresh shop a few days before. I make lists to keep me organised throughout.

We go shopping in the morning so the kids can spend their money from their grandparents. Then we do movie afternoon followed by boardgames and a cold tea.

We get the food set up for santa and the reindeers and then we go to mass

christmas eve is all about board games and family time

Cinema trip in the afternoon with the kids. Fresh ham sandwiches in the evening. Bliss!

Christmas Eve is the time to celebrate for us. That's the night we have our banquet with most delicious dishes, that have taken days to prepare.
The presents are under the tree and they are opened at midnight.
The 25th December we rest. That's the tradition in our country.

On Christmas Eve, Elfis, our visiting elf, leaves our son a treasure hunt to keep him busy on this most exciting day & the prize is always an activity that will keep our son entertained for the rest of the day, making Christmas day come quicker for him & giving us a chance to get the chores done

We always watch a Christmas film as a family after dinner, which builds the anticipation. We then leave a bottle of lager out for Father Christmas and some carrots for the reindeer. Afterwards we do the routine, although sometimes this can last a while due to all the excitement. :)

I only get to see my family four times a year & Christmas is the most special. I'm disabled & housebound so can't get on a bus or train so I book a taxi to take me the 130 miles up north to stay with my family over Christmas. When I get there they all come round to my parents' house for tea & to play games

Always try to go out somewhere during the day to tire the kids out!
Bath, jammies, we always watch the snowman and have a Christmassy story, then hang up stockings and put out mince pies etc.
Then me and dh watch die hard and finish the wrapping.
Can’t wait!

We watch a Christmas film together

usually just chill as family with finger buffet type food and open new pjs so we photo ready Christmas morning

No one will be visiting this Christmas Eve so it will be a quiet one. We like to get the doggie on a nice long walk before it turns dark, have our tea, wash up and then snuggle up with a good christmas film on TV to get us in the mood for christmas with some nibbles and drinkiepoos - i suppose Christmas Eve is the start of christmas for us as its when I allow someone to pick the first Christmas Chocolates to open! We just like to spend it together all nice and warm! There is no last minute christmas presents etc as we dont tend to buy a lot, its more of a relaxing time for us!

We put stockings up and leave a mince pie, carrot and milk

Well I have my grown up children staying over Christmas, So on Christmas Eve morning my Son travels down when he arrives it all begins Food, Drinks an lots of good stories get told from times pasted, when we do settle down it's a good family film.

I am usually still wrapping on Christmas Eve! We spend it at home and have separate time and rooms where important wrapping takes place amid shouts of ‘Get Out’ if someone strolls in without thinking.

Get friends and family together for a nice meal to share good times.