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

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

We open our adult presents to and from each other on Xmas eve evening over a glass or two of wine, so we can concentrate on the children on Xmas day. We ALWAYS read The Night before Christmas poem to them both every Xmas eve before bed and follow Santa on the Santa tracker

We don’t really have any traditions yet.
I used to work every Christmas Eve but now having changed jobs and have my daughter we are yet to come up with something.
This year we are going to my parents house for buffet dinner and will head back and put out a mince pie and carrot. But no idea about the morning yet!

We watch Elf together.

we have family time, watching christmas movies , open our christmas eve boxes and await santa

we make mince pies for santa, watch a xmas film and have party food for tea :)

For us it varies from year to year. We maybe have friends or family round, or go to them, sometimes a carol service, especially if anyone we know is performing. If I'm hosting then I'll do food - usually lots of tapas style things, if not then it's usually just a light supper, Christmas film and an early night. I'm quite organised so prep, presents are done and I get to relax too!

Put a nice Christmas film on, tree lights on in the background and some nice treats to snack on.

We go over to my parents where we stay until the 27th
Some of us take the children to church to make their Christingle while the others make dinner at home. We watch Christmas cartoons and open little Christmas Eve boxes. I just put PJs or a fleecy blanket in there along with some sweets and activity books. We have a lovely time!

We look through our Christmas hamper that our elves have left ham then a quick tidy intime for my parents to arrive. We then have a buffet and bake Santa some cookies. We then get baths in our new Xmas pjs and watch a movie together then it’s normally time for bed. All though the day with have Santa tracking on too to see where Santa is

I usually work Christmas Eve but when I finish, I head out for drinks with my colleagues for an hour or 2 then head home and get an early night. My daughter will be up super early so I need sleep haha

Definitelt try to get out the house with my children, either a walk or sometimes we go swimming as it's always really quiet :) PJs on early and snuggle on the sofa for a film before putting out Father Christmas whisky and mince pie plus a carrot for the reindeer!

We watch Xmas films and wait for Santa

We have a tradition of all the family snuggling up in the living room, watching a Christmas movie together and having the first slices of our home made Christmas cake.

Watch Christmas films in new PJs with a mug of hot chocolate.

We plan, plan and then do a bit more planning

We have friends over so the children can some time together and we can exchange gifts, followed by a christmas move and then we have a nice meal, a walk to look at peoples decorated houses/gardens, put out some treats for santa and then bedtime for the little ones while we prep the house and food for the big day.

Do some preparation for Christmas lunch then go to Midnight Communion at our Parish Church

We eat a lovely meal, change into our matching pajamas and have a movie night with popcorn. Typically watch Polar Express !

We usually just chill in the day then go a friends christmas eve party with light food, its fantastic!

I like to go to Midnight Mass and sing carols if we can make it.

On Christmas Eve, either my husband or I pop out early in the morning to get any last minute food shopping. We potter in the morning, sometimes baking, sometimes watching Christmas films. After lunch, we usually all attend the Christingle Service at our church - this puts everyone in a Christmassy mood and we go home singing carols. For tea, we enjoy fish and chips from the local chippy and then, during the evening, we watch Christmas programmes whilst preparing the vegetables for Christmas Day. I try to get the children in bed by 10pm, although 3 of them are now adults and so this is quite difficult. Most Christmas Eves now, my son and eldest daughter go to the pub, so my husband and I usually fall asleep in front of the TV and then wake up when they get in. The final task before going to bed is checking that Ruldolph and Santa have eaten the snacks left for them and stockings have been laid out. I think I probably enjoy Christmas
Eve more than Christmas Day itself.

We have roast pork with stuffing rolls and enjoy quality family time together.

last minute present-wrapping, midnight mass then come home & open one present each while scoffing mince pies & coaxing the kids to go to bed or Santa won't be dropping by...then finally, peace....for a few hours

I help do the veggies & drink baileys!

We normally have a family gathering at my in laws house, where we get to swap presents, see family and see the children get more and more excited. As the grand parents get older and more grandchildren are born it’s gets slightly harder to organise and cater but it’s still a nice tradition we hope to keep going