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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Sit by myself apart from cats

On the morning we prepare the food for the next day.

Last few years we have gone to panto then hosted Christmas Eve drinks for neighbours. It's hectic and generally leads to a late night by the time everything is cleared away.

This year we are going to the cinema and for tea then coming home for a bath, into new PJ's, then a Christmas film and bed. Then Christmas day in our PJ's (matching cos I'm that twee!)

Hot chocolate, elf and cosy up.

a movie, nice food, games The Snowman, leaving goodies for Santa and the raindeers. When kids are in bed, preparing the presents, evidence that santa has been eg flour with footprints and then a film and drinks for us! ohh I can't wait!

There's always a last minute flurry of wrapping to do but once done, we (my 2 DS and I) have our Christmas Eve 'treat' dinner - i.e. whatever each of us fancies (be it a steak or a burger) and I will definitely have a glass of something (perhaps some Amaretto over ice)...

Then we will settle down to watch Polar Express (as we do every year), following which I force the boys to read 'Twas the Night before Christmas' with me - and we have to shout the last line: Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

Then, as DS1 is 20 and DS2 is 18, I will leave them to it and go to bed!!

I actually enjoy Christmas eve more than Christmas day in a lot of ways. During the day we go visiting family and friends and then early in the evening we have dinner and all settle down in our PJ's to watch a Christmas film. When the kids go to bed it is time for me and hubby to have a glass of wine and relax before the stress of the next morning.

We see an early Panto with friends, we book really early to get front row seats. It’s the smaller production in our city so more intimate and family friendly.
We then come home to a quick tea and leave out mince pies/carrots and whisky for Santa/ reindeer.
DC then go to bed and DH & I have a glass or two of baileys while we “do” Santa.

Only read two pages and I'm buzzing with excitement!

For me it's popping into the place where I volunteer for a few hours (get a bit of work done before having some party food) before rushing home, getting changed and going to the late Christingle service. Then we slob about for a few hours before watching Blackadder's Christmas Carol. They used to show it on Gold but they didn't have it on last year (had to make do with a cropped version off YouTube) so this thread has just reminded me to order it off Amazon! It wouldn't be Christmas without it

Traditionally have a big evening meal with family which is mainly fish because my.family is Italian.

This year we will be away so might end up having fish and chips!

We have a quite evening with a buffet style meal and watch a movie

We have hot chocolate and marshmallows and a Christmas movie. Sometimes we go out for a walk (to try to tire out dd) and do some Christmas crafts. I’ve always meant to go to the church Christmas by candlelight Christmas Eve service but never got around to it

We have a lot of snack quick things we get out of the freezer or go grab a McDonald's.
Snuggle down and watch corny Christmas videos
Hot chocolate then bed.

Simple but lovely family time x

Usually a morning of work but then we just chill out for most of the day and get organised for christmas day

Do last minute Christmas shopping, order Chinese takeaway, drink Baileys and watch netflix

Usually on Xmas Eve my DH and my DW tend to spend the day working within the community, giving as much back as possible. Last year we started a choir for deaf people, the year before we arranged for a Christmas lights display for the blind. This year though because we have a newborn, we will probably spend the day at home, the three of us looking after our DS.

Usually a take away and a Christmas movie

we go to see anyone that we might not see on Xmas day or boxing day

movie- pjs, and early night

We have to work christmas eve morning. In the afternoon we usually get a pot of soup on and prep food, walk the dog. The evening is spent relaxing in Pjs watching a film.

Chill, drink tea and eat mince pies whilst friends drop by. Wander to a local point at 6pm to drink mulled wine with neighbours whilst Santa appears and tells all the children to go home and sleep tight. Magical.

Lay in, go to any supermarket for something I've forgotten, and hope to find a reduced bargain. Buy an extra bottle of wine so we have plenty. Prep veg, and give bathroom a good clean. A good friend pops over to exchange gifts and start on the wine. She leaves whenever she's ready, DH comes home from work normal tea drink wine watch normal tv programs. He goes to bed and I fill adult stockings and put presents under the tree ready for the morning, No hot chocolate drunk no Christmas movies watched

Get the house tidy for Christmas day. Then we spend the day making Christmas biscuits and cakes. In the evening we go for a walk and admire all the decorated houses. Once we get home, the boys put their Xmas pjs on and we watch a Christmas film.

We will have a lazy start to the day, then go out for a walk mid morning to work up a lunch appetite. Then probably DH will nip out to do some last minute jobs buying his presents and we will watch a christmas film snuggled up on the sofa with hot chocolate and maybe a few chocs from the tree/heroes box.

Then some family are coming round and we are having a party in the later afternoon for the children, lots of music, games, dancing and party food. This will wind down at around 7/8ish, then into new christmas pjs, leave out a mince pie and a carrot, then kids into bed. Then DH and I will tidy up, eat some more party food, and finish sorting out anything left over. Then 'make sure Father Christmas visits' and into bed ourselves, in preparation for the 5am Christmas morning onslaught!