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

I usually spend most of the day stressing getting all the last bits and bobs done and ready!

Family service at church in the afternoon, Chinese takeaway and Viennetta for tea. Then I'll be running round doing last minute present wrapping and food prep, before the midnight service at a local church.

We go to the evening pantomime then go home for family drinks (both soft and alcoholic), nibbles and watch a Christmas film in front of the fire.

We have a family tradition of going to the cinema on Christmas Eve afternoon.

We try to find some nice church or community to sing carols in, could be our local church or any other in the city we live in

Mainly breath a sigh of relief - Once I've got to this point the organising is done. The relief will be topped off with a few drinks - but not too many as we'll be up before dawn for childhood excitement.

Go to bed and lie awake. Nothing to do with Christmas, insomnia.

I have a Christmas Eve box for my DDs - they get a new pair of pyjamas each and a book and a treat. We usually snuggle down to watch a festive film before bed, and then I can get on with preparing their stockings to sneak into their bedrooms later. My favourite night of the year!

We drink mulled wine and chat

After we've finished work etc. Christmas Eve is always a lazy evening/night for us. We usually order a takeaway for our tea and then laze around watching a couple of Christmas films before the kids go up to bed. My partner and I will be for up a couple of hours later while Santa drops off the presents etc.

We need it to be relaxing as we're usually non-stop on Christmas Day.

Christmas crafting and watching xmas movies

Go to church for carols. We generally visit family too

Xmas Eve is very busy for me - I do last minute shopping for any bargains / reduced food that I wouldn't normally buy just because "it looks nice to have", then go home to watch The Snowman, then The Snowman and his Dog on tv, whilst eating a takeaway / fast food - yes, we do usually have McDonald's! Then the kids can open 1 present each of their choice that have been put around the tree so far (usually from their friends / extended family etc) as "they aren't from Santa, so it's fine". Then we all have long luxurious baths/showers and put on fresh or new pyjamas and curl up with hot chocolate and marshmallows to watch a Christmassy film. Once the kids are asleep I stuff the stockings and put a couple of "novelty item presents" in their room, arrange for whatever the elf on the shelf will be doing and leave out a carrot, mince pie and drink for Santa, wrap any presents I've not done, check turkey is defrosting, update Facebook to wish everyone Merry Xmas, then go to bed. :)

Mulled wine & mince pie time Mmmmmm

We go to Christmas Mass at about 6pm - the whole family go together, Grandma, kids & grandkids. Then we come home and watch a nice Christmassy film together with a glass of Baileys/milk. We put out mince pies, milk and carrots for Santa and Rudolph and attempt to have a reasonably early night.

I try to make sure that all our Christmas shopping is done a few days before Christmas so on Christmas eve we watch the kids favourite film from the past year, then put out the cookies and milk for Santa (not forgetting carrots for the reindeer).
Once the little ones are in bed we re-watch 'It's a wonderful life' which in my opinion is the best Christmas movie ever!

we always play Monopoly & then have our Christmas Dinner so we are free to enjoy quality time with the kids on Christmas day.

quiet night in watching a film

We bake cupcakes and shortbread and leave some out for Santa. Sprinkle reindeer food in the garden. Let the kids open one small present each from the Christmas tree and have a cosy night in with lots of finger food, sausage rolls, brandy snaps etc.

have a fairly chilled day - whole family joins in with the prep for the food with Christmas songs playing. If the weather is nice we go for a good walk

we go to the Christmas eve service at church :)

We all walk along our local beach and we write the names of our lost loved ones on stones and then throw them into the sea and take a moment to remember how much they are missed. We then go home, put on our christmas pj's and snuggle up on the sofa for a movie with hugs & hot chocolate before bed.

We spend the day baking cookies then watch the snowman, have a takeaway and play games! I love it!!

Normally last minute running about for gifts
Then all settle down and watch the Grinch with our new pjs on, We get a takeaway and eat chocolate until we pop
we leave treats for santa and put out reindeer dust
then go to bed and wait for the big man x

Mince pies and watch Elf! what else is there to do??