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 go for a walk in the woods and stop of at the pub/someone's house for a Christmas drink with our friends and neighbors. Then home for buffet tea and opening the Christmas Eve box (Christmas stories, stockings, hit chocolate, marshmallows and new pjs). The kids have a bath and get ready for bed then we sit by the tree and read Christmas stories before putting mice pies out for Santa and hanging stocking. With children in bed we have some nice wine cheese and crackers with Christmas music and last minute packing before filling stockings and going to bed. I almost like it more than the day itself!!

Highly likely to be literally sharing it with Mcdonalds. One of our children has eating issues but Mcdonalds is one of the few things he likes. I'll take a card to the local branch in appreciation.

We usually have a relaxed one - no special dinner to speak of, but Christmas film and lots of chocolates. We may play a game as a family too. Then once kids in bed the baileys comes out.

Usually a quiet day in preparation for the big one! Maybe some Christmas baking, listening to carols. Last minute wrapping and often a takeaway for tea.

We have Christmas Eve box for DD with pyjamas, Christmas food (biscuit or something similar), nice hot chocolate and a film.

Then we can all relax before her bedtime, then frantically wrap and build toys

Me and DD get up at 5.30am and go to the big Sainsbury’s in the nearest city to us and get the final bits of a Christmas food shopping
On the way home we get Mac Donald’s breakfast for everyone and take it home. We then make a gingerbread house, go to local garden centre for a mooch and then watch xmas films, Drink hot choc, tracks Santa on norad and get everything ready for the next day.

I'll be at work all day . Then spending the evening peeling potatoes and boiling giblets.

I get up in the morning and clean the house until it's like a shiny new pin.
Then we all get home early, PJ's on after a bath. Dinner is a Chinese delivery. Kids go to bed and we get tore into the wine before Santa duties! Can't wait!

We used to have our own peaceful mini Christmas before the chaos of going visiting on Christmas Day. I did Christmas lunch and we watched films and went for a walk if it was dry.

Then nearly three years ago dd showed up 7 weeks early on Christmas Eve so this Christmas Eve I’m having a birthday party instead 🙈. It is no longer our one day of peace over the festive period!

My favourite day!
I go to the gym first thing, then make pancakes when I get home. Christmas music on and then we head out for a walk along the beach, maybe stopping for lunch somewhere. Home for hot choc and a Christmas film.
This year we’re at a friends in the afternoon so after that we’ll walk home and look at the lights, pjs on and get the mince pie, drink, carrot and milk ready to leave by the fireplace.
Once DS is asleep, Christmas music goes on whilst I lay the table & then we watch a Christmas film before an early night. I love it!

We visit the older generations who are a bit too frail to leave their homes on Christmas Day (or have seen too many Christmas mornings with over excited children) but welcome a short visit to catch up and swap photos and news.
Then pop round my mums, collect her and her home made mince pies, up ours with in laws and cousins for Christmas Eve presents which HAVE to be silly and under a fiver.
Then..... a takeaway no cooking and minimal washing up. with so many delivery companies to choose from now everyone can get just what they want (which is more than can be said about MiLaw's hand knitted presents )

Go to the panto in the afternoon with kids and grandparents
Lovely buffet tea
Watch a movie
Prep veg/ listen to carols/ potter with a glass of sherry

Christmas pjs and Christmas movie with my 4 year old dd before putting out a mince pie and drink for Santa and a carrot for rudolf, although last year she ate the carrot. Will also have an almost 1 year old this year. Looking forward to more family traditions evolving as the children grow.

Before having the kids I’d have gone out for the day with my boyfriend (now husband). It’d have included a long lunch out and then we’d have headed to our local pub for a few drinks and a bowl of chips before heading home to watch a film.

Since having our three boys, we go to the local garden centre to see the Christmas displays and reindeer, then enjoy a slice of cake and a hot chocolate in the cafe. We play board games and then it’s bathtime and new pj. We snuggle under blankets watching Christmas films with popcorn before putting out cookies and milk for Father Christmas and carrots for the reindeer. Boy’s are in bed by 7pm as Christmas Day starts (very) early here 😂🌲❤️ 🎁

Relaxed breakfast, pick up the butcher's order and last minute touches to the house, then something festive after lunch we went to see Santa last year, previous years we have been to a show or ice skating! Then early tea and out to early evening mass to sing carols. We're back in time to leave out stockings and sort Santa out with his mince pie and favourite tipple, then off to bed (no peeking [santa]).

We go to see a panto.
When we get back the kids open their Christmas eve boxes & usually have an early night. When me & my partner have a glass or 2 while wrapping Xmas presents.
Its become my favourite day of the year

Spend the day chilling and playing board games. I'm always keen to go to a carol service but no-one ever wants to go with me :-(

On Christmas Eve we keep things relaxed and easy - something quick and easy to eat, a family movie on the tv, and of course the kids get to open 1 small present before bed.

Morning is a bit of cleaning and get house ready, tidy and nice. DH works from home and I will take DS to the park for a run around.
Christingle at 3pm. Back here for drinks and nibbles with friends. They will go by 7 as all have young children.
Get DS ready for bed, read the Night before Christmas and put out carrot, drink and mince pie.
Watch something and eat cheese until sure DS is asleep
Do the necessary present stuff.
Santa always makes such a mess- I complain whenever I see him but he doesn’t listen!
Go to bed

We go for brunch at a local bar outside restaurant then go to the panto!! If we can we have T bone steaks for dinner then watch movies before my dc go to bed and I get presents sorted! They are teens now so no longer do reindeer treats etc !

We celebrate my sons birthday then order take out for tea Ds's choice. Then after tea it becomes xmas eve we bath/shower and get in pjs quite early, leave treats out for santa and the reindeer, we sprinkle porridge oats on the lawn and leave santas magic key on the doorstep (someone sneaks it back in after the youngest have gone inside) we then watch a christmas film with popcorn and hot chocolate. Younger kids go up to bed, followed by the older ones later on. Then i finish any wrapping and get everything organised for the morning.

We go out for an early dinner with the kids and then go home for Christmas jammies and a movie, usually home alone 😱
Once kids are in bed DH and I watch a film eat some munchies and then get presents out and fill stockings before we go up to bed. I love Christmas Eve even more than Christmas Day. The excitement is tangible!

We go out for day. Often to NT as they do good Xmas themes. If we think dc is hyper we take him swimming to exhaust him. Get home pizza dinner then watch Elf. Hot choc and sack up then dc to bed. When he asleep we finish wrapping and peel potatoes and veg. Snuggle on sofa with bottle of bubbly and Xmas chocs. Then dragged upstairs with sack of pressies for dc and take away identical empty sack. Sleep.

My kids are all older now so there's less "magic" involved, but we still all love Christmas Eve 🎅 during the day we give the kids their Christmas hamper, which is full of sweets and other goodies, along with a Christmas themed DVD and a pair of new pyjamas each. We usually have either a buffet tea of party food, or a takeaway. Despite being aged between 11 and 18, they still like to go to bed early, all crammed into one room with the help of a blow up bed, and make me read The Night Before Christmas!! 🎄🎄

Christmas Eve is the day we celebrate rather than Christmas Day - big meal of ham and various casseroles and salted and smoked salmons, a visit to the sauna, and Father Christmas (i.e. a neighbour dressed up) comes round with the presents and hands them out after the children sing a song to him.