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 deliver the last few family presents and have a relaxing day usually have an early tea before going to the christingle service at church with all the family before taking dd home to put a carrot and snack out for Father Christmas. DH and I then build any presents that need it and find all the presents from there hiding places.

We like to do a pantomime in the afternoon, come home and go to the crib service in our local church at 5pm. After that we get our new Christmas PJ's on and watch a Christmas movie together and have a buffet tea.
Once the kids have eventually gone to bed DH and I will open a bottle of something nice and finish any last bits of wrapping and put presents under the tree while listening to carols.
I usually try and go to bed at a fairly reasonable hour as I know I will be up early the next day.
I love Christmas Eve - just as much as Christmas Day to be honest.

Working most years including this year

DH is usually working (train manager) so I tell the DCs he is working on the Polar Express. We tend to have a low-key day, getting any last bits then prepping as much as possible for the big day.

Then we watch Christmas telly, track Santa on Norad and open PJs from Santa before making a runway in the garden with tea lights in jars and putting out a mince pie, whisky and carrots.

I try not to leave wrapping etc. that late so I can drink relax once the DCs are in bed.

I love Christmas Eve. The DC go to a martial arts fun session in the morning so DH and I get some time together. Last year we went for a pub breakfast but this year we're dogsitting so looks like a walk round a nearby country park. In the afternoon we'll watch movies and play games, and at bedtime we'll definitely leave mince pies and carrots out - kids are 11 and 9 and don't believe but wouldn't hear of not doing it!

We all have Christmas Eve off and do something special together. Last year we did a 'Santa Special Train Ride'. This year we're going to the theatre to see a Cgristm show. We'll follow this with lunch then a wander through the city centre looking at all the festive lights etc. Once the DC are in bed we'll be setting up the presents/ Santa's visit!

I love Christmas Eve, the kids are excited and everyone you meet is usually in a really cheery mood.
In the morning we take the dogs out for a very long walk over at our local beauty spot. There's a cafe there so we will stop there on the way back so the dogs can have a drink and we can get a hot chocolate.
When we get home we will watch Christmas films and play board games until it's dinner time.
My db & sil come over and we have a buffet and drinks and play more board games until it's about 10pm and by then we are ready to do the dc's stockings, as they go to bed at about 8, and go to bed ourselves because we will be shattered and it's always an early start on Christmas morning [santa]

Last minute shopping, bath and showers, then we open our adult Christmas eve boxes, a couple of mini drinks, nice glasses, nibbles, and other bits. Definitely a take away, then settle down to watch a film or box set with dp, dd28 and ds25

I'm hoping this year to wrap all gifts before Xmas eve! Then chilling at home feet up Xmas movies on. Peeling spuds etc on sofa in big bowl. Very lazy.
We have friends over to swap gifts and drinks around tea time. Then throw a box of buffet stuff onto the oven to eat. Xmas pjs to family. Santa stuff sorted carrots mince pie etc.
Kids in bed large glass of baileys something good on radio/tv. Just before bed put gifts out. Love it!

We visit our relative in her nursing home and have a little Christmas party with her, then Home for a cosy time watching Christmas films, then a walk round the neighbourhood to admire all the Christmas trees

DPILs are usually visiting. We go for a walk in the morning and then in the afternoon we cook a roast turkey with all the trimmings to eat at 6pm sharp. It was something we did on a whim one year for some reason and it’s an absolute stroke of genius. You don’t have to get up early to get the turkey in the oven, if you suddenly realise you’ve forgotten the cranberry sauce you can just dash out and get it, and you can eat turkey sandwiches on Christmas lunchtime and turkey hash for Christmas Day supper (I love leftover turkey).

We go to the park with friends to tire the child out during the day, have a lil party in the afternoon then spend the evening chilling and watching Christmas films

Cinema and pizza 🍕

Christmas Eve is exciting but quite stress-free, luckily, because everything is usually done well in advance. I can’t bear the thought of wrapping presents so late, they will all be wrapped and hidden in the loft at least a week before. Christmas Eve is spent lounging around, watching Christmas films or Christmas episodes of the kids favourite programmes. A lot of the food will already be prepped, but I go over my list (love a list!) of what veg needs prepping, set the table with all the tablecloths, runners, charger plates, napkins, crackers, little bowls for sauces. Sometimes we wait for the early evening and have a little drive round the neighbourhood to see all the lights and peek at peoples Christmas trees through their windows and then back home to get ready for bed while one of us brings all the presents down from the loft.

The kids fill their special tray with a glass of something for Santa, a homemade mince pie, and a carrot for the reindeer. I love seeing their faces the next morning when they find the crumbs left behind.
Then a fairly normal bedtime, although I usually sit with the kids while they’re in bed and talk to them a little bit about all the exciting things we’ve done in December and they seem to love that.

Then just before we head to bed ourselves, arrange the presents under the tree, nibble the stuff from the Santa tray and put the filled stockings at the ends of the kids beds.

Christmas Eve is far better than the day itself for me, I prefer the anticipation of it all.

A take away or fajitas for dinner depending on how busy the day has been. Followed by a Christmas film some before bath and new pjs for the little ones and night before Christmas story in bed. Then it's relax and eat, drink be merry for the adults before playing santa and getting to bed praying we manage a few hrs sleep before the kids want to see if Santa has been.

Usually we attend church. When we come back I ask the kids to help me make Christmas lunch and dinner. During the night I typically make my special hot chocolate and we sit on the couch watching Christmas movies. Stockings are filled up. If there’s time we might pop to the shops or visit family members living close by.

I absolutely love Christmas Eve. We always finish the day by going to the Crib service at the local church (the children love it because they always have hundreds of birthday balloons for Jesus!), we watch The Snowman, gobble down a quick tea and then go Carol singing.
Once the kids are asleep I break out the prosecco, sellotape, wrapping paper and peel about a thousand sprouts! I love every second of it.

We don't have a specific tradition although have done a Christmas Eve service the last two years. Sometimes DH is working but I'm off. Usually something together and definitely still prepping!

We walk the dog, drop off last-minute gifts, then head to the local pub for our evening meal. Eating out means we're much more relaxed, it's a great feeling to come home, lock the door, pjs on, and await Santa.

🎅Lazy morning, Christmas films and music
🎅Steak for lunch
🎅Nativity and carols at the church in the evening
🎅Pub for a quick half on the way home
🎅Santa treats and reindeer food out
🎅Kids to bed with Night before Christmas
🎅Drinkies while watching Christmas tv

It's a final check that we have everything we need for Christmas day, and as much food prep as is possible gets done throughout the day.

This Christmas Eve we'll be having Christmas as DH is working Christmas (nurse) and the DC won't know any different as they're too young. So we'll be opening presents, eating too much and dispersing fights when "he touched my present" and "she looked at my toys"

Previously DH and I would spend the evening together with wine an a film as we'd spend Christmas desperately with our respective families. This year we have DS and are spending it at my family's house (we lost my beloved nan this year so we all need the wonderful distraction that DS brings, we'll be at the in laws next year!) in matching pjs and watching an Elmo dvd (silly tradition I started a few years ago of buying one for DH to open on Xmas eve).

Separately not desperately!!!

Christmas Eve is my favourite of all the festive days. Mornings spent prepping the veggies for the big day and cleaning the house and popping to the shops for last minute bits I’ve forgotten.
Afternoon I drag the teenagers from their rooms and we watch a festive film while eating nibbles and popcorn, then it’s off to church followed by a drinks party at my very dear friends house. We leave there about 8pm and go home via McDonald’s drive through.
Then it’s last minute wrapping before putting all the pressies out under the tree.