How do you spend Christmas Eve

Nade1974.

Hi everyone,

As much as I love Christmas day, I always think Christmas Eve is more special & exciting and out of curiosity was wondering how others chose to spend the day... Also..

Merry Christmas Everyone :snow_laug :santa2:

daisiegg

Ooh I'd like to hear replies to this too!

We haven't really developed a Christmas Eve tradition of our own yet and I would like to. In the last few years, Christmas Eve has been spent driving the 8 hour round trip to drop OH's daughter at home after she has spent some time staying with us but this year she is old enough to go on the train :j so we no longer have to do that journey. OH has a day off work so we are free!

At home growing up we always had croissants for breakfast on Christmas Eve, the kind you roll up and cook yourself. I think OH and I will definitely do that we also used to clean and tidy the house ready for Christmas.

We would always definitely go to church - to the early evening 'children's mass' when we were younger, and Midnight Mass when we were older. We would be able to open one small present when we got back from Mass as that meant Christmas had started

Then we would put out our stockings and sacks for Santa (stockings upstairs outside our bedroom doors and sacks downstairs by the fireplace!) and put out his drink, mince pie and carrot for reindeer. We did this long after we were all too old to believe! We then would say a prayer in front of the crib by candlelight, as we did every evening before bed during Advent. I have not come out of my childhood particularly religious, but have such fond memories of those magical bedtime prayers by candlelight. I know it is not very fashionable to focus on the religious aspects of Christmas, but the beautiful nativity story has always been so magical to me and is one of the main things to make Christmas special

I have gone off topic a bit now! Sorry! Anyway, I too would like to hear about people's Christmas Eve traditions as I want to develop our own

notanewuser

We're doing Christmas Day on Christmas Eve this year (we do Christmas to for with sister's police shifts ).

daisiegg

notanewuser wrote: »

We're doing Christmas Day on Christmas Eve this year (we do Christmas to for with sister's police shifts ).

So then what do you do on Christmas Eve eve?

minimacka

Its my D/S birthday on Christmas eve so we always do something nice, pictures, bowling, meal out etc, it also stops me from rushing around trying to do last minute things because i am always ready for Christmas by the 23rd. :-) He is 16 this year and is just as excited about his birthday as he has ever been. We always celebrate it separate and he never ever gets a joint Christmas/birthday present.

notanewuser

daisiegg wrote: »

So then what do you do on Christmas Eve eve?

Well, DH will be away, my sister will be entertaining DD for me, and I plan a lovely relaxing girly day in the kitchen.
Then new pyjamas and slippers for DD before bed, and maybe a film with a box of chocs and coffee or hot choc with my sis before DH gets home. Ooh, and lots of last minute wrapping of DD's presents!

red_devil

working all day relaxing in the evening.

shoei

Both my parents are Police Officers so this year, as we did last year, we will go and see them for a Christmas brunch. OH sister is coming down Christmas eve so will get as much veg preped as I can and house will hopefully be all clean, tidy and trimmed up. I like to use a lot of natural decs so even though tree is up other rooms won't be dressed until this weekend.

Loubell83

Board game night with family (no kids involved we are just big kids) with sweets and nibbles.

We go for games we played when we were kids, like tri-onimos, chinese checkers and rummikub!

pinklady1985

It's my eldest monsters birthday so try not to do xmassy things on Xmas eve, in the evening though they all get new pjs and a teddy to unwrap before putting out the reindeer food etc, will probably have a takeaway early evening for his b day once the younger ones go to bed, well IF they go to bed!

MERFE

This year I'm doing my last food shop in the morning so the fruit is fresh to last a while.
We will probably do some baking or arts and crafts during the day.
About 4ish we will drive to a nearby street (not near enough to walk to) that decorate all the houses and its a culdesac and is just lovely to walk round all lit up. They have a donation bucket at the end of the street and collect for a different charity each year.
Once home we'll have a simple dinner, like a pizza that we don't have often but doesn't create loads of washing up. Then watch a Christmas film with a drink of eggnog (no alcohol for the kids). We'll put out the stockings, reindeer food, mince pie and santas drink and then the kids will go to bed. Hoping to watch the snowman and his dog this year so might do the snowman on dvd first then everyone gets ready for bed and then the snowman and his dog with the drinks. All depends how it goes for time on the day.

Once the kids are in bed is when OH and I usually wrap up all the presents but in the past we have both struggled with it and its really back breaking to spend hours doing it on one night so I've done it all as I've bought stuff. There is a couple of bits that need wrapping still so will listen to some Christmas music and get them done, put all the presents under the tree, then when we feel brave enough go and get the stockings. My favourite part is filling up the stockings. Put the Chocolates onto the Christmas tree etc.