How do you spend Christmas Eve

Katiehound

I am staying with a friend & her sprogs & sproglets.
We always have a really nice meal (she's a great cook) traditionally it's baked gammon, probably a la Delia! Then we playgames ( card games ?) when the little ones have finally gone to bed with a few drinkies. This year we have bubbly! Most of the adults go to bed but my friend goes off to the midnight service.........

Idiophreak

Will go for a sing-song at the church in the afternoon, then chill in the evening and make sure the wrapping's all done etc.

Only real tradition is that the wife reads "the night before Christmas" to me at bed time - but at 29, I may be getting a little old for that one...

VICSH

During the morning we have our last big tidy up. Ds and I will decorate the gingerbread house then off to church for the nativity and christingle the home for early bath new pjs and then watch a film. Ds will go to bed the dh and I will prepare all the veg, dress the table and then chill with some champagne and finish any wrapping! I love Xmas eve as much as the days itself!

anniemf2508

Hubby will probably have a lie in and i'll get up and make pancakes for the kids. Will do a final clean up and get all the xmas day food out of the freezer to defrost.
Hubby will probably pop down waitrose to see if there are any bargains.
The kids always do a bit of a treasure hunt in the afternoon, then they get their xmas eve hamper.
After dinner, kids will be bathed and a will watch an xmas movie.
Once they are in bed i'll organise all the presents.

quinechinoise

We're thinking of having "Christmas dinner" on Christmas Eve, as hubby has conceded that no one really wants to eat it.

Asides from that, hope to get to church - for the early service (no chance of midnight mass with little kids). And I'll shift all the gifts to under/around the tree.

Tigsteroonie

Christmas will effectively start when I no longer have to go anywhere on Christmas Eve (so after the early morning supermarket dash, and after picking up BIL to visit). Once I don't have to drive again, I can have a wee drinkie :beer:

And from then on, it's eat - drink - be merry - eat - drink - be merry - repeat until asleep

deltasbutterfly

my mum has cooked christmas dinner on christmas eve for a few years now, she used to hate missing us opening our presents because she had to go and start cooking. we still do it now even though i'm 20 and my brothers 17. we then spend the afternoon playing board games and my brother has made quizzes for the past few years.

bossymoo

I love the idea of Christmas lunch on Christmas eve! Might suggest that for next year!

This year we will have a nice lunch (thinking chicken fajita stack), a little wander through the high street to see the Christmas lights, then onto church for the carols. After that it will be home for snacks and the Christmas eve hamper (pj's and DVD for the kiddies, few little treats, new mini books, and, of course, "the night before Christmas").
I'll get the kiddies away to bed, then put some pressies out, eat the mince pie, drink the milk and bite into the carrot
Then a baileys for me, and whatever the guests are having...

Merry Christmas!

jakes-mum

I'll prob be off to the supermarket at some point that morning for the chicken and veg (though am toying with getting it delivered this year as DD is really poorly at the minute).

There will be the usual last minute tidy up ready for father christmas (well we wouldnt want him falling over one of the kids toys in the dark :eek:)

Then its jacket potatoes for dinner, shower for everyone and kids into PJ's early evening, then as many christmas films as we can fit in with popcorn and sweeties before bed.

Then its the loooooooong wait for the pair of them to fall asleep before I drag all the presents out and down the stairs, wrap up what is not already wrapped, arrange around the tree (then moving them all again as I realise ive gone and hidden the plug for the tree lights!) then bed for DH and I where i'll be the only one too excited to sleep :rotfl:

pancakebuzz

Every Christmas Eve me and my dad watch the 1951 adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol', Scrooge (starring Alastair Sim).

I watch White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, and assorted Rankin/Bass classics in the days leading up to Christmas, but Scrooge is special. The message is so great, and I feel like this adaptation gets it across the best. I tear up every year when Fan dies, and laugh every year at the end when Scrooge freaks out his maid....I really have no emotional reaction at all to any other adaptation of the same story.

It's also special to me because it's special to my dad.