What are your family's Christmas Eve traditions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For lunch we eat Wiener and potato salad. Everyone straightens their room in the afternoon and wraps gifts. Sometimes we go to mass, but probably not this year.
After dark we put the gifts under the tree and when everything is ready we ring a bell and the kids come down and open gifts. We have fondue for dinner. Everyone gets a plate with cookies and candy. We spend the rest of the night playing board games and reading new books.

Almost robotic

Not almost nasty response. Unnecessary nasty response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious what other people do. We normally spend the day as a family playing board games, building LEGOs, baking, etc. while watching and playing games on the Google Santa Tracker. At night, we make "reindeer food" and sprinkle it on the front lawn. They each get to open one small present.

I like the sound of your Christmas Eve.

[Anonymous]

Our Church has a service at 430 and 8. Those with young kids go earlier. Then we meet at a local restaurant literally on the same block, for dinner then the younger crowd goes home and older crowd goes to later service. We’re going to the later service with our 9yo for the first time.

[Anonymous]

We go to Mass and then open one present. We have an easy dinner -- either appetizers or takeout. Usually it's very quiet, though this year we have been invited to a party, which should be fun!

[Anonymous]

Christmas Eve is when we normally have our big dinner with guests. But this year, we are keeping it small. My spouse's best friend is currently undergoing chemo and is very vulnerable, so we only have her family and one other family joining us this year.

The kids get to open any gifts that the guests have brought (there's always at least one per child and we make sure to have gifts for any children who are guests). At bedtime, they set out a plate of cookies that they made with milk and a plate of carrots for Santa to give the reindeer.

[Anonymous]

Quiet day together at home w just my spouse and kids. Playing board games, watching movies, baking cookies for Santa and making a pie, then a fancy (for us) dinner of some yummy appetizers and then steak and crab cakes. Key lime pie for dessert. The kids each open one small gift Christmas Eve night. On Christmas Day we get our stockings first then open the rest of the gifts, have a big breakfast, and spend the day playing with/setting up new gifts before going to my parents’ house in mid afternoon, where we stay for dinner w my parents and siblings and their families.

[Anonymous]

We always go out for an early-ish dinner at a restaurant that everyone will enjoy. Then we go home and fill thermos' with hot chocolate and drive around looking at Christmas lights. The night ends with everyone opening one gift from under the tree and a Christmas movie.

[Anonymous]

French here. We used to go to Christmas Eve mass, but can't deal with the Church anymore, so we have a relaxing day at home and eat

Foie gras.
Biscottes.
Possibly a few vegetables and fruit.

And then presents the next morning, and boeuf en croute (beef wellington) for Christmas Day lunch. After that, a buche de Noel is too heavy. We usually make a light charlotte cake.
Often we have seafood for New Year's, with the buche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We always go out for an early-ish dinner at a restaurant that everyone will enjoy. Then we go home and fill thermos' with hot chocolate and drive around looking at Christmas lights. The night ends with everyone opening one gift from under the tree and a Christmas movie.

Sounds like fun evening. My kids are too small to watch movies before bed- they just go to bed like any normal night, but in the future I’d love to do the Christmas movie together!

[Anonymous]

Typically run around buying the last minute gifts for family we realize we’ll see Christmas day, wrap a multitude of gifts despite plans to wrap as I shop - running to CVS for more tape as I’ve misplaced the dozens I bought earlier in month. Another trip to the grocery store for whatever ingredients I’m missing for Christmas brunch - usually worked around husband running out to finally do his Christmas shopping (no joke.) Friends, neighbors stop in dropping gifts, wine drinking starts. At some point stop to TRY for sweet moment of hanging stockings, putting food out for reindeer and cookies and milk for Santa. Get kids to bed then two hours of prepping for morning brunch. Then mounds and mounds of gifts come out of hiding, stockings filled, we ring sleigh bells and go to bed.

Not my dream but the reality. Christmas Day is actually stress free and all the crazy before hand seems worth it but vows of being organized next year….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Typically run around buying the last minute gifts for family we realize we’ll see Christmas day, wrap a multitude of gifts despite plans to wrap as I shop - running to CVS for more tape as I’ve misplaced the dozens I bought earlier in month. Another trip to the grocery store for whatever ingredients I’m missing for Christmas brunch - usually worked around husband running out to finally do his Christmas shopping (no joke.) Friends, neighbors stop in dropping gifts, wine drinking starts. At some point stop to TRY for sweet moment of hanging stockings, putting food out for reindeer and cookies and milk for Santa. Get kids to bed then two hours of prepping for morning brunch. Then mounds and mounds of gifts come out of hiding, stockings filled, we ring sleigh bells and go to bed.

Not my dream but the reality. Christmas Day is actually stress free and all the crazy before hand seems worth it but vows of being organized next year….

+1 This is basically our Christmas Eve as well.

[Anonymous]

We do an extensive Mexican meal with tamales and tres leches being a highlight. Open one present and read a stack of Christmas books. Puzzles, board games and maybe a Christmas movie.

[Anonymous]

how do you do "reindeer foods"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how do you do "reindeer foods"?

NP here, but we do this too. We mix rolled oats, sprinkles, and a dash of glitter in a bowl. Separate into bags for each kid to sprinkle on the front lawn for the reindeer

[Anonymous]

We have adopted the Icelandic tradition, Jolabokaflod "book flood" where everyone gets a new book on Christmas Eve and we light candles and make the house cozy and we sit around reading and drinking cocoa and warm cider for a couple of hours.