Christmas Eve

[RedAngie]

Inspired by @lisaviolet ‘s response in the Christmas music thread.

“But I am crazy irritated with Christmas music on Boxing Day or later. Like please don't. When at WDW I get so annoyed with it playing past the 25th.

Heck I am done with it on Christmas Day practically. Christmas Eve is the magical day for me.”


I’ve heard and read about how for some families, Christmas Eve is the Big Deal, while Christmas Day is more low key and quiet.

One aunt’s (uncle’s wife) family did their celebrating on December 24. Big dinner with lots of extended family members, then opening gifts, then all going to Midnight Mass.

Christmas Day they’d come to Uncle’s mom’s (my grandmother) for a bit, but then spend the rest of the day at home.

Anybody else focus on Christmas Eve more?

Feel free to add any December 24 traditions even if Christmas Day itself is the main event.

 

[Disneylover99]

We have zero traditions on Christmas Eve.
So while I don’t focus on it more, I love it so much more than Christmas Day.
It just feels magical, special and full of possibilities.

 

[ronandannette]

I wouldn't exactly call it tradition, but many years we have done our main celebration on Christmas Eve. Last year (Covid lock-down) notwithstanding, we've always got several different groups of people and all their own plans to consider so we do whatever accommodates the most people the most conveniently. This year it will be a big, festive meal and party on Christmas Eve before church for friends and a another one on either Boxing Day or New Years for extended family - whichever they decide. Christmas Day will be quiet and just our household. We're used to being flexible with it and we're all adults now so it's just fine.

 

[Meriweather]

Christmas Eve is a family time......there are 7 of us.
This is my year to host (Christmas too), so the 5 that don't live here come over and spend the night.
We have sandwiches.....this year will be from Jersey Mike's......and chips and cookie plate with all the cookies we have been baking for weeks.
We watch a Christmas movie. Get new PJs and stuffies for the kids. Then we each open one present.

Christmas day is Santa present for the 2 kids, then stockings. We play Christmas music.
Then is a small, fast breakfast. This year cinnamon rolls and muffins, hot chocolate.
Then open presents.
Clean up.
Movies......then dinner. This year DH is smoking ribs.

 

[design_mom]

Growing up, Christmas Eve was the big day. We cooked and made food and wrapped presents, then went to the Children's Mass at 4:00 (with the Christmas pageant). That was the kick-off of Christmas. After that, we stopped by two different Christmas parties and got to stay up late. And my dad always found Norad Tracks Santa on the radio. Christmas morning, Santa had come -- and that was very exciting -- but it was all over by breakfast time.

Now, we still do Christmas Eve with my parents, starting off with Mass (but they switched the Children's Mass to 6:30, and we still go to the 4:00.) Then back to my parents' house. Christmas morning is at our house (or my sister's, we swap). Then Christmas afternoon is at my in-laws'.

 

[fla4fun]

When I was growing up, we did gifts from the Family on Christmas Eve and Santa gifts Christmas Day. Once Santa was no longer in the picture for us, we decided as a family to do all gift opening on Christmas Eve rather than get up early Christmas morning. At that time, we still did the big dinner Christmas Day.

When our parents passed, my sister and I decided to move the big dinner to Christmas Eve as well, and we use Christmas Day for a laid back day to simply spend time together. We don’t always get to celebrate the holiday on the holiday, since my sister works in a hotel, but whenever we celebrate our Christmas, the dinner and gifts are the night before and we relax the next day. This year, we are moving Christmas to the week after New Years to accommodate her schedule, so I will spend the actual holiday watching tv and wrapping gifts.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We have more traditions on Christmas Eve than Day too.

We get together with my Mom's whole family at my aunt's house. After her house DH and I go out to dinner and then to the 8 PM Church service.

On Christmas Day we just stay home most of the day and sometimes go to dinner at a different aunt's house.

 

[NAB]

Christmas Eve is special for us too.

Always went to my mom’s . Their is 6 siblings so by the time she died 7 years ago there were 55 people in her house that night. We too started with family mass at about 6:00 pm. Then she always had a buffet of foods and snack foods out including a lot of candy. The grandkids were in heaven.

She always bought for everyone. Kids always got a toy and clothes, clothes meaning matching top and bottoms etc. Myself and my siblings got a present as will. We tried for years to get her to cut back and buy only for the grandkids. Always open all these presents that night when everyone was there. Kids hated the wait for one slow family…lol

Usually left to go home after midnight . Kids played with new toys while others socialized . Sometimes only see most of the nieces and nephews than.

Next day is husband’s side. They come to our place late afternoon so we open Santa’s presents in the morning leisurely .

My brother bought my mom’s house when she died so we still do Christmas Eve there but most of the nieces and nephews have families of their own so it’s usually a few of us now.

 

[mjkacmom]

Growing up both were big days, Christmas Eve was a big family gathering at the grandparents that went on until 4 am or so, moved to my parents house when they passed. The next morning, after Santa presents, we’d drive to another family members house for dinner.

Now it’s just our family of 7, we’ll have a nice dinner Christmas Eve, matching pajamas for the kids (young adults), play games, karaoke, and then do Santa presents the next morning, big breakfast (that my IL’s used to come to but it’s too much now), watch movies, more games, I think order Chinese this year.

 

[Dreams&wishes]

Italian here. The 24th night is the start of the celebrations with a big meal based on fish midnight mass and the opening of the presents. The 25 big lunch meat based which lasts throughout the evening with bingo games and the lot. 26th is St Stephen's first martyr, more food on the way generally a roosters broth with tortellini and left overs and we keep going till the 6th of Jan, the epiphany when the three Kings arrive and we have an old lady called Befana she brings stockings full of goodies. This is the last day and then the Christmas tree goes down and the Christmas songs finish and we start the diet!!,,,

 

[Owlpost23]

Love Christmas Eve! To us,that means a boatload of Indian food and the start of our LOTR marathon.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

We never do anything on Christmas Eve. This year because it falls on a Friday means it’s my turn to cook dinner for my MIL and my husband will be taking it over at 5:30 and will spend the rest of the night with her. My MIL makes the wicked witch of the west look like an Angel so I stay home.

 

[NYCgrrl]

The ex was French and Revillion (aka CE) was the bigger celebration for him. In my family the Day was the bigger to do so we just combined our celebration over the two days making all happy.

 

[chickapin parterre]

We never do anything on Christmas Eve. This year because it falls on a Friday means it’s my turn to cook dinner for my MIL and my husband will be taking it over at 5:30 and will spend the rest of the night with her. My MIL makes the wicked witch of the west look like an Angel so I stay home.

visits to my father in law ruined our christmas eve visits.....Tums was my candy cane choice of flavor

 

[chickapin parterre]

There is a church here on the migrant crossing border.......when leaving or parking on the hay bale bordered asphalt lot you look out over the expanse of the Barry Goldwater bombing range and the horror of desert living, but to the north, on Christmas Eve, 4:00 winter solstice sunshine hits the peaks of the mountain and they turn to gold, the candle lights in the large Mission style windows make the gold color shimmer.....I no longer mummer the lyrics but look out the window, framing hope....pull out of the parking lot and drive by the huge military tank in the cemetery..time to insert John lennon disc.

 

[Kittyblue]

Christmas Eve has always been our present opening night. We have appetizers for dinner and take turns opening gifts. Santa presents and stockings are Christmas morning. I don’t do Santa presents now that the kids are older but everyone still gets a stocking filled with little goodies.

I normally do a big meal Christmas Day, but since I won’t have the kids this year my mom and I are just going out to eat.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Christmas Eve is the big day here because that's when we have our family party in the basement. My aunt is going ahead with it this year despite Covid. I told her I'd help set the food up, but that I was going upstairs to my room before people started arriving. I just don't think it's safe or smart to have lots and lots of people milling around each other, kissing and hugging. And that's my rant.

Christmas Eve was always the big deal when I was a kid, because that was when we decorated the tree, watched all the Rankin-Bass holiday specials on TV while wearing new pajamas, and got to sleep in our parents' bed while they slept downstairs. I remember my sister and I would lie in the bed and giggle and talk about what we hoped to receive as gifts, until my Mom would suddenly open the bedroom door and tell us off for not sleeping. Who could sleep?

 

[antmaril]

Christmas Eve was always the big (extended family) celebration for us. But, we (immediate family) opened gifts on Christmas morning.

 

[evilmommie]

Christmas Eve has always been magical for our family. We have always tried to keep this day sacred even while working it for years. This year our family will be together for the most part… We’re a family of first responders and 3 of the kids actually have it off this year, so it’s even more magical!

We’ll do a neighborhood cocktail party, super casual with a few people stopping by…walk the lights in the area, etc. My hubby is doing a prime rib on the Traegar. My daughter and I love to put together charcuterie boards for occasions like this…fun and festive items. We play games later in the evening and stay up chatting. Christmas morning we open what Santa has delivered!

 

[neverlandsky]

Christmas Eve has always been huge in DH’s family. Unfortunately, the elders refuse to pass on the torch. The expectations on the younger generations is now a miserable and stressful experience especially since majority of us have work obligations on Christmas Eve. So the magic has been gone for years now and we were just going through the motions of it all.

A change recently happened where we decided to opt out of this year’s Christmas Eve festivities for several reasons. Honestly, we’re relieved. Our Oldest is now an adult and our Youngest will soon will be. It’s just time to start our own traditions for Christmas Eve. Majority of the focus is to keep it simple.

Christmas Day has always been low-key just us 4. Open presents, brunch, in the evening I’m already taking down the tree & decor. That’s the retail business in us aka seeing Christmas since September/October. Plus we have a few early January birthdays.