What are your Christmas Eve traditions?

[DisneyBug1995]

Normally we go to my Grandma's for Christmas Eve dinner. She goes all out when setting the table. She uses her china and crystal and she makes a nice dinner. This year however, she has decided she doesn't want to do Christmas Eve dinner. She is 94 years old and she can't see very well, so I don't blame her. My DD13 and DS8 are very disappointed, the dinner at Grandma's was one of their favorite parts of Christmas. They looked forward to getting dressed in their dress clothes, getting to use the china, crystal and "real" napkins and spending time with family. They also got a couple of presents to open. It was just enough to keep the occupied and helped them contain their excitement for the next day. We need to start a new tradition so I came to the Dis because you guys have great ideas. What do you do on Christmas Eve?

 

[kacaju]

Good question!! Normally I host Christmas Day so I am busy Christmas Eve getting ready. This year my SIL is hosting so I am not sure what we will do!!

 

[SaraJayne]

We go to 4pm church (and Santa comes while we are gone) and then on the way home, drive around and look at Christmas lights.

After we are home, the kids open their stockings while supper is being prepared and then we open the rest of the gifts.

We always opened our gifts on Christmas Eve when I grew up and I've continued the tradition with my family.

 

[MIGrandma]

We didn't really have any Christmas Eve traditions until last year.

In the past, I was usually still in the kitchen preparing as much as possible for the next day's family dinner here. Maybe DH and I would exchange gifts if we weren't too tired and had time. That was about it.

But, my Dad passed away in January '07 so last year was our first Christmas without him. I'm an only child, and did not want my Mom to be alone on Christmas Eve so we went to pick her up about 5:00, rode around our town and two other nearby towns to look at Christmas lights (she LOVES doing that, me too actually) then brought her back to our house. I had a small stocking filled with small gifts for her, which she enjoyed. And she spent the night with us. She enjoyed it, we did too, and she wasn't alone. It was also nice to have her here already on Christmas morning, and she helped me get last minute stuff ready for dinner.

We'll do the same thing this year, and will continue that new tradition.

 

[Freyja]

Here in Iceland we celebrate on the 24th and for us Christmas doesn´t start until 6PM.

At 6PM we all sit down at the table, which I always set with my best china and chrystal and we have a 3 course fancy meal. Usually we have lobster og salmon as an appetizer, lamb as entree and homemade icecream for dessert.

After dinner, we all gather in the living room, sing a couple of Christmas carols and then we open presents. We always have one person (usually my husband, before it was my grandpa) read all the tags and hand the gifts to the person they´re for. The youngest kids in the family usually bring them gifts to my DH (from underneath the tree) one by one and we all watch while everyone opens each and every gift. This means that it usually takes us quite long to open all presents.

After the kids are in bed, DH and I enjoy a quite moment infront of the fireplace and open and read the Christmas cards

 

[Tuffcookie]

We have an early dinner and attend the candlelight service at church. Oldest DS and his family join youngest DS and me at our church that evening.

TC

 

[TinklednPants]

We have an elaborate dinner, get hammered, and open gifts.

 

[PigletsPal2]

We go to candlelight service at church, ride around our church's neighborhood (posh neighborhood!) looking at lights and decorations, return home to a vegetable lasagna dinner, open stockings and one gift (usually something we know will keep us amused till bedtime - a book, a new DS game, etc.)

Christmas morning is cinnamon rolls and coffee (or diet coke for DD#1 who likes her caffeine cold!), and handing out the prezzies one at a time, youngest to oldest (DGD to DH). No one at our house believes in Santa anymore, so we make up funny tags to give a (very) subtle hint as to the contents; for example, one year I gave DD#2 bedroom slippers from The Barefoot Contessa. We're a strange family, but we love each other!

Queen Colleen

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Making cookies for Santa and reading Twas the night beofe Christmas. I have 4 kids so they exchanged names so they will buy one present each and I will let them open them that night.

 

[Pixiedust34]

During the day, we usually watch Christmas specials on TV. I make tortellini soup for an early dinner, and then we go to church. After church, we drive around to look at Christmas lights. Once home, we take our time getting ready for bed and for Santa to arrive. Even though our kids are older, dd still likes us to read The Night Before Christmas before going to bed. We still leave out a plate of cookies and a Sam Adams for Santa. : )

On Christmas Day, we heat up a some of the leftover soup for an easy and light lunch to hold us over until we have Christmas Dinner (turkey and the trimmings).

 

[lillygator]

we go out to dinner, then to build a bear workshop so the girls have something new to sleep with. The we come home they get to open two presents, which are the same every year, new xmas jammies and an ornament for "their" collection. We usually leave santa some variety I mean he gets milk and cookies at EVERY other house.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Big Chinese take-out feast! My family has done that ever since I can remember. My grandparents are gone now, but my mother and I have carried on...

This year, however, we won't be doing it. I've been with my DBF for a year now, and he's The One (and vice versa), so this Christmas Eve, Mum and I are going to his sister's house. Time for my mother and his parents to meet

 

[luvsJack]

Well, for 22 years (and for all of dh's life) we have gone to my in-laws on Christmas eve, had dinner (noon time) and opened gifts there. Then everyone would load up from there and go to dh's grandmother's for a finger food supper and opening more gifts (these were some of the favorites because they were always handmade gifts from his grandmother).

Well, now his grandmother is in her 90's and not able to host any longer. So far the place has changed twice, I am waiting for the next call to change it again. (too many personalities in this huge family and not enough neutral homes) At the current location, the meal will be at around 1. That means mil's celebration will be that morning about 10. (not sure why she doesn't want to just reverse the order from our usual way of doing things) Mass confusion!

Add to this that one of my sons will be offshore and the other has a new baby and will need to split his time between all of his family and all of her family. (bless their hearts, I don't envy them one bit)

I am also seeing that we need to change our traditions at my mom's on Christmas day. She is getting to an age that its all more of a huge chore than an enjoyment. I think this will be the last year to have big family meals and such at her house.

 

[ohiomom28]

We go to my DBF's parents house for dinner and then come home and watch a movie. This year Santa is calling my DS9. This is the 1st year he hasn't believed....kinda wonder how that will go over?!?

 

[fall08CP]

The immediate family plus our significant others all go out for a really fancy meal, usually at a nice Italian restaurant. Then we go to services at our respective churches. Finally, we invite our neighbors over (really close friends) and exchange gifts with them.

 

[HeatherC]

Could you do the big Christmas thing at your house this year to start a new tradition with your girls? Have them help prepare the menu and set the table nice and fancy. They would probably love it. And if you don't want to cook, you could always order the meal ahead from the supermarket!

 

[DisneyBug1995]

Could you do the big Christmas thing at your house this year to start a new tradition with your girls? Have them help prepare the menu and set the table nice and fancy. They would probably love it. And if you don't want to cook, you could always order the meal ahead from the supermarket

!


We are thinking about having the meal at our house. I don't have any nice dishes, but I'm sure Grandma would let me use hers. The problem is I'm not sure if the rest of the family would want to come. My brother-in-law is recently separated and I'm not sure if he will have my niece that night and my sister-in-law recently became a Grandma and may want to do something with just her daughter and granddaughter.

I am hoping to come up with something that will become a new tradition (at least for the 4 of us) and we won't have to rely on other family members to make it happen.

 

[Duchie]

Normally we go out of town for Christmas, and it's usually to my parent's house (DH's parents are deceased). But this year, just like last year, we will be staying home and I'm very excited about it. We still keep the old family traditions because my kids really like them.

We usually go to the early service at church (4:00-ish), then come home and have a pasta dinner (this year I'm hoping to add crab legs to the mix). I'll call my dad and ask him if we can open just one present on Christmas Eve and he'll say no - we've been doing this since I was a kid and it's still kind of our tradition. Christmas Day we have cinnamon rolls or bananna bread while we open gifts in our PJs. We then make the round of phone calls, calling all of our family to wish them a Merry Christmas.

Now DH and I have been married for 15 years. And we have the same debate each and every Christmas - what to have for Christmas day dinner. He thinks it should be turkey, but we always did beef roast in my house. I usually win, since we just had turkey at Thanksgiving.

After dinner, we're probably going over to our friend's house for games and beverages. I've been asked to bring the "pink cookies" that my Grandma taught me how to make (she's 97 and she still makes them every year).

 

[klacey1]

Christmas Eve is always hectic and wonderful I wouldn't have it any other way.
In the morning, DBF and I will drive down to the Bronx to exchange gifts with my father. We'll drive back and DBF will go to his parent's house to be with them for the day and I'll go to my mom's house and get dressed up. My mom, brother, and brother's girlfriend will go to one of my uncle's house to have a fancy, wonderful dinner with him, my aunt, their two kids, and my grandmother. These are the only relative we exchange gifts with. After dinner/gift exchange, my mom and brother/girlfriend will go back to my mom's house and spend the night. I move on to DBF's house, where there is a huge party going on-- neighbors, relatives, friends. People don't leave until midnight! I stay over there, and DBF's 12 yr old brother always wakes us up first and we wait until 9:00 am or so to open gifts with DBF's younger siblings, his parents, his uncle, cousin, cousin's husband and kid, his aunt, and nan.

I think you should continue the fancy dinner with your family! Invite the extended family you want, and whoever doesn't want to come-- that's fine!

 

[charming23]

We have always had Christmas Eve at our house. Everyone comes over at 5pm and we have dinner, usually something simple but yummy. The we put on Christmas music and open silly little presents before settling down with dessert and watching a Christmas Story. Everybody leaves by 12 am and then it's off to bed.