What do you do on Christmas Eve?

[ThreeMusketeers]

We are a small family of 3, living HOURS away from family. (And we just recently moved, so we don't know alot of people)

What should we do for Christmas Eve? I want to start some specail traditions just for us. (This will be the first of many years, we won't be seeing family for the holidays..we plan to see them after)

We open jammies on Christmas Eve, and watch a special Christmas movie.
Looking for something more creative...
ANY IDEAS??

 

[3jsmommy]

You could-
go out to dinner
go to mass
(or both)
deliver gifts/food to the needy
get everyone's favorite takeout..all appetizers are good!
make gingerbread houses
go caroling (I personally wouldn't do this...sober anyway )
have a family game night
watch movies & eat (& string) popcorn
go ice skating if there is a rink open near you

 

[jenny105]

I usually stay at my mom's. Since all the kids are grown up (I'm 26, my sis is 38, and bro 39) and out of the house, we all stay with her for the night on Christmas Eve and have dinner. My mom and grandmother usually go to mass so while they're out, my sis and I bake cookies. We also open jammies on that night too and my sister and I always watch the 24 hour marathon of a Christmas Story. It's not a huge ordeal, but it's fun!

 

[Justanopinion]

Back in 1989, Texas had a hard freeze on Christmas Eve. We had gone to church that Sunday morning just to come home to find out the pipes had busted. The neighbors were nice enough thinking we were out of town to just sit there and watch as the house flooded.

We spent the rest of the day ripping out carpet and what not. Mom ordered pizza, and enough for the next day.

We got up Christmas morning, opened gifts, took down the tree and went right back to ripping out carpet. Oh, and enjoying left over pizza. It would be another 5 months before the house was totally fixed and finished. Mom totally redid the kitchen.

That was DS's first Christmas, since then, we do pizza every Christmas Eve. We open one gift and play games.

 

[Uncle Remus]

Don't forget to put the carrots out.

 

[slk537]

I love Christmas Eve - even more than the day! We sleep in (or try to) and putter around making whatever I bring to my DB and DSIL's for Christmas dinner and watching cheesy Christmas movies until we head out to do extra shopping and have lunch. The rule is that all real shopping has to be done by the 24th so we are going out because we want to, not because we have to.

We have a nice family lunch somewhere (DH, DS and me) and then finish shopping before going home to relax. Children's Mass is at 3:00 so we take DS and then head home to start getting dinner ready and finish baking a few cutouts courtesy of Pillsbury - only about 10.

Dinner is beef tenderloin, twice baked loaded baked potatoes, green beans, and rolls. Cranberry cake with caramel sauce for dessert.

After dinner I curl up and relax while DH and DS decorate the cut outs to leave out for Santa. During the whole evening, DS and I keep checking with NORAD to see where Santa is. As soon as he hits the US, we watch for a bit longer and then it's bed time. Before DS heads off, he puts together the cookies and milk for Santa and goes out to the front porch to leave carrots for the reindeer.

Once DS is officially asleep, DH and I finish wrapping his presents and put them under the tree. We then watch more cheesy Christmas movies until we're ready to sleep. Then we set out the present from Santa, eat some of the cookies and shred the carrots and sprinkle them on the snow.

It's a great day!

 

[Hercules10]

Do the family thing.
Do the candle-light service at church thing.
Go home, get into Grinch fleece bottoms and a t-shirt. Watch It's a Wonderful Life by the fireplace while sipping Crown/coke. All while giving my "kids" their doggie Xmas treats.
Sleep like the dead 'til Christmas morning.

 

[Darcy03231]

We go out for Chinese food, come home, get comfy and each child is allowed to open one gift. We then pop in a new family DVD that I've purchased, pop popcorn, have hot chocolate. After the movie now that the kids are teens and stay up later we drag out the board games and play a game or two before dh and I retire for the evening. Kids (15 & 17) stay up until they decide to go to bed. This year's movie is the new Batman one.

 

[Hercules10]

This year's movie is the new Batman one.

Just so ya know that sucker is looooong. They might still be up when ya'll get up Christmas morning.

 

[Barb D]

DH and DD9 make slice-and-bake cookies for Santa.
We go out to dinner and to church.
On the way home we look for Rudolph's nose in the sky. (The red lights on the top of radio towers and red airplane lights sometimes fool us. )
We read The Night Before Christmas and Luke 2.
DD9 puts out the cookies and Diet Dr. Pepper for Santa.


When I was a child growing up on the west coast we always went to the beach on Christmas Eve, built a fire, and roasted hot dogs while we watched the sunset. Then we went to Long's Drug Store which sold 5 cent ice cream cones (a deal even in the 70's) and bought last minute presents. When we moved to the east coast we were sort of at loose ends of Christmas Eve. No sunset on the beach!

 

[mamacatnv]

We too live far from most of our family and have spent many holidays "alone".

About 10 years ago, we started a new tradition. We know a couple of families that like us are Orphans on Christmas Eve (some do have family here in town, some don't). I do have an Aunt that now that she is remarried does come with her DH and now that my cousin is grown she comes and this year she is bringing her new beau. Then there are 3 other families and my Aunts single friend that join us. This year we are hoping our neighbor who lost his wife last week will join us with their 2 year old son. We have approx. 21 - 25 - it originally started with 8 (2 families)

We host a "Friends and Family" Christmas Eve dinner.

We all contribute to the dinner - We all help decorate the table, ie my BFF brings her Christmas candle holders and we combine silverware so we have enough, another friend brings the Reindeer and Sleigh we use to serve the meat and glaze, I have the dishes etc..... If there is a special piece of china, a candle stick or serving ware from "Grandma" we manage to incorporate it. The table always looks wonderful and in the early years everyone explained the story behind their "piece".

Everyone brings a wrapped ornament and we have an ornament "fight" exchange. Everyone brings 3 - $1 bills for a dice game we play, the teenagers always manage to win which is good for their gas tanks!

We love this event and honestly most of us look forward to it more than we do "family" gatherings

We all do the dishes and clean up - I buy the throw away type containers and everyone goes home with leftovers for the next day.

Merry Christmas

 

[Kristineamb]

We do the jammie thing too
Make some reindeer food and sprinkle it in your yard
Read The Night Before Christmas before bed.

 

[DawnCt1]

We always go to BILs/SILs house for Christmas Eve. This year I am tempted to visit my brother and his very large, extended family of "in laws". Besides the fact that they are all wonderful, Did I mention that they are all Italian which means, its a really good meal. So this year, I am not sure.

 

[bigbabyblues]

My family (parents, brothers if they choose to, and grandpa) come down to our house for dinner and gifts. They're usually gone in time for us to go to church.

 

[malibuconlee]

Bake and decorate a birthday cake for the baby Jesus!! I see your daughter is 6 she would probably get a kick out of being able to dump as many sprinkles on a cake as possible. Let her go all out.

We're going to start that this year. Not sure when I'm going to bake it and which family gathering we'll eat it at, but I think the niece and nephews will get a kick out of it.

 

[pfishgirl]

We do the whole, Open 1 gift thing, ALWAYS new Christmas Jammies with Hot Cocoa and a Christmas Movie as well

We use to go to DH's Grandparent's house and exchange gifts with 2 cousins, and their children.. Then mass at 11pm or midnight.. but, the kids are older and we don't do anything with them anymore..

 

[SplshMtn99]

A few years ago, we went to a Chinese food buffet with my parents when they arrived at our house for the holidays. Its now become somewhat of a tradition so I don't have to cook on Christmas Eve since I do all the hosting for both sides on Christmas Day.

Never realized how many people go out for Chinese on Christmas Eve. Everyone else must have the same idea.

 

[Nickimouse]

This will be our 3rd Christmas away from family and I decided we were going to do something special this year.
DH, myself and 2 boys are going to downtown Houston to see "A Christmas Carol" and have dinner afterward.

Are there any light displays in your area? You could even pack some hot chocolate and goodies and drive through town looking at all of the houses lit up.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Doesney]

We go to a 4pm Childrens Mass then out to an early dinner. Usually at the local Hibichi place. Then home to leave the "stuff" for santa and the reindeer. Put on new jammies and off to bed.

 

[C.Ann]

We'll have DD's IL's here.. It will just be the 6 of us..

Back when I still owned my own home - and before my late DH's health really started to fail - we always had a HUGE party every Christmas Eve.. It was fun, but I really don't miss all that work.. LOL