What is your family tradition for Christmas Eve

**homesteadmamma** · 12-01-2003, 02:26 PM

Every since we've been married, we have celebrated Christmas Eve by having tons of snacks around and games. We have always opened our smallest gift that night. If there are church services at our church, we attend, then come home and eat the night away.

What is your tradition for Christmas Eve?

**guest2** · 12-01-2003, 02:34 PM

We have a snack night too!!!!

If we are going to MIL's for Christmas, we also open our gifts here to each other and let the kids have time to enjoy them instead of trying to cram it all in early in the morning before we head out to MIL's. We try to attend a Christmas Eve program or play if at all possible.

**lucy979** · 12-01-2003, 02:35 PM

When we are home we open our gifts with my family. Now we wait until Christmas morning since it is just us four.

**Heather** · 12-01-2003, 02:37 PM

We usually attend the local church service and like you come home and snack away. I have Christmas music playing in the background. We sometimes invite a neighbour in.

Since I am much better with my wrapping I no longer have to wrap like a mad woman Christmas Eve.

I like it to be a peacful evening and the kids to bed reasonably early.

**AmyMCGS** · 12-01-2003, 04:51 PM

We always go to my parents' house for Christmas Eve dinner-- my mom goes all out with her good china and makes a huge feast.

We used to go to church with them, too, before dinner, but that go to be too hectic with our work schedules... leaving work early to get there was hard! (and don't even ask about the one year when we were late

) Plus, at their church if you're not there an hour and a half early for carols, you're not getting a seat! So now, after we leave my parents' house, we go to midnight mass at my church. This is extra special to me as DH isn't Catholic but he will go to midnight mass each Christmas with me without complaint.

**slowtypinwoman** · 12-01-2003, 04:58 PM

We open 1 gift of our choice and then turn off all the lights in the room and watch the twinkle of the tree in the dark.

**Guest1** · 12-01-2003, 05:07 PM

We all have a snack supper, watch "The Muppet's Christmas Carol", read the last installment of our Advent book, then head out to Midnight Mass - it'll be even more special this year because Belle is in the Children's Choir and will be singing at the Mass this year!! Then we get home & everyone falls into bed & sleeps peacefully & soundly until - oh - about 5:00AM when the mad herd mob rushes to the living room to find their Jesus gifts & tear into their stockings - this kills lots of valueable time while I stagger into the kitchen to get coffee! (OH NO

I GAVE UP COFFEE - NOW WHAT?!?!)

**PrairieRose** · 12-01-2003, 06:00 PM

We used to always do our "Christmas" on Christmas Eve. but dh's family always did theirs on Christmas morning. So now we either do our's on Christmas Eve (just our family) or we do the whole family thing and our Christmas on Christmas morning.....it just depends.

**gkp1031** · 12-01-2003, 08:55 PM

We usually go to Mike's moms house on Christmas Eve and spend the evening with his brother, SIL and nieces. We usually have a bunch of snack foods, nothing fancy.

On Christmas, we spend the day with my parents, sister, BIL and niece with a fancy dinner.

**Mom23boys** · 12-01-2003, 09:01 PM

We do ours on Christmas Eve and then "Santa" comes and leaves presents that they open in the morning with their stocking stuffers.

**seadream** · 12-01-2003, 11:30 PM

We have a family get together with my 3 sisters, their families and my Mom. We have it at a different house every year and everyone brings some kind of food.

**Darlene** · 12-02-2003, 07:53 AM

We have fondue in the livingroom. The musics playing, fire is burning, tree's twinkling and were all talking.

The kids then get to open one present~always PJ's.

**simplemom** · 12-02-2003, 11:29 AM

We usually spend a quiet evening, listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies or shows. I make a buffet with all special foods to eat. The boys love it! Some years we invite a lonely friend or family. This year, my friend, who's dh died might be coming...

On Christmas morning, the boys unwrap the gifts from Santa.

We make waffles for breakfast, then we prepare to leave to go to my parents up north, where we will be having dinner with my sister and her family too.

That's what we do.

**DawnM** · 12-02-2003, 09:12 PM

When we lived in Canada, close to family, it was always church, open house at my Aunt's, a drive around the neighborhood to see the lights, and watching "A Christmas Carol" on tv.

Since we moved to NJ 8 years ago, our tradition is still a drive around the neighborhood to see the lights, and "A Christmas Carol" if the timing is right, an appetizer evening with the fire going and the tree lights on. Very low-key and relaxing.