tokanm Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 What Christmas Eve traditions do you have or hope to start? Do you hang up stockings? Set out cookies and eggnog for Santa and a carrot/apple for the reindeer? Go to church, watch a special movie...inquiring minds want to know:p Here we must read 'Twas the night before Christmas...I have done it since my 19DS was 10 months old...he rolls his eyes now but I still think he enjoys it deep down:p My friend always has "reindeer poop" out in her driveway on Christmas morning to show that Santa was there. Santa also generally either leaves footprints in the snow or tears a little piece of his red furry jacket leaving the front door (no fireplace at their house). Do you do anything like this to show that Santa was there? PS "reindeer poop" is slightly dampened dog chow
kmbrly Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 For the past 2 years we've gone to a friend's house on Christmas Eve for appitizers and presents. then go back Christmas afternoon for dinner. This year will be different, because I will have more family here. My nephew and his wife are moving here Thanksgiving weekend, and his mom and dad (my sister and BIL) and his brother (my other nephew) will all be here for Christmas. So not sure what we'll be doing this year. I'm anxious to see everyone's traditions.
ms_mckenna Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 The kids are allowed to pick and open one present. Then we go to my brother in laws house where we play games and eat Christmas eve dinner with the family. It is usually pretty late when we get home so the kids put out the cookies, coke (Santa does not like milk ha ha), and a note. Santa of course always eats a few cookies and drinks about 1/2 the coke. We do a note from Santa as well. My kids are past the age of leaving hints of Santa being there but when they were younger we did. Prints in the snow when it did snow (not very often). Sleigh bells ringing outside have woke my kids up more than once when they were little . When DD got to the point where she almost did not believe anymore my brother in law got on the roof and we waited till we thought she was almost but not quiet asleep and he made noise on the roof and chimed the bells. She was so excited she ran to wake up her little brother ... it was very cute.
Edgemonster Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We've always gone to early church service (about 4 pm). After church we drive around for a while to see lights. Then we go home and everybody gets to open 1 present each, we would get the cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer ready and write him a note. then we would watch A Christmas Story and then when I couldn't keep my eyes open, go to bed....well, after the kids went to bed then we had one last job to do then got to go to bed...and we're usually more excited than children so we can't sleep well so we get up and watch more of A Christmas Story.
starshine Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We have a big family party on my Dad's side and then by the time we get home it's time for bed. We usually leave out cookies not sure about this year. Santa has kind of been put on the way side. To bad I will miss the guy he was an easy way to get my son to pick up his clothes!
Illinoismom Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 we have Christmas eve at my house after i come back from 4.00 pm Christmas eve mass we have Christmas at my house on Christmas Eve with my husbands side of the family and my next door neighbor. We have the an tradinal Italian no meat meal, seafood only, we do the cookies and eggnog carrot for Santa and reindeer, we do not have a fireplace so we leave a magic on the front door so he can open it. We open the gifts of the people who are here that night, everyhing else gets open the next morning. My kids can open their stockings then they have to wait for the rest of us to get up, Funny thing we had to wake them up Christmas morning as they wouldn't budge out of bed, We have done this every year since my oldest has been 8 and we moved away from my family and she is now 19 Oh we also make Cinnamion Cresonts on Christmas morning
redjacket97 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 Christmas Eve varies on the location. If we are at home, I help Mom put the finishing touches on Christmas Dinner. Mom, Dad, brother and I hang out and relax, and talk about past Christmases. If we are visiting family, we head over to Grandma's and we celebrate with aunts, uncles and cousins (and Grandma, of course). We pray for our relatives that we lost over the years. Chrismas Eve is usually laid back. There's usually nothing planned. It's just a chance to rest after shopping for gifts, cooking, etc. I will unwind by watching the "A Christmas Story" marathon on TBS.
mom395222 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We got to my DH's side of the family for a big get together, dinner, gift exchange, and kids opening gifts...then we are off to my side of the family for even more fun! It's a crazy day and we don't get home til about midnight, but I enjoy it and so do the kids! And by the time we get home they are pooped!!
momof5plus1hubby Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We bake cookies. Go out and drive around the town to look at all the lights. Then they get in their jammies Put brownies and choc milk out (because Santa gets sick of cookies and milk:tongue1: ) Put out carrots and reindeer food on the lawn for the reindeers. Then we go to sleep with all the christmas lights on..well the kiddos go to sleep LOL.
sns128 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We do Christmas with my sister in law Christmas Eve, when we get home it's bedtime. The kids normally get to open one present before bed. I pick the present and it's always new ornament (I buy them a new one every year that represents something they really liked that year such as my son got spiderman last year). They hang it on the tree and then head off to bed. Christmas morning we have to wait for my mom to come over before gifts are opened, after that we watch the Disney parade on tv.
misshayley Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 On Christmas Eve we have Christmas with DH's family, then we come home and go to bed and then go celebrate with my family. (I don't know what we'll do when we have kids. This works well now, but we'll have to see how it works then.)
Gator Pam Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 The tree is decorated the week before Chr-stmas, but we do not turn on the lights until Chr-stmas Eve. We also drive around and look at the neighborhood holiday decorations after Chr-stmas Eve dinner. I'm not Italian, heck, I'm not even Chr-stian, but I so want to start the tradition of doing La Vigilia - Feast of Seven Fishes here as well on Chr-stmas Eve.
BEE4 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 Day before Christmas Eve my mom, I and my sister are prepering food dishes. We have 12 non meat dishes on our table on Christmas Eve. Before we eat we pray, breake the holly wafle and eat, then we are opening presents. Afterwards we go to a midnight Mass.
bayhaysay Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 On Christmas Eve we always have dinner at noon with my stepdad's family then in the evening we have dinner with my FIL's family. Then, we come home and the kids get to open one present. It's always new pj's and they know that but they still love it.
Cecilliadb Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 Traditions my Mom did when I was a kid and I am gonna be doing with our kids.... Watch Miracle on 34th St We are Cajun so we read the Cajun Night Before Christmas, Story of Jesus' birth and the story of Old Saint Nick. We get to open one gift before bed. Leave thank you notes for Santa along with munchies and carrots for the reindeer. I saw this little skelleton Christmas key at Hallmark I want to get as a stocking stuffer for my son. It says your supposed to leave it hung on your front door if you don't have a chimmney or want to give Santa a break from coming down it, lol. I thought it was cute so that will be a new tradition we start.
mrn8 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 My family doesn't really have any traditions for Christmas Eve. My wife's family always gets together and makes homemade pizza for dinner, so we head to her moms and do that. We usually watch a movie after dinner.
copados1993 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We open up a Hickory Farms sausage and cut up cheese and watch Christmas Vacation. After that, we get cookies and milk ready for Santa and then send the kids to bed. Once we know they are asleep, then we start to get things ready.
berry1014 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We used to go to my MIL's for Christmas eve and wouldn't get home until after 9:00. It took forever for our DD to wind down and get her ready for bed. Last year we tried something new. We got together at my MIL for brunch. My mom, my dad and his wife joined us as well as many of DH's family. We left mid afternoon and stopped at the store on the way home to pick up fresh seafood for dinner. After we got home, we let our DD open a present from us. We all got changed into our PJ's watched Christmas movies and ate seafood. Before our DD's bed time, she put out milk and cookies for Santa. Our DD went to bed very easily that night. It was a nice relaxing and enjoyable day that we are going to do the same thing again this year. The only thing different is that now we have an infant son to enjoy the holidays with too.
glitterstarr Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 Well now we don't do much of anything on Christmas Eve but we use to go to my parents but they are now both deceased. So for the past few years my husband always takes me out for lunch on Christmas Eve so that is becoming our new tradition for me and him to just have quality time spent together. I learned a hard lesson when my mom passed away 2 weeks before Christmas in 2001 that gifts and all the stress of Christmas and finding the right presents doesn't mean squat. It's the time spent with those you love that you will cherish and remember in the years to come. When my both my children were young they use to leave out a bowl of water for Rudolph and my husband and I would sprinkle in red koolaide later that night. My children loved to see the red water the next morning because they always thought Rudolph's nose made the water red. LOL On Christmas morning the inlaws always come over (they live right next door to us) and open gifts then we all go to their house to open gifts and we eat lunch with them. Then my husband and I always come home take a nap and then get up and take down all the decorations and put them up for next year.
Kay1996 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We usuallygo to my DH grandparents and then about nine we head to pick our two oldest kids up from there dads and head to church when we get home the kids get to open one present that I get to pick out and it is always new PJ's they get them on and head to bed, of course we have to put out milk and cookies and a carrot for the reindeer and a note saying thanks the kids drift off to sleep and we are up for another hour getting things ready.
dfhoover Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We make gingerbread houses, the kind you can buy at micheals and go to church. Santa's elves bring one toy and new pajamas for Chirstmas eve so we have nice pj's for Chirstmas pictures.
sapphire Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 we get to each open 1 gift...but we usually let the kids open 1 for each and 1 combo gift... mum has dinner at her house so they get 1 gift each there as well... we leave cookies and milk and carrotsout then after they are asleep...dad gets to open up all the toys we want to set up and ever lil twisty tie and barbie hair thats taped down and little people's that are individually tied down like mid-century torture chambers...i swear they are punishing the parents for some odd reason, like a million little people all over the house isn't punishment enough, esp when you step on 4 at a time... sorry i was ranting out loud
Tracy72 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 my family comes here at 12pm and we do our Christmas....and then the girls get to open their stockings and I have started reading TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS to them and they love it.
Firemansgal311 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 Our kids get to open one present from us which is always a new pair of jammies (so they look cute in thier pics Christmas morning) also we let them open anything from out of town relatives. As far as leaving goodies for Santa it has been a variety from cookies & milk, to choc milk & little debbies to coke & a cheese sandwich lol Also the kids will run out and make a trail of reindeer food leading to the house. Mix 1c. oatmeal, 1/4c.sugar, 1/4c. red & green sugar crystals and a little bit of glitter (3 or 4 tbsp) Sprinkle on the lawn at night The moon will make it sparkle bright As Santa's reindeer fly and roam This will guide them to your home.
Firemansgal311 Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 We also make joke bags for the neighbor kids. One says: You've been naughty that's the scoop all you get is snowman poop. (tied to a baggie containing mimi marshmallows) Other: You've been naughty that's the scoop all you get is reindeer poop. (tied to a baggie containing raisins) Here's one for your kids: Use milk duds or malted milk balls. Christmas is coming along with santa and his deer Listen closely on Christmas eve and maybe you will hear While Santa leaves his gifts tied with ribbons and bows The reindeer leave these droppings in neat little rows.
dubbabubba Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 The only tradititon our family has is, we let the kids pick out their own ornaments after Thanksgiving (while the pickins are good).(These ornaments are stored in a special box to keep in good condition) On the bottom of the ornaments I mark the year. My plan is to give them their ornaments when they get married. We've been doing this for 12 years and I have watched them grow from winnie the pooh to LeBron James(NBA). It's really neat to watch your kids grow up and change like this.
able Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 i would (but cant this year) vol. and be in a christmas production that a local station puts on for the poor kids and kids in foster care. it is a wonderful thing to be a part of. the worst downfall of it is the back stage time often can get in the way of christmas festivities on christmas day(the main person in charge is jewish so it has no effect on him...but it is wonderful to see the kids who are there (many very down on their luck ,or disabled)with the HUGE smiles on their faces. they get a show they just adore,and they get bags f presents from santa and a nice dinner.
Guest bluesrule9 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 Christmas eve starts the mad rush of 5 stops in 24 hrs. First, we head over to the MILs side of the family. This is typically folks we only see this time of year. This side of the family is a little more formal so it gives us a different take. Still a lot of fun, but in a different way.... Next, we open presents bright and early at home on Christmas morn. Usually a 6 am affair. Then rush rush over to my parents and family, followed by the wife's parents and lastly the FIL side of the family. Then we barely get to rest before the day-after-Christmas blowout sales.... Whew, I'm tired already...
Marcster Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 We drive up to my wife's parents place. http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/Marcster2005/Smileypad/Holidays/choir.gif They have a Cantata at the church my wife grew up in, my in-laws are in the choir (my wife used to be till she married me and moved an hour away). After the Canata, we go back to my in-laws for a buffet dinner with a large portion of my wife's relatives. Then we drive home, sleep, and turn around and drive back up there for Christmas morning... http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/Marcster2005/Smileypad/Holidays/opening.gif
kdaven Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 My kids open their "daddy gift" on Christmas eve. Its the only gift I require my husband to purchase on his own without any help from me. My dad use to do that for me when I was little and I remember almost every gift he gave because my dad didn't buy presents/cards/make phone calls. We leave out cookies and milk and read the "Night Before Christmas" I love "The Santa Clause" with Tim Allen and so we've watched that every Christmas since it came out. We are a miltary family (as was my childhood) so we've never had family around to travel to, I'd love to do that.
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