What do you do on Christmas Eve / Day? (A restful Christmas)

[Tweacle]

We have a houseful this year. 15 in total, all lovely and helpful too. I’m prepping the house for them this week they’re all arriving Thursday / Friday.
Xmas eve. Walk on beach back home to bacon sarnies, prep veg etc for Xmas day. Lasagne or curry for dinner with lots of cocktails and cheesy Xmas music. Got 2 small children this year, they will be away to bed around 10. Help the parents prep gifts for them in morning.
Xmas day. Tea / coffee / juice. Gifts. Breakfast of whatever a couple of visitors are doing. Nice walk on beach for those that want too. Snacks out for afternoon. Dinner around 5. Clean up and more cocktails.
Boxing Day. Lazy day. Buffet breakfast then do whatever they like until the evening it’s a cold buffet and we have a birthday to celebrate too.

 

[Ekathrina]

This year I’m cooking a roast dinner on Christmas Eve and then we follow the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (Yule Book Flood) where everyone gets a book gift and we spend the evening sitting around reading and drinking cocoa. On Christmas Day itself we will be having a ginger beer ham that I’ve cooked overnight in the slow cooker for brunch with toast, eggs, maybe some leftover pig in blankets. Later on it’ll just be snack food, sausage rolls, a cheeseboard etc, I got sick of slaving in the kitchen on Christmas Day so I’ve given up doing it now.

 

[Sue Tuke manager]

I'm so jealous of all your chilled and relaxed Christmas. I'll be working my usual 12 hour shift on Christmas Eve, coming home to a takeaway and a film with Mr Tuke.
Christmas Day I'll be working again but only in the morning. I'll go to my sisters for dinner with my mum, sisters and their partners and my nieces and nephews. Mr Tuke will be out for dinner with his family so we will get home late evening and open our presents together and have a lazy night with a cheeseboard and snacks.
Boxing Day is our day where we have a lazy morning eating our treats we got, have our own Christmas dinner and maybe back round to my sisters for some sort of buffet in the evening. This will be the first year we won't be having dinner with both of our parents as they are currently in the process of divorcing.

 

[JSquared]

This year I’m cooking a roast dinner on Christmas Eve and then we follow the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (Yule Book Flood) where everyone gets a book gift and we spend the evening sitting around reading and drinking cocoa. On Christmas Day itself we will be having a ginger beer ham that I’ve cooked overnight in the slow cooker for brunch with toast, eggs, maybe some leftover pig in blankets. Later on it’ll just be snack food, sausage rolls, a cheeseboard etc, I got sick of slaving in the kitchen on Christmas Day so I’ve given up doing it now.

your Christmas Eve sounds perfect!

 

[Saddlesoap]

This year I’m cooking a roast dinner on Christmas Eve and then we follow the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (Yule Book Flood) where everyone gets a book gift and we spend the evening sitting around reading and drinking cocoa. On Christmas Day itself we will be having a ginger beer ham that I’ve cooked overnight in the slow cooker for brunch with toast, eggs, maybe some leftover pig in blankets. Later on it’ll just be snack food, sausage rolls, a cheeseboard etc, I got sick of slaving in the kitchen on Christmas Day so I’ve given up doing it now.

Love the sound of this!

Don't have any particular routine, depends on whose seeing who family wise.

 

[Meg78]

My family is currently going through a strange and tough time and it’s all a bit strained, so these are my traditions from happier times:

Christmas Eve: daytime was working/last minute prep for adults, Muppets Christmas Carol for kids, in the evening my family has always gone for a meal at the local pub, mainly as it had a ball pit and would tire us kids out and there was no washing up!

Christmas Day: open stockings upstairs, wait for dad to go down and confirm that Santa had in fact been to visit, race down and open pressies, we played whilst mum had a bath and dad would make bacon baguettes and Buck’s Fizz for adults/teens, smaller kids usually demolished a terrys chocolate orange and bounced off the walls we’d head over to my nans for Christmas dinner and unwrap extended family gifts, she’d usually slip us all a sherry glass of homemade wine when parents weren’t looking, lethal stuff! We were never allowed to take our new toys out of the house to play with and I always found myself wishing the day away so I could get back to them, now I’d give anything to have those moments back, hindsight eh?

Boxing Day: morning was usually spent at the sales competing for cut price kids clothes, then the afternoon was always mums legendary buffet, followed by charades/trivial pursuit, and then living off of party food for the next few days whilst battling the sudden cravings for freshness and salad!

I now have a small human who is starting to notice the world around them, but I’m struggling to figure out our own rhythm. My ideal would be to have everyone come to us and we host but my current house is too tiny, neither set of grandparents wants to host the other but we can’t alternate as they both have no one else and would be alone, and I don’t want to spend the day travelling around to different houses and overwhelming my child who just wants to play with the toys back at home. We tried for a few years to all meet up for a Christmas lunch at a pub but it never went well and this year with all that’s going on no one wanted to do it anymore. It’s been lovely hearing everyone’s traditions but it’s also made me very melancholy for what I used to have, hopefully we’ll find a solution that works for us as a family

 

[Heyguysswipeup]

I live in NZ so it’s heading into Summer now so it usually looks like this:

Christmas Eve - it’s been my families tradition for 30+ years to have pizza on Christmas Eve so my husband and I have carried it on. We also go to the cinema on Christmas Eve, this year we are watching The Menu.

Christmas Day: open presents with husband have pancakes for breakfast. FaceTime our family and best friends in the U.K. walk the dog and head to my parents for about 12ish to open some more presents and get dinner prepared. No starters as we have a charcuterie board in the evening. Hopefully it will be nice weather, last year was too windy to sit outside!

I’m pregnant with my first child this year so will be an alcohol and cheese free Christmas but I can’t wait for next Xmas and the traditions we will have with our baby

 

[MakeDamnSure]

Christmas is always mad in my house as it is also my sons birthday on Christmas Day

So, Christmas Eve, we open all the Christmas chocolate and nibbles, watch Christmas films etc. we usually alternate which grandparents we see on Christmas Day so we will usually see the other set on Christmas Eve. Usually have a fairly simple dinner and then leave all the bits out for Father Christmas and then try and get the kids to sleep!
Once they are finally asleep it’s birthday prep for my oldest!

Christmas Day! The kids will come and get us at a hopefully reasonable hour and we all go downstairs together to see if Father Christmas has been! Children get a stocking and one main present from Father Christmas which they open first thing. Then we have breakfast (bacon sandwich) and after that open the rest of the presents including my sons birthday presents.
Usually get ready to go to grandparents around 12ish. Have Christmas dinner there about 1-2 and then go for presents round 2 after dinner. Around 5ish we will do birthday cake and then come home again around 6-7ish. Get the kids to bed and collapse in a heap and think ‘well that’s that done for another year!’

Boxing Day is more chilled and the children actually get a chance to play with their new toys!

It’s always a bit mad and my sons birthday puts extra pressure on the day as everyone wants to see him on his birthday. At the moment he loves having his birthday on Christmas Day, not sure how much longer he will love it for so at the moment we embrace the chaos!

 

[chapterthree]

This year I’m cooking a roast dinner on Christmas Eve and then we follow the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (Yule Book Flood) where everyone gets a book gift and we spend the evening sitting around reading and drinking cocoa. On Christmas Day itself we will be having a ginger beer ham that I’ve cooked overnight in the slow cooker for brunch with toast, eggs, maybe some leftover pig in blankets. Later on it’ll just be snack food, sausage rolls, a cheeseboard etc, I got sick of slaving in the kitchen on Christmas Day so I’ve given up doing it now.

That sounds wonderful

 

[Loveit17]

This year I’m cooking a roast dinner on Christmas Eve and then we follow the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (Yule Book Flood) where everyone gets a book gift and we spend the evening sitting around reading and drinking cocoa. On Christmas Day itself we will be having a ginger beer ham that I’ve cooked overnight in the slow cooker for brunch with toast, eggs, maybe some leftover pig in blankets. Later on it’ll just be snack food, sausage rolls, a cheeseboard etc, I got sick of slaving in the kitchen on Christmas Day so I’ve given up doing it now.

The book gift tradition sounds lovely and chilled! I’ve heard of it before and love the idea of it

 

[Pontyslapper]

All to cock this year as schools finish on the Friday. We've all been struck with this manky lurg doing the rounds so again normal planning is all to cock.

I think the olds are going round my brothers for the duration - big house etc etc. So we kinda get our own chilled quiet one. Kids have sworn off turkey (heathens) so a duck off huge half a cow sized joint been sat in little freezer since it was a steal from my tame local butcher.

All veg is frozen - no bugger cares and its just easier to lump it in the pans, boil it up and spoon out a ladle full each. Not even precious when it comes to roasties anymore.

Big holiday next year so most pressies are aimed towards that. Kids have been involved more so as we've had to guage sizes etc so not sure if the youngest still believes - in comp now so doubtful but hasnt come right out and said owt.

I think it'll be the usual drop round on people over the day/boxing day for present chuck, social and run. Then its 2 weeks of lazy days until back to work mid Jan.

 

[Peachy_R]

We have a houseful this year. 15 in total, all lovely and helpful too. I’m prepping the house for them this week they’re all arriving Thursday / Friday.
Xmas eve. Walk on beach back home to bacon sarnies, prep veg etc for Xmas day. Lasagne or curry for dinner with lots of cocktails and cheesy Xmas music. Got 2 small children this year, they will be away to bed around 10. Help the parents prep gifts for them in morning.
Xmas day. Tea / coffee / juice. Gifts. Breakfast of whatever a couple of visitors are doing. Nice walk on beach for those that want too. Snacks out for afternoon. Dinner around 5. Clean up and more cocktails.
Boxing Day. Lazy day. Buffet breakfast then do whatever they like until the evening it’s a cold buffet and we have a birthday to celebrate too.

Please can I come this sounds so so lovely!!

 

[lilyannrose]

It used to be everyone at my gran's house but she died last November. Now it's just me and my mum, so very quiet and strange but we're hoping if the UK ever gets back to some sort of normal we want to start going away for a few days over the Christmas break and have someone else cook for us. I've spent every single Christmas in the same house since I was born and I'm nearly 40 so as much as I loved my gran's traditions, a change of scenery will be nice one day!

As for this year, we're just going to have a nice homecooked roast and watch favourites on TV. No pressure for once.

 

[Tweacle]

Please can I come this sounds so so lovely!!

As long as you bring wine, you’re more than welcome.

 

[Happy Lady]

Oooh reading this thread has made me feel warm and cosy.

Xmas Eve - set dinner table, include crackers, candle, etc. Ice cake and leave in dining room. Meet up with Mr HL family at a great local pub/restaurant for a meal and prezzie exchange.

Xmas Day - up early to prep dinner for my family coming round. I always enjoy it. When daughter and her BF arrive open a few prezzies. Then, a couple of hours later, when son, his GF and my beautiful grandson arrive open the rest of prezzies. Go for a drink in pub, return home and turn on dinner which we usually start eating about 2pm/ish. Basically, we continue to drink for the rest of the day, and slop about.

One year we were having so much fun having Xmas dinner that it took us over two hours to finish.

Have a wonderful Xmas Tattlers, however you spend it.

 

[pinkmug]

This year I’m cooking a roast dinner on Christmas Eve and then we follow the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (Yule Book Flood) where everyone gets a book gift and we spend the evening sitting around reading and drinking cocoa. On Christmas Day itself we will be having a ginger beer ham that I’ve cooked overnight in the slow cooker for brunch with toast, eggs, maybe some leftover pig in blankets. Later on it’ll just be snack food, sausage rolls, a cheeseboard etc, I got sick of slaving in the kitchen on Christmas Day so I’ve given up doing it now.

This is the best Christmas plan I've ever seen, I hope you have a lovely time

 

[watermelon sugar]

We don’t really have a set plan as we alternate between families every year

this year Christmas Eve: doing the big house tidy, relax and watch Christmas films just me, my bf & our toddler. Make sure everything is sorted

Christmas: will exchange presents with my bf & toddler when we wake up. we’re seeing my family this year and my Mum & sister are coming for dinner, my mum & bf are cooking, i’m doing the gammon, they’ll be here all afternoon, we’ll exchange presents with them, then we’re going to my brothers where he is with his partner, kids, my other sister and her partner and kids and we’ll spend the evening altogether. we do a secret santa with the adults so we’ll exchange that, and we’re doing a Christmas quiz this year and we are split into teams and have had to do a round each so will do that, then just drink and play party games all night.

boxing day: going to my bf’s family for pizza and more alcohol

 

[Allthatglitters666]

These all sound so lovely

 

[Dot_Cotton]

Christmas Eve - my main focus is keeping the house tiday because in the morning it will be trashed. We will take the dogs for a long walk and hopefully tire the kids a bit. Then going to my mums for tea, we used to go for an Indian but stopped that a couple of years ago. Then go home, play a board game, baths and try and get the kids to bed. Have to sit up til all hours making sure they’re asleep then get the presents down, sort all that out and go bed.

Christmas day - up at the crack of dawn. Downstairs, rip open all of the presents and make a huge mess. Partner makes breakfast, usually sausage and egg on toast. Then go to my dads about 10am and have a bucks fizz. Nip for one or two in the pub while the dinner cooks. Have dinner, play games and a few drinks then come home to bed

 

[strawb]

i love this thread and reading all the traditions!

christmas eve

• morning: the most important part we get up early, get all glammed up, best dress, heels, coat, etc. and head into the old town for drinking. it's a huge tradition in the city i live in and the whole city does the same thing. it's lovely because you see all the people you haven't seen in a long time. we'll try to go earlier than usual this year to get a spot in a good pub! oh and before that a quick but filling breakfast
• lunch: at my parents' place, a lovely lunch with a roast but usually just trying to survive it because you're drunk from the morning
• afternoon: watching movies, this year at our place with my sister and her bf, starting our harry potter marathon
• evening: exchanging presents with my bf as it's traditional in his family to do so on christmas eve. and probably a board game!

christmas day

• morning: sleeping in a bit longer, probably sobering up a bit, getting ready
• lunch: a big lunch with the whole family. cold starters first then soup then roast then various desserts. i'm bringing lots of cookies this year
• afternoon: opening all the family presents, hanging out, talking over coffee, drinks and food
• evening: drinking more baileys, eating more chocolate, board games. sometimes we go out but not this year

boxing day

• morning: huge breakfast with allll the leftovers and lots of cheese tv, christmas movies, board games, reading, whatever we feel like
• lunch: my bf makes a roast for us and this year it's duck. i make the potatoes and sides
• afternoon: my sister and her bf will join us to continue our harry potter marathon
• evening: bf and i settle down alone for a bit after all the socializing and usually talk about the year and look through all the presents