Christmas Eve & Day Schedules

[LeeAndra]

'Cause I'm OCD like that...

We have a pretty set routine (see above!) for Christmas Eve & Day with foods we eat, things we do, etc. but I'm always interested in hearing other people's traditions (and potentially incorporating them into ours).

Actually, this year will be a little different than what we've done since Ellie was born since we're now up here & around all my family. This will be the first time that my entire family is together on Christmas Day since maybe I was in college!

Anyways, fill me in! What do you do? Where do you go? What do you eat? What do you wear? I want to know ALL THE THINGS!!!

[Valgal]

We are sooooo laid back because we don't have close family here. Always stings me a little, but dh is very anti-social so it suits him fine.

Christmas Eve we literally do nothing, except that dh has to have sausage, cheese and crackers. (laaaame) And of course watch at least one round of Christmas Story. We have Christmas Eve service at church and then Eden and I drive around at look at Cmas Lights while dh and the boys go home because (as mentioned) they are lame and don't like to do anything fun.

Christmas day we have my in-laws over for prime rib and later in the evening my SIL, BIL and nieces and nephews over for snacks and stuff.

[Keely~B]

It really depends. We don't have any strict guidelines because DH often has to work holidays so we have to be flexible. This year he's off Christmas Eve but works Christmas Day so we'll have a nice dinner and open presents early. I don't like to actually do anything on Christmas Day, its' a family chill day for us, we do puzzles, play games, watch movies etc.

[LeeAndra]

We go to the early (late afternoon/early evening) service at church on Christmas Eve (but have a big snack beforehand). Afterwards, we make homemade pizza, bake Jesus' birthday cake, change into new Christmas jammies, and watch a Christmas movie before bed. I might let the kids exchange their presents to one another before bed.

This year, we'll be going to my mom's church for Christmas Eve service. Since it's right at 5 pm, I'm not sure what we'll do abt dinner --- eat ahead of time or eat with my family afterwards. Some time that day we will have our pizza! Usually, my mom has everyone over to the house post-service for snacks before going home. Since I'm the only one with kids that still believe in Santa, we'll probably not stay all that long before going home.

I stay up after the kids are in bed to wrap presents and listen to music and put them under the tree. It's usually one of my favorite nights of the whole year, and I usually become super sentimental and mushy and emotional reflecting back on the year behind us. The church I go to now has an 11 pm service so I might sneak over and attend that depending on how far along I am in present wrapping!

Ellie wakes up around 7 or 7:30 no matter what day it is, even Christmas Day, so we usually open gifts then. I get up earlier than that to make breakfast casserole and frost Jesus' birthday cake. She gets to do her stocking while DH rolls out of bed, gets coffee on, and attempts to be human. We eat after presents are opened. Santa brings one big unwrapped gift and fills the stockings, and the rest are from us.

In the past, we've had DH's parents over to watch the kids open presents but now they live a couple hours away. I'm not sure that my parents will come over since they're hosting dinner at noon and my sister & BIL & nephew are used to spending Christmas morning on their own. We'll see.

In any case, we'll be at my parents' at 10 am to open presents & have dinner. I've volunteered to make a trifle & squash casserole so I guess I'll have to do that either late Christmas Eve night or at the same time I'm making breakfast casserole in the morning! I've never lived close enough to bring a dish before so we'll see how good I am at time and kid management.

Everyone usually leaves my parents' house by 3 or 4 pm, after dessert, and goes home to crash from a long day! We have Christmas with my ILs the next day so I'll need to go home and pack us all up so we can leave bright & early the next morning.

[mariewilcox]

Laid back is the name of our routine. We open presents whenever Cheyanne gets up. I work for a while while she does nothing (a treat since she is usually doing basketball or school work). We do usually go to the movies that evening - will probably see Joy with Jennifer Lawrence this year.

We do Christmas with my family (parents, sisters/families, uncle, cousin) the Sunday before Christmas and we do Christmas with my son and his family the day after Christmas. I'm a planner but this is one holiday I don't like to plan to death

[micheley]

Christmas Eve:

*New Christmas pajamas
*Cocoa in front of the fireplace
*DH reads Twas the Night before Christmas & The Polar Express
*Hang Stockings
*Put out Cookies for Santa

Christmas Day:

*Kids wake up around 6:00am stockings first then presents, done by like 7:00.
*DH & I usually go back to bed, kids amuse themselves with new stuff.


Our oldest is a freshman in colllege, middle is in high school, youngest is 10. So enthusiasm is dwindling for most of our December activities. Older two have been good sports about some stuff but I really think this is the last year for a lot of our traditions. I would love to come up with some new traditions, but it's kind of hard to think of any. Most stuff is geared toward littler ones, we don't do church, and I sometimes think the 10 yo and I are the only people who care.

In a perfect world I'd consider going on vacation for the week between Christmas & New Year's. But dh can't take off at year end, and when I priced air fare I about had a heart attack!

[Valgal]

Originally Posted by micheley

Christmas Eve:



*Kids wake up around 6:00am stockings first then presents, done by like 7:00.
*DH & I usually go back to bed, kids amuse themselves with new stuff.


Our oldest is a freshman in colllege, middle is in high school, youngest is 10. So enthusiasm is dwindling for most of our December activities. Older two have been good sports about some stuff but I really think this is the last year for a lot of our traditions. I would love to come up with some new traditions, but it's kind of hard to think of any. Most stuff is geared toward littler ones, we don't do church, and I sometimes think the 10 yo and I are the only people who care.

On the morning routine, kinda the same here. I used to go back to sleep while dh had to wrangle toys out of their plastic packaging, but we don't buy toys anymore so he's usually off the hook, lol!

On the traditions... I SO sympathize with you! My boys are not interested in our little traditions anymore but this is the first year that I'm learning to be ok with it. I keep on with most traditions and just appreciate that at least they are still important to my 13 year old. She is the only one who decorates the tree with me! They do all expect pj's on Christmas Eve, so that's one thing. Also cinnamon rolls Cmas morning.

Good idea on coming up with new ones.

[nesser1981]

Christmas Eve
We have Christmas Dinner around 2:30 or so, just the hubby and kids.
This year we're going to try something different and do a candle light service at church.
Then we do open 1 gift, (what the kids get for each other) and Christmas PJ's.
Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. DH reads the Night Before Christmas, we set out Cookies, milk & carrots. And then bed for the kids.

DH & I watch Scoodged usually. Or some other Christmas movie.

Christmas Day
Presents & stockings around 7:30 am.
I make Gingerbread Waffles while DH takes gifts out of the packages & watches A Christmas Story (which I hate).
The kids go enjoy new gifts after we have breakfast, we watch Elf, Christmas Vacation.
Then we go to our Inlaws around 3 ish for a casual dinner and presents, in our Pj's, that was my rule when we movie here, I don't get dressed on Christmas. LOL!

[carrie1977]

We spend Christmas Eve with our best friends. We'll have dinner together and just hang out and have some wine. The kids will watch movies or play games. Just a casual evening together. We are doing a nacho bar this year for dinner.

Christmas Day is much more hectic. We have breakfast at my mom's house and she lives on the other side of town. I usually get up at 6ish and put some casseroles in the oven. The kids will wake up and open gifts. We head to my mom's at about 8:30am so we have to load the car with food and gifts. We have breakfast and a late lunch (turkey and the whole nine yards) at my mom's. After we leave, we'll take the kids thru Christmas Tree Lane to see the lights since we are on that side of town. Once we get home, we veg....for the rest of the weekend.

[~Cindy~]

If I cook then that is all I do and I try to get most of it done Christmas Eve. Otherwise we are lazy and we decided early on that while the kids were little that we'd spend Christmas at home spending time together. The reasoning behind that is what child wants to leave and not get to play with their toys? If we visit anyone we do it after Christmas.

[MamaBee]

Christmas Eve - during the day, I'm cooking for Christmas Day... around mid afternoon, we'll open our gifts... dinner with my parents, not sure what will happen with that this year as my folks are on very strict diets for health reasons. Then we go to church at the 7pm service... and afterwards, drive around looking at the lights.

Christmas Day - We get up usual time, I'll put the breakfast casserole in the oven and have cinnamon rolls. Kiddo gets his give from Santa (santa doesn't wrap presents here)... and we see what is in our stockings. Then around noon - hubby's family comes and I serve hot beef sandwiches, german potato salad, and calico beans... and a huge amount of snack foods. Mid day we will open gifts with that family.

[rdjrneace]

We do Christmas Eve with my mother and brothers (about 1 hour away). Normally just hubby and I go down since my kids have their own schedules with their kids.

Christmas Day, hubby and I open gifts to each other; and then we go to one of my hubby's sisters for Christmas with his side. Sometimes my kids come there but it depends on their in-law family times and everything.

This year we are having Christmas with my kids (2 kids, 2 in-laws and 9 grandkids) the day after Christmas at my son's house. My daughter works in a hospital so she has to work so we will be getting together after 4:00 when she comes home. Luckily my son & daughter only live 20 minutes (or less) from each other.

We will have a busy 3 days.

[wimpychompers]

We bake cookies with my parents and siblings (the ones who can come visit that year). We then go to my husband's yearly family Christmas Eve party where MIL has santa come visit the kids and they get to enjoy an early Christmas. New jammies when they get home (not tradition, just when we remember). lol. Cookies and milk for Santa.

The next morning, the kids wake us up at 6 (yikes, sometimes this is because Daddy is so excited he wakes them up!) We used to open our gifts and then head to my parents for breakfast but this year I want to be home in the morning. This year we will have breakfast at home and a more laid back morning. After lunchtime we will head to my parents for more presents and dinner.

[JenM]

My little guys birthday is Christmas Eve so we reserve Christmas Eve as his day. We don't do anything Christmas-y until mass that night. We have a big lunch to celebrate his birthday and normally do something fun like bowling or chuck e cheese!

Christmas day is normally pretty laid back at our house. We let the kids open up presents and then we'll make some breakfast, watch movies and play.

[jak]

Differs from year to year - some years we visit the in-laws in one part of the state, some years we visit my parents in a different part of the state (no body is close enough that we can see everyone each year), some years my parents come to visit us and some years, like this year, its just us at home. It kind of doesn't feel very Christmassy or special which makes me a bit sad. My brother who lives less than an hour away sort of ostracised himself from the rest of the family a few years ago (still don't really know why) which has ruined the whole family Christmas thing on my side. Hubby's side of the family will never come to the city.

So, it'll be a pretty quite one this year - on Christmas Eve I wrap the presents and fill the Santa stockings and stick them under the tree after the kids have gone to bed. Christmas morning I'll probably be up early and go for my morning walk like I do every morning. The kids will probably be up by the time I get back and once hubby is also up we'll open presents. Then everyone pretty much does very little for the rest of the day. I'll get lunch ready - just salads and a ham - minimal food preparation required. Then we eat leftovers for dinner.

[NeverendingJen]

Our traditions are flexible because sometimes work gets in the way, but here they are roughly

Christmas Eve- Take our traditional family picture in front of the tree, wander the neighborhood looking at lights, and then eat pizza at home while watching Christmas movies.

Christmas morning- eat a sinful breakfast, usually some kind of sweet dough based meal, lol, open presents, skype family, make our traditional taco dinner, and be lazy all day

[QuiltyMom]

We always put up the tree Thanksgiving weekend. When I was a kid we'd bake cookies all December long. We had a freezer full by the time Christmas rolled around. We would always make Swedish Potato Sausage (Potatis Korv), something we haven't made in a few years, although my kids loved it when we made it.

We would eat a Swedish Meal for Chrismtas Eve dinner of the sausage, brown beans, pickled herring, pickled cucumbers, boiled potatoes with white sauce, Limpa (rye bread), and dilled vegetables before attending church service. We'd comd home and open presents, then eat a desset buffet of all the cookies, puddings, breads and cakes that we had spent the month baking. I try hard to do the same now, but since we're usually in Vermont we'll just have a dinner of Swedish meatballs instead.

Christmas morning was for opening stocking presents, playing with presents, then preparing for the big meal of the day, which was usually a ham dinner. Yum!

Since I've been married and living away from my family, we've been going to Vermont for Christmas to spend it with the rest of DH's family. The rest of the family skis while I stay at the house and knit. Sadly, we don't get to church when were there, but we try to do as much of the same traditions that I had. DH's family really doesn't have any, so they've happily accepted most of mine. This year we're staying home since the Vermont house is being rented this season, so instead of skiing we'll all be working, which for me and the kids is being at the ice rink.

[kim21673]

Christmas Eve:
300 ish.....get together at hubby's sister's house.
8:00ish.....get home and put out cookies/milk, reindeer food, get in Christmas pjs and read Twas the Night Before Christmas

Christmas Day:
My parents and oldest DS come to our house and we hang out.

Sunday after Chrismas:
Get together with my mom's side of the family and my siblings

We are all pretty laid back. Nothing exciting!!!

[lovely1m]

I work, both days and have no family here. Christmas Eve, after I get off work, my little family and I will open presents and watch Christmas movies. Not sure what we are going to cook yet. Then before I go to work the next day, I will wake Nicholas up early so he can see his Santa presents. After I come home, we will back up and on the 26th, we will drive across the state to see my family for the weekend. It's simple, not traditional, but us.

[aussiegirl]

Christmas Eve, the girls open one gift, that is new pj's. Some years, we have opened gifts from my best friend than also. But not always.

Growing up, my mom didn't want photos of us in our pajamas, so our schedule was: wake up (no earlier than 7-8am), eat breakfast (we could open our stockings while we ate), get dressed and than when everyone was dressed we could start! My husband and I have kept this tradition too. Our girls have to have ate, and gotten dressed before we start gifts! It's probably the one day of the year my girls dress so fast! Than, the girls pass out the gifts to everyone. We don't tear in all at once, because I want pictures of everyone and to see what everyone gets/ their reactions. So, whoever has the most gifts (or if they have the same amount, it's usually the oldest or youngest) goes first. Everyone opens one gift on their turn. Sometimes, when they all are getting the same items- I'll have them all open that particular gift all at the same time, while sitting close to each other.

Our girls each buy one item for one of their sisters. We call it secret sisters. And we make sure these items are some of the first to be opened. They love to see what their sister got them, and what their sister thinks of the gift they got her!

Once all the gifts have been opened and put away...we get ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

While our traditions may not be the norm, they are what work the best for our family! As being the photographer and scrapper...I get the good photos I want!

[**Holly**]

Christmas Eve I have to work Job 1 till about 2pm... later that night we will go to a local place here called Organ Stop Pizza... lots of family and friends.

Christmas Day we wake up and DS open's his presents. We will usually gather at my sisters house for Christmas day activities. I will then go work Job 2 (serving) and come home and crash lol

[Sherri Tierney]

On Christmas Eve we usually have lasagna for dinner. We used to do our thing with extended family on that night but now we go to church service instead. After church we just hang out and watch movies. We are really VERY laid back. I have no problem with the Christmas Eve plans changing (other than church).

On Christmas Day we wear our pajamas all day. My husband is always the first one awake and we quickly find him bouncing on everyone's beds waking them up exclaiming that Santa has come. Yes, my husband... not one of the kids. LOL I usually go back to sleep after we open presents. As the kids have gotten older the whole present thing takes less and less time. When they were little it took ALL.DAY.LONG to open presents. They would unwrap one, open it, set it up, play with it, have a snack, get distracted by a pet or something and then move on to the next present. We used to, quite literally, spend 12 hours opening gifts because of how long it took in between each one. I loved spreading it all out though. - Stockings are always first and something they can dig into while I work on breakfast.