Christmas Eve Traditions :-)

Loughc · 08-11-2016 12:38am

SteJer wrote: »

It would be great to read everyone's Christmas traditions. What you do on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Maybe you have some childhood memories you want to share.

Hey SteJer. Luckily your wish has already been granted. We already have a Christmas Eve traditions thread which you are now in. Enjoy reading it from start to finish it's one of my favourite threads on boards and don't forget to add your own traditions.

ella23 · 10-11-2016 10:30am

I adore Christmas Eve. So normally I have a sleep in, I always take it off. Get up about 9:30, which really is a sleep in as i'm normally up at six.
Me and my sister in law since we were 20 years old have gone in to the city shopping to get the last few bits out of the way, we have a bite to eat and for the last couple of years her little daughter comes with us and she loves it.

I'm normally home in the afternoon. Might go down town for a stroll and do the last bit of food shopping for the things we have forgotten. I always stay at my parents Christmas Eve as do both my brothers. So when i get back home me and my dad start prepping the christmas dinner for the next day. He prepares the turkey and some of the veg. I prepare the ham, stuffing and Beef Wellington (Tradition in our house). This can go on sporadically until twelve at night so we potter about doing other things. Me and my brother make some variation of a cheesecake as well. In between this I call out to my best friend and her kids. Again this is a tradition in both my house and hers. It would be odd if i didn't call out. We exchange small gifts and have a chat. I stay there about 40 minutes only. And head back home.
At this point we are nearly done with the prep for the dinner, so i start cracking in to a glass of wine or beer, depending what we are in the form for. Me, my brothers (we are all in our late thirties and early forties, some single, some married)and my nephew (21) all sit down with a couple of drinks in the living room with the fire lighting playing ludo. Mam and Dad are in the sitting room watching midnight mass. Married brother heads home about 1am to prepare for Santa.
It is a hectic day, but one of my favourite of the year.

Vojera · 10-11-2016 11:00am

My wife an I alternate Christmas between my family and hers.

In my house my mum makes the stuffing for the entire extended family, so she gets up at about 6am to get started. I like getting up with her (not quite that early, though!) and listening to her giving out the same way she does every year, that she doesn't have enough dishes and Person X promised they'd leave a dish up the day before and she definitely won't be doing all this again, and then she's finished and sits down and has a cup of tea and a cigarette and feels better :pac:
The whole day has this wonderful anticipatory feeling and we do different bits and pieces to prepare for dinner the next day, visit my granny, call to a few cousins and then we get takeaway that evening (because we can't be messing up the kitchen!). My mum and sister usually go to "midnight" mass (at 9pm) while the rest of us stay home. Then we have a few drinks and reminisce. We used to be allowed to open one gift that night but now that we're adults we've cut out a lot of gift-buying so we leave it till the next day. Then we put on our new jammies (every year!) and go to bed.

In my wife's house there is a totally different and frantic pace. Christmas Eve is the anniversary of her mother's passing so we usually have to go to mass with her uncle's family. The extended family is huge and they are all terrible time-keepers and couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery, so there's this mad panic on Christmas Eve to buy the things they've forgotten and organise different bits and pieces. There ends up being about twenty people in the house and in the evening Santa visits for the grandkids and gives them a token gift (although last year the oldest one remarked that Santa's hands were strikingly similar to Grandad's hands :eek: ). Then we have a few drinks and those with children head home early. Then we go back to our own house (or help Santa put gifts together if needed) and start it all again the next morning.

My family home has a really relaxed atmosphere and there are fewer of us, so my first Christmas with my wife's family was a shock to the system, but it's our turn to stay with her family this year and I find myself looking forward to how crazy it gets. EEEEK! SO EXCITED!

:p:p

Greenduck · 10-11-2016 11:16am

LOVE CHRISTMAS EVE! I think its the nicest time to be in Ireland in the whole year.

My traditions have changed recently as I am newly engaged and my fiancee had quite a large family! They all came over to ours for cocktails last year at about 4pm then we all went for dinner to a local Indian. Then off to the pub for a few beers.

Before all that though, new sheets, spring clean our place and listen to Xmas FM all morning! Candles lighting everywhere and Home Alone or Santa Claus the Movie (my absolute FAVOURITE from when I was small, I used to watch it all through the year!

)

We then go our separate ways for dinner on Christmas dinner and meet up in mine later that night.

I cant wait

Witchie · 10-11-2016 11:47am

I have posted in here before about our Christmas eve but reading these am getting butterflies in my stomach!

This year we all hope to be moved to a small house as my parents are downsizing so will be a bit more of a squash but will be fun.

Another first this year is my eldest son (22) will be bringing his new girlfriend as she can't afford to fly home to Romania, so it will be extra interesting watching everyone get to know her.

I just booked my hair appointment for Christmas eve. I always go get my hair straightened in the hairdressers and it is like a little moment of relaxation before the storm. We all chip in with the prep, nip into town and get things like salad and fresh cream and then we used to all go into town for a big family meal in the evening. Last year my mum just wasn't really fit for so we ended up just ordering in loads of pizzas and having a few glasses of wine/beer while munching pizza and having great craic.

I actually feel like I might throw up am so excited!!!!!!

Glitzgirl · 10-11-2016 10:15pm

I love seeing this thread so active again!

I doubt my traditions have changed since the last time I posted bit hey I'm feeling nostalgic ! :pac:
Here in my house first week of November the Christmas planner comes out and it's followed to a t. Everything from cleaning jobs to shopping lists. The house is decorated before the night of the toy show and each member of the family gets their own little red bag filled with goodies and new christmas pis. The lights on the tree get turned on too

On 1st of December all the lights get turned on outside the house which I love and we watch a Christmas movie every night together right up to Christmas. Recently our elf Jingles has been arriving on the 1st of December to get up to some antics while he keeps an eye on the kids. ,)
Our of my favourite things to do is one weekend before christmas Mr glitz and I go up to Dublin minus the smallies and have a look around the shop and soak in the atmosphere!
Christmas eve traditions are usually a fry up or I become a short order cook for the morning ! The boys have their special set of christmas Delph just for Christmas eve.
We relax for the morning do a bit of baking if the kids want ( all relatives visiting is done by the day before christmas eve ). I change the beds to our nice christmas bed linen. We have a light lunch normally sandwiches and fo for a walk or drive to look at decorations and lights in nearby houses. Watch a movie with some hot choc and our treats and get a Chinese for dinner.
That nights the kids get a bath and jingles always leaves a Christmas eve box for everyone woth new pjs and a story book and treats etc. While kids are in bed and waiting for santa Mr glitz and I have a drink and watch a film and I set the table for Christmas dinner.

Love love love christmas eve..

lycan238 · 10-11-2016 10:34pm

Hi folks just seen this thread. Oh My God post 342 that is one very nice Christmas Eve Box. We usually get a few things in the shops in the morning bread milk etc. go home cook the turkey and ham (well my mam does), watch some TV then go to a friends house (both my parents are my friends god parents we go to her mam's house). Home about 12 then give the neighbours their Santa presents (we hide them in our house for them and have done for a few years now) and head to bed. I don't live at home so Christmas Day after watching the local Christmas Day Swim I go down to my parents house for dinner.

jezzer · 15-11-2016 10:46am

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I've only recently started looking in on this forum- I'VE FOUND MY PEOPLE!!!!!

I was just saying to a colleague that, despite not working in retail since 09, I still haven't gotten used to the novelty of not working Xmas Eve.

And I'm 28 (29 on Tuesday) and my mam still gets me Xmas Eve jammies, as she did throughout my childhood

happy birthday!

OldNotWIse · 15-11-2016 11:15am

This year we will be travelling down the country on Christmas morning to be with my elderly gran as she would otherwise be alone since her whole family are fecking off for the festive season. Anyway I don't mind as she was always good to me growing up and we were very close. So, my parents suggested we open the presents Christmas Eve instead of in a rush on Christmas morning! So, we will have "midnight" mass (at 9pm) then come home and have a few drinks (maybe some prosecco) and then open the presents. It will be strange, but hopefully wonderful!

Vojera · 15-11-2016 12:03pm

OldNotWIse wrote: »

This year we will be travelling down the country on Christmas morning to be with my elderly gran as she would otherwise be alone since her whole family are fecking off for the festive season. Anyway I don't mind as she was always good to me growing up and we were very close. So, my parents suggested we open the presents Christmas Eve instead of in a rush on Christmas morning! So, we will have "midnight" mass (at 9pm) then come home and have a few drinks (maybe some prosecco) and then open the presents. It will be strange, but hopefully wonderful!

Last year my sister went abroad with her partner's family for Christmas and my mum's partner's family (who normally live in England) came back for Christmas for the first time EVER so we ended up spending Christmas with them. It was totally different to our usual Christmas but we actually had a great time! Sometimes a little change is no harm, plus I'm sure your granny will really appreciate it.

jezzer · 15-11-2016 12:26pm

I normally go on the beer for xmas eve but this year i'm thinking of staying off it and stay at home with the wife

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 15-11-2016 1:04pm

I think this year I will break Christmas Eve tradition and spend the evening at home rather than the pub

jezzer · 15-11-2016 3:52pm

BDJW wrote: »

I think this year I will break Christmas Eve tradition and spend the evening at home rather than the pub

thats exactly what i'm thinking, the pub is good fun but it can get a bit depressing, plenty of hard luck cases about

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 15-11-2016 3:57pm

jezzer wrote: »

thats exactly what i'm thinking, the pub is good fun but it can get a bit depressing, plenty of hard luck cases about

I've 2 nights at a wedding, a concert and a night in the girlfriend's parents house between Christmas and New Years so I just won't have much time at home over Christmas so thinking a quiet night at home for Christmas Eve is definitely a good idea!

FightingIrish · 15-11-2016 4:05pm

I'm in the process of making my own Christmas Eve box for my 2.5 year old and 6 month old, I could of bought one but wanted to put my hand to making it, it's big and sturdy and hopefully will stand the test of time, who knows, maybe in many years, my grandkids might be using it too!!

jezzer · 15-11-2016 4:12pm

BDJW wrote: »

I've 2 nights at a wedding, a concert and a night in the girlfriend's parents house between Christmas and New Years so I just won't have much time at home over Christmas so thinking a quiet night at home for Christmas Eve is definitely a good idea!

yea, the pubs close early anyhow so its probably the best night of all to be home!

OldNotWIse · 15-11-2016 4:12pm

FightingIrish wrote: »

I'm in the process of making my own Christmas Eve box for my 2.5 year old and 6 month old, I could of bought one but wanted to put my hand to making it, it's big and sturdy and hopefully will stand the test of time, who knows, maybe in many years, my grandkids might be using it too!!

Ah that's lovely. As special and all as Christmas is now, I really cant wait to have children to make it even more special

Carrie6OD · 19-11-2016 3:25pm

Brunch with the in-laws, long walk to walk it off, visit the neighbours and deliver the annual box of biscuits! Have a glass of mulled wine and mince pie in their house. Back home around 4, get into pj's and let kids open their Christmas Eve boxes. Watch elf. Put kids to bed. Have cheese and wine with my husband. Then to bed early in anticipation of Santa. A lovely day.

Toots · 20-11-2016 12:02am

We always have Christmas Dinner in my parents' house, so on Christmas Eve, we have the annual ceremonial preparation of the stuffing. It's very highly in demand, so we have to make tonnes of it, so myself and my two sisters and my Mum, and lately my 5 year old all put on aprons and get to work in the kitchen. I chop the celery and onions seeing as I can chop them smallest and fastest and with least blood lost. My sisters + my little man do the grating of the lemons and then measuring out the breadcrumbs and herbs etc. They also chop up the parsley (although we often get Dad and my hubby involved for that because hands cramp up using the scissors). Mum supervises and generally makes sure we don't burn the house down. Then once it's all made, there are several tastings to make sure it's perfect.

After that we usually have an early fish & chip tea, while watching the Christmas Fr Ted. Then myself and my hubby and little man go over to his parents (we all live within 5 mins of each other) for a while, and then go to Christmas eve mass. Then we go home and attempt to settle a very excited child, then Santa does his setting up, and myself and hubby open one gift to each other before we head to bed for a couple of hours sleep.

This year I'm also going to make a turkey of my own on Christmas eve, because it's sometimes a bit un-festive coming back to the apartment in the evening after being out all day, and there's no festive left overs to pick at. So I'm going to cook a small turkey, and we'll be making an extra bit of stuffing, for me to take home for Christmas night.

Carrie6OD · 20-11-2016 8:40am

Toots wrote: »

We always have Christmas Dinner in my parents' house, so on Christmas Eve, we have the annual ceremonial preparation of the stuffing. It's very highly in demand, so we have to make tonnes of it, so myself and my two sisters and my Mum, and lately my 5 year old all put on aprons and get to work in the kitchen. I chop the celery and onions seeing as I can chop them smallest and fastest and with least blood lost. My sisters + my little man do the grating of the lemons and then measuring out the breadcrumbs and herbs etc. They also chop up the parsley (although we often get Dad and my hubby involved for that because hands cramp up using the scissors). Mum supervises and generally makes sure we don't burn the house down. Then once it's all made, there are several tastings to make sure it's perfect.

After that we usually have an early fish & chip tea, while watching the Christmas Fr Ted. Then myself and my hubby and little man go over to his parents (we all live within 5 mins of each other) for a while, and then go to Christmas eve mass. Then we go home and attempt to settle a very excited child, then Santa does his setting up, and myself and hubby open one gift to each other before we head to bed for a couple of hours sleep.

This year I'm also going to make a turkey of my own on Christmas eve, because it's sometimes a bit un-festive coming back to the apartment in the evening after being out all day, and there's no festive left overs to pick at. So I'm going to cook a small turkey, and we'll be making an extra bit of stuffing, for me to take home for Christmas night.

Sounds like a lovely day... And now I'm craving your stuffing!

gutenberg · 20-11-2016 12:08pm

Christmas Eve is generally spent preparing for the next day - lots of peeling of veg & potatoes, getting the ham ready (though this is the exclusive preserve of my dad!) and doing some last-minute cleaning and shopping. The 'shopping' is usually food items rather than presents (though my dad has been known to dispatch me or my brother to the shops for a last-minute addition to the mother's gift!). Throughout we listen to Joe Duffy's Grafton Street broadcast and then Christmas FM, drink Bailey's coffee and generally have a nice time. In the evening we generally have a quick & easy meal (has often been a takeaway but not always), then it's time to wrap presents! We have a tradition that we wrap them in my parents' room, and the person whose gift it is is prohibited from coming in. So my dad, brother & I will wrap my mam's gift, then my dad will leave and my mam will come to help us wrap my dad's present, then both my brother & I will be kicked out while they wrap our presents. Even though my brother & I are both in our 20s we still get 'Santa' presents, and then a small gift from the parents.

After the present wrapping it's time for showers & then mass, preceded by carol-singing for half an hour in the church. At the mass, the local 'diva' always performs Oh Holy Night, which despite the giggles every time she gets up to perform it year after year is always a lovely performance. Then home to bed (with some picking at the ham first!).

On Christmas morning we always open our stockings first in my parents' room, then go downstairs to the 'Santa' presents - always laid out the same way, in front of the fireplace. Then we exchange the presents wrapped the day before. My mam always insists we sing 'Happy Birthday' to Jesus in the crib (a tradition that started when we were small kids, as a way to remind us of the holiday's religious meaning, and which my feelings have swung wildly about over the years - from thinking it massively cringe to kind of sweet). Then a huge breakfast, out to see relatives, back for Christmas dinner, then more relatives arrive for Christmas tea. Overall it's always a really lovely day and I'm excited about this year!

SteJer · 20-11-2016 3:27pm

No cooking done in my house until Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is completely free to enjoy the last day of build up to Santa's arrival with the kids. No relatives will call and we won't call to any on Christmas Eve or Day. We do our visiting on the 27th & 28th. I enjoyed all the traditions my parents created when I was young, now my wife and I are creating our own traditions with our children.

Loughc · 22-11-2016 11:25am

This year my OH is no longer working in retail which means we don't have to worry about if she'll be rostered to work Christmas Eve, so we're planning on prepping the Christmas Dinner, doing a bit of baking and sitting down to a movie with new pjs and treats.

I am very excited for this haha.

SteJer · 01-12-2016 7:08pm

Anyone else want to share their Christmas Eve traditions?

fussyonion · 03-12-2016 7:26pm

Love reading all your traditions.

It's just me and my other half at home at Christmas.
Christmas Eve I will put the ham on to cook and then prep the veg; chop the carrots and peel and halve the spuds, then in the evening we'll watch Home Alone and I'll cook something quick, like pizza or curry or we might order an Indian takeaway.

I'll have some wine, my other half will have a beer or a few whiskies and we'll have some nibbles; Pringles or nuts or something and we might crack open the tins of sweets.

I really love spending Christmas with him but secretly I always hope someone will visit or we'd be invited to someone's house, just to feel part of a big party or something but that won't happen so we make our own enjoyment and we do enjoy it.

AppleBottle · 05-12-2016 10:38pm

I'm usually at home, sometimes help my mam get ready for the dinner for Christmas Day. I meet my friends from school on Christmas Eve night. It's been a tradition for years now. We are mostly based around our home town still. If now, people come home from Christmas and are around. Our group will do Secret Santa and we will meet for a few drinks and to do our gift exchange.

It's a nice little tradition we have since we are into a mid-twenties now, we can still meet up for that evening.

CrazyChick18 · 06-12-2016 12:43am

Working in retail myself so I'll be working until 1pm in the day which is not bad and then off for a few days, actually one of the days that's fun in work there's great excitement with everyone rushing in for there last few bits and seeing all the kids excited.

When I finish work then the whole family gathers in my grandparents house about 40 adults and kids ages raging from a few months to late 70s sounds crazy but it's great fun we all do a fun secret Santa have a bite to eat and then head home.

Once home myself & my Mam put all the Christmas bedding on the beds totally cheesy but it's Christmas

Our own immediate family then sit down to watch a Christmas film it's usually always end up being miracle on 34th street & then head to bed to wait for the arrival of the big man himself

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 07-12-2016 9:48am

I'll spend the day cooking the ham and prepping the veg then settle down with the kids and husband to watch something Christmassy in our new pajamas (Barney xmas special anyone? :rolleyes: )

Then Skype my brother's family in NZ before putting the kids to bed and stuffing our faces with choccy and listening to xmas songs while waiting for Santa

OldMrBrennan83 · 07-12-2016 9:51am

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fussyonion · 07-12-2016 10:21am

Patww79 wrote: »

Pub from around 7-10, then home and throw on some party food and have a few there.

My other half wants to go to the pub Christmas Eve but I like spending the night at home.

We could just go for a few hours like yourself but does that really happen?
Do you actually leave the pub when you say you will? Yknow with a few drinks on board you think "Ah we'll stay"...

OldMrBrennan83 · 07-12-2016 10:26am

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Kdylass · 07-12-2016 10:47am

Christmas Eve is my favourite day of the year...Excitement is high from the minute we wake up...We normally spend the day visiting my husbands dads house and my mother - with a trip to our local town in between, just to enjoy the atmosphere.. Then I bring my mother and my children to mass at 6.30. My husband says at home prepping for Christmas dinner. After mass, is the highlight of my Christmas eve - popping open a bottle of Brandy - Oh I love the sound of the pop.. Its the one time of the year that I enjoy a brandy..Then the excitement of putting Santa's food out & getting the kids to bed. I find Christmas day a bit of an anti climax - once Christmas dinner is over, its a bit of a slump

SteJer · 07-12-2016 12:10pm

Kdylass wrote: »

Christmas Eve is my favourite day of the year...Excitement is high from the minute we wake up...We normally spend the day visiting my husbands dads house and my mother - with a trip to our local town in between, just to enjoy the atmosphere.. Then I bring my mother and my children to mass at 6.30. My husband says at home prepping for Christmas dinner. After mass, is the highlight of my Christmas eve - popping open a bottle of Brandy - Oh I love the sound of the pop.. Its the one time of the year that I enjoy a brandy..Then the excitement of putting Santa's food out & getting the kids to bed. I find Christmas day a bit of an anti climax - once Christmas dinner is over, its a bit of a slump

Agree entirely regarding your feelings on Christmas Eve compared to Christmas Day. I love Christmas Dinner but I think once the Santa presents are open the excitement is over for another year.

razorblunt · 07-12-2016 4:57pm

I live in the UK so normally all my presents are bought before I return home. We got a dog this year so she's coming back on the ferry with me. Xmas Eve usually consists of:

Breakfast / Brunch with the family in town
Last minute bits and pieces being bought
I've been given dessert duty again this year (I was half cut trying to make a cheesecake last year so it's attempt #2)
Few pints in a quiet pub with the lads if they're around
Home for the first cut off the ham

Stay up late so the ham is unattended.

DvB · 07-12-2016 5:55pm

My christmas Eve has changed over the years, when I was a singleton it would have been a trip down to the local for a few beers with the mates, seeing friends back from abroad & belting out the crimbo songs till midnight, then home for a ham sambo & a mug of tea before bed.

Now being married with young children Christmas Eve will be getting the house ready for our Stephens Day get together (everyone comes to ours that evening for a bit of a party) pop out to get one or two last minute bits in the shops then usually getting a take away for dinner, get the kids bathed & into their new pyjamas (we always take a photo of them then & stick it into a 'special occasion' album we keep for the kids) watch a bit of TV & then get the kids to bed.... myself & herself will then watch a christmas movie (usually 'its a wonderful life' or suchlike) with a drink or two & then once we know the kids are fast asleep sort out the presents for the morning...

Love christmas eve... Christmas day we're always out at relatives & only get back in time to put the kids to bed & relax for a little bit, Stephens Day then we send getting the house prepped for that evening/night & then its all over for another year...

Really looking forward to it this year! Though I say that every year :-)

Jude13 · 08-12-2016 6:35am

fussyonion wrote: »

My other half wants to go to the pub Christmas Eve but I like spending the night at home.

We could just go for a few hours like yourself but does that really happen?
Do you actually leave the pub when you say you will? Yknow with a few drinks on board you think "Ah we'll stay"...

It depends, in my youth my GF at the time would have to drag me out of the local. It was a mix of just getting home from a year away and booze. Then seriously regretting it the next day.

Fast forward a few years 24ish and I rock up to the local and see how packed it is, get one drink say hi to people and back home.

Now I am getting dragged to the local by my OH to be social and say hi to my pals. God I feel old. A hangover and house full of kids Christmas day or a drive to Limerick is not big or clever.

leahyl · 08-12-2016 9:46am

I never go out drinking on Christmas Eve - I just have never done the whole "local pub for a few drinks" thing, but this year I'm actually going to the "local" for a few with friends on the 23rd, so I'm going to make sure I don't get too drunk cos otherwise Christmas Eve will be ruined...:o

gutenberg · 08-12-2016 12:56pm

Likewise I have never done the drinks thing on Christmas Eve. Whenever I hear friends talk about it and how packed the pub always is, it just never really appealed to me. Then there's the fact that our family has its little Christmas Eve evening traditions, so I've never really felt the pull, so to speak. Though I can understand completely how others would love it. My brother did it one year, got really drunk & was then hungover and sick as a dog for Christmas Day - my mother was absolutely furious, haha.

Toto Wolfcastle · 08-12-2016 1:30pm

I've never done it either. I hate packed pubs. Christmas Eve for me is all about pyjamas! I can have a few drinks on the couch if I want and it's much more comfortable.

OldMrBrennan83 · 08-12-2016 1:33pm

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SteJer · 08-12-2016 1:48pm

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I've never done it either. I hate packed pubs. Christmas Eve for me is all about pyjamas! I can have a few drinks on the couch if I want and it's much more comfortable.

Spot on!

jezzer · 16-12-2016 12:48pm

I think christmas eve needs to be declared a bank holiday, its grand this year as its falling on a Saturday but its the second most important day of the christmas and we should make more of it

realdanbreen · 16-12-2016 12:50pm

leahyl wrote: »

I'm sure thus thread has probably been done before but I'm feeling very christmassy today so what the heck!!

What do you all do on Christmas Eve? Do you have certain traditions that you keep to every year?

I'm 26, single and still living at home so always spend Christmas Eve with the 'rents! We usually go to a shopping centre for a look around, then visit friends of my parents and then get a takeaway before heading back home to eat chocs and relax before the big day :-D my friends birthday is Christmas Day so I normally drop off her gift to her house on Christmas Eve also!

What I love also about Christmas Eve is Joe Duffys radio show from Grafton Street! Makes me all sentimental! Jesus I'll drive my future husband insane!! :-D

Christmas Eve is apparently the busiest day for take away's.

Hollister11 · 16-12-2016 12:51pm

jezzer wrote: »

I think christmas eve needs to be declared a bank holiday, its grand this year as its falling on a Saturday but its the second most important day of the christmas and we should make more of it

100% yes.

Shoe Lover · 16-12-2016 1:43pm

realdanbreen wrote: »

Christmas Eve is apparently the busiest day for take away's.

I can understand why, it's a very busy day! I do all the Christmas Day cooking/prep on Christmas Eve so by the time dinnertime comes around, I'm totally wrecked and have probably used every pot and pan in the house & Mr. Shoe Lover is, apparently, incapable of even boiling an egg :rolleyes: So takeaway for us!

05eaftqbrs9jlh · 16-12-2016 2:48pm

At least every second year I'll spend Christmas eve either alone or surrounded by people but a million miles away, getting unhealthily drunk. My siblings are split up, they live all over the place and things are very complicated whenever my parents are involved with anything. Now that three of the six of us have their own families, they'll probably (sensibly) avoid the chaos, heartache and consternation of coming home. I don't blame them. I so miss them though. Especially when I think back to our little conspiratorial outings together on Christmas eves more than one decade ago.

jezzer · 16-12-2016 4:44pm

Bonnie Spoiled Anorexic wrote: »

At least every second year I'll spend Christmas eve either alone or surrounded by people but a million miles away, getting unhealthily drunk. My siblings are split up, they live all over the place and things are very complicated whenever my parents are involved with anything. Now that three of the six of us have their own families, they'll probably (sensibly) avoid the chaos, heartache and consternation of coming home. I don't blame them. I so miss them though. Especially when I think back to our little conspiratorial outings together on Christmas eves more than one decade ago.

yes xmas eve can be a tough one for many

05eaftqbrs9jlh · 16-12-2016 4:49pm

jezzer wrote:

yes xmas eve can be a tough one for many

You're right, and a lot of people have it way worse than I do - at least we all endeavour to meet up a few times a year and have a great time together! Many won't get that opportunity with their absent loved ones.

Dickie10 · 20-12-2016 9:40pm

does anyone in ireland do the american style christmas eve?

like putting on the lights outside and putting up the christmas tree on christmas eve? it seems in all the movies that this is when they put up the tree, i did this two years ago, hadnt time to get the tree up until 4pm christmas eve

Witchie · 20-12-2016 9:53pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

does anyone in ireland do the american style christmas eve?

like putting on the lights outside and putting up the christmas tree on christmas eve? it seems in all the movies that this is when they put up the tree, i did this two years ago, hadnt time to get the tree up until 4pm christmas eve

No, too much else to be at! A friend of mine (American) told me that "Santa" used to bring their tree every year. They would go to bed with no tree and wake up on Christmas morning to a tree and presents. Kinda cute.

Christmas Eve Traditions :-)

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"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens