Christmas Eve Traditions :-)

leahyl · 25-09-2011 3:34pm #1

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

byhookorbycrook · 25-09-2011 3:37pm

Christmas candle lit in the window. A few clean rushes at the door, supposed to be a resting place for the Holy Family.

star-pants · 25-09-2011 3:47pm

Christmas Eve is my mothers birthday - so we usually get a chinese

(I too live at home at present, so it's me, my parents and two of my siblings, and the dogs!)
Showers, clean beds and fresh pjs are always part of the evening plan.

leahyl · 25-09-2011 3:58pm

star-pants wrote: »

Christmas Eve is my mothers birthday - so we usually get a chinese
(I too live at home at present, so it's me, my parents and two of my siblings, and the dogs!)
Showers, clean beds and fresh pjs are always part of the evening plan.

Aaaw that's lovely :-) i love watching the news at 6 on RTE as well cos they always show "Santa heading off from the North Pole" ahem! Lol! I love that RTE have kept that tradition!

hdowney · 25-09-2011 4:00pm

am trying to think of specific Christmas Eve traditions (we have several Christmas traditions) and i don't think i can think of any tbh.

there is the preparing the sock for santa claus, and possibly sitting by the fire with a nice glass of wine. oh wait, we always have gammon steaks for Christmas Eve dinner.

my Christmas Day and Boxing Day traditions are more prominant tho.

Christmas morning, i still CANNOT sleep, and i am 26! the mother has a rule though, no waking her before 7am!. so 7am i bring coffee in to her room and we open the stockings. then we get up and have a fried breakfast and head to church (damn snow last year scuppered everything).

come home from church and i am in charge of the dinner. all timed meticulously i might add. once the oven is on and the glass of wine poured we can sit and open the presents under the tree.

then we have our four course christmas dinner and die!!!

we have a Boxing Day tradition that my aunt started when i was young. she sent me a present and on it was do not open til Boxing Day. she did this so that BD wasn't the big comedown it usually is. so now each year the mother and i give each other one present that cannot be opened until that day

leahyl · 25-09-2011 4:04pm

hdowney wrote: »

am trying to think of specific Christmas Eve traditions (we have several Christmas traditions) and i don't think i can think of any tbh.

there is the preparing the sock for santa claus, and possibly sitting by the fire with a nice glass of wine. oh wait, we always have gammon steaks for Christmas Eve dinner.

my Christmas Day and Boxing Day traditions are more prominant tho.

Christmas morning, i still CANNOT sleep, and i am 26! the mother has a rule though, no waking her before 7am!. so 7am i bring coffee in to her room and we open the stockings. then we get up and have a fried breakfast and head to church (damn snow last year scuppered everything).

come home from church and i am in charge of the dinner. all timed meticulously i might add. once the oven is on and the glass of wine poured we can sit and open the presents under the tree.

then we have our four course christmas dinner and die!!!

we have a Boxing Day tradition that my aunt started when i was young. she sent me a present and on it was do not open til Boxing Day. she did this so that BD wasn't the big comedown it usually is. so now each year the mother and i give each other one present that cannot be opened until that day

Lovely traditions hdowney! :-)

ChewChew · 25-09-2011 4:59pm

I Live alone and so does my mum so on Christmas eve morning I pack up my stuff and fill the car and retire to mams house. We go and do some shopping/browsing. Home then and we'll cook the turkey then visit my sister and her kids and hubby. Back to her house and then she'll do what she does and I'll meet friends for gift exchange, a meal and a few drinks then back to hers.

This year she is working Christmas eve and Christmas day so I'll be on my own during the 2 days and I'll prepare dinner and have it ready for her

liamo22 · 25-09-2011 8:07pm

ChewChew everytime i read one of your posts all i can think of is that you do not sound like a "SADISTIC HEARTLESS BITCH" :pac: you sound nicer

anyways Christmas Eve is for me alot better than the big day itself! I always go shopping with my parents and sister and we would have a meal before coming home and watching movies, drinking hot chocolate and of course the big christmas eve tradition ..... Watching the Christmas episode of Father Ted!

I am the one who is christmas mad in the family to be honest the rest of them think I am just a bit mad so I always make my own little traditions like always watching home alone at exactly midnight christmas eve, visiting my elderly neighbours to make sure they are ok (although I do this almost every day) and just spending time with my family

What I really like about Christmas Eve is the journey home by the many thousands of people not just in Ireland but throughout the world! The fact that everyone wants to be home and with family just for this one day and how they would do anything to make sure they get there. I know a friend of mine who works in a busy hospital in north Dublin. She was working the week before Christmas, Christmas Eve and Day and the whole week after, last year and with the snow she stayed in the hospital but on Christmas eve after her shift she took an 8 hour trip home to Fermanagh just to spend the night with her family and she was back in work at 1pm the next day!. I always find stories like this so nice.

Christmas brings out the best in people and that's what I like to see. I dont care if we have no money this year or we get no presents as long as i can spend time with the ones I love and have my full health I will always be happy.

Im 19 btw and I dont know anyone else as mad as Christmas my age :rolleyes: Sorry for rambelling

Loughc · 25-09-2011 8:11pm

Ah loving this thread!!

Christmas eve for me involves heading to the Parents house, I stay there Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, then out for a nice lunch somewhere, then a nice relaxing stroll around town while having a chuckle at people rushing around buying last minute presents, although for the past 2 years I was one of those rushing, but not this year! haha.

Then its off to my local for a few pints with friends, not too many tho, nobody wants a hangover for Christmas Day, haha.

Then after the pub, stop off in the chippy and then home to watch some telly with the parents while getting the presents sorted for all the nieces and nephews (14 in total!!! :eek:)

Then a freshly cooked ham sandwich with a cup of tea and bed shortly after that. You can't beat the Christmas Eve hang sandwich, my sister has her own family and house and yet she still calls down every Christmas Eve to get her ham sandwich, haha.

Actually just re-read that it sounds like all I do is eat, its not!!! :P LOL Maybe at Christmas time I do!!! :P

leahyl · 25-09-2011 9:30pm

lockie1983 wrote: »

Ah loving this thread!!

Christmas eve for me involves heading to the Parents house, I stay there Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, then out for a nice lunch somewhere, then a nice relaxing stroll around town while having a chuckle at people rushing around buying last minute presents, although for the past 2 years I was one of those rushing, but not this year! haha.

Then its off to my local for a few pints with friends, not too many tho, nobody wants a hangover for Christmas Day, haha.

Then after the pub, stop off in the chippy and then home to watch some telly with the parents while getting the presents sorted for all the nieces and nephews (14 in total!!! :eek:)

Then a freshly cooked ham sandwich with a cup of tea and bed shortly after that. You can't beat the Christmas Eve hang sandwich, my sister has her own family and house and yet she still calls down every Christmas Eve to get her ham sandwich, haha.

Actually just re-read that it sounds like all I do is eat, its not!!! :P LOL Maybe at Christmas time I do!!! :P

Sure that's what it's all about! Eating, drinking and being merry!! :-)

lisasimpson · 25-09-2011 10:54pm

so gald its a saturday this year. last few yrs have meant working till near three. then an hr and a half drive up home to the parents hse. generlly by the time i get home christmas eve mum already has the turkey in the oven so the smell is starting to develop. then after a chat, a ham sandwhich and a cupps off to deliver pressies, and when i get back home turkey is cooked so i have the wing with some hot herb stuffing before off to bed in new pjs even at 28 i still have the new pjs for xmas eve.

Alicat · 26-09-2011 12:07am

For the past ten years, I've worked every Christmas Eve til 6pm, and it's not going to change this year either. We don't get a choice!

We have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, and we invite all the family around, and even our next-door neighbours. There could be as many as 20 of us there some years. So when I get home from work, and drive to my parents', normally the guests are just arriving and it's straight into helping getting dinner served. I don't go 'off duty' til about 10pm so I'm normally wrecked after being in work from 9 or 10 that morning. As a result of that long day, I sleep like a baby on Christmas Eve

That leaves Christmas Day to just veg out completely. There's no hassle of cooking or going visiting loads of people if we don't feel like it 'cause we'll have seen a lot of them the night before. We have leftovers for dinner and just chill.

I would absolutely love love LOVE a Christmas Eve off one year though.

leahyl · 26-09-2011 9:05am

Alicat wrote: »

For the past ten years, I've worked every Christmas Eve til 6pm, and it's not going to change this year either. We don't get a choice!

We have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, and we invite all the family around, and even our next-door neighbours. There could be as many as 20 of us there some years. So when I get home from work, and drive to my parents', normally the guests are just arriving and it's straight into helping getting dinner served. I don't go 'off duty' til about 10pm so I'm normally wrecked after being in work from 9 or 10 that morning. As a result of that long day, I sleep like a baby on Christmas Eve

That leaves Christmas Day to just veg out completely. There's no hassle of cooking or going visiting loads of people if we don't feel like it 'cause we'll have seen a lot of them the night before. We have leftovers for dinner and just chill.

I would absolutely love love LOVE a Christmas Eve off one year though.

Oh Alicat, I know how you feel with working on Christmas Eve. When I used to work in retail I would nearly always be working Christmas Eve and it used to ruin the whole day for me. I just love having it off now! If I didn't, I feel I'd miss out on all the Christmas Eve festivities! (not that there are any in particular in my house!)

I have great respect for all those working on Christmas Eve

Love2love · 26-09-2011 10:09am

I love Christmas Eve more than Christmas day! Normally I get up and strip the beds, love new sheets and covers for Christmas! Me and my son bake cookies and cakes for Santa! The smell is very christmassy!
Then into town with the family. I always try to leave something to buy for Christmas eve just for the buzz in the air that's in town. Then somewhere to eat and then to Mammy's to meet up for 7:30 mass and Ham sambos! (Surprising just how many have that tradition, thought it was just us!)

Then home, bath the kids, get into new PJ's and leave out the Cookies/ Cakes for Santa. Read the kids a story and when there asleep, I get all the Santa things ready. Sit down with a beer and watch Scrooged.

Love, love, love Christmas Eve!!!

branie · 26-09-2011 8:55pm

Going to 10:00 mass and opening the presents from under the tree afterwards.

littlehedgehog · 26-09-2011 9:04pm

We have Christmas dinner (anything but turkey - generally beef or pork) on Christmas eve

then my family go to mass, and I pass out on the couch.. When they come home, it's chocolates and tea and then bed.
Christmas day, we get up about 8/9, and open presents.. Then breakfast, and the parents go visiting while I make lunch. About 5, we all pile in the car as the whole family descend on my aunt's house about 6pm, because it's next to my granny's and then she can see us all

On steven's day, we go to another aunts, and my dad drops my brother and I home.. Where we've developed another tradition over the past few years - take away and watching movies that we got for Christmas

awesomeness! I love Christmas

milli milli · 26-09-2011 9:11pm

Love2love wrote: »

I get all the Santa things ready

Don't you mean, you help Santa to get things ready??!!

I'm really loving reading peoples traditions.
My Christmas eve is quite chilled out. I rarely have any shopping to do. Shopping Christmas Eve is a nitemare so I avoid it if I can.
I usually finish wrapping pressies at some stage during the day. I'll meet friends for a drink around 5 or 6 but don't stay out late. I'll usually go up to Mums for a bite to eat and to give her a hand, but she usually has things under control. Then I get ready for midnight mass and go there with my Auntie. My 2 brothers used to join us, but they stopped going a few years ago.
Then I go home and stay in Mum and Dads. We might watch the end of a Christmas film. I like to go to bed early, so I can be up early Christmas morning! (don't like to miss anything!)

But the last two years my plans were changed with the weather. I stayed in my brothers house out the country, so had to leave early Christmas Eve to avoid the worst of the weather, so had to forgo meeting friends.

Also a tradition that Mum started when we were teenagers was to open one pressie Christmas Eve, so I do that too!

Posy · 27-09-2011 2:17am

Love2love wrote: »

I love Christmas Eve more than Christmas day!

Me too!

I sometimes find the anticipation of something is often better than the something itself and Christmas Day sometimes falls under that category!!

leahyl · 27-09-2011 8:23am

Posy wrote: »

Me too!
I sometimes find the anticipation of something is often better than the something itself and Christmas Day sometimes falls under that category!!

Totally agree! I looooove Christmas Eve - it's just the whole build up, knowing everyone is heading home for Christmas or out shopping for the last bits before travelling home - gets me all excited! It's not that I don't like Christmas Day - I do, mainly for the dinner (!) but the run up to Christmas is more exciting I guess!:D

Loughc · 27-09-2011 2:10pm

leahyl wrote: »

Totally agree! I looooove Christmas Eve - it's just the whole build up, knowing everyone is heading home for Christmas or out shopping for the last bits before travelling home - gets me all excited! It's not that I don't like Christmas Day - I do, mainly for the dinner (!) but the run up to Christmas is more exciting I guess!:D

I know the feeling! Even the few weekends before Christmas Eve, are great craic, watching how busy the town is, seeing everyone getting in better and better form as they get closer to the holidays. And then the chaos of Christmas Eve itself is an event in itself.

I love aswell just how peaceful Christmas Day is itself, every year I keep forgetting how eerily quiet it is outside, it's like the whole country stops for the day, I love it!

tmc86 · 27-09-2011 2:24pm

This thread has managed to make me very christmassy even with the warm weather outside today!

I finish up work on christmas eve for a half day and get the train down to the parents. Last year was beautiful weather and snow eveywhere and I was walking through town amongst the hustle and bustle with all me pressies!

I get home unpack, wrap the presents then head downstairs for some wine with the family and dinner. then we head up to mass and have a few drinks in the local afterwards and bump into some old faces!

home to freshly made beds and sleep till about 9am. up then and shower small brekkie and some bucks fizz followed by presents.

PhantomShrimp · 27-09-2011 2:30pm

Every year I watch Transformers Animated Movie, open gifts with my OH. Get in the car and drive home. I drop her off first and spend a little time with her family, then head home and spend time drinking coffee and catching up with my family. Next year we'll be married so probably new traditions.

A new-ish tradition over the past three years is taking the dog for a walk in the snow after I drive down. Hopefully it won't take 5 and a half hours to get from Dub to Cork this year :eek:

CHRISTMAS!!!!!

DUBACC · 27-09-2011 4:21pm

leahyl wrote: »

Aaaw that's lovely :-) i love watching the news at 6 on RTE as well cos they always show "Santa heading off from the North Pole" ahem! Lol! I love that RTE have kept that tradition!

Must admit i always watch that too. It used to be on the radio at about 5.20pm where someone would ring Santa and he'd talk about setting out from the North Pole. I remember hearing that as young kids and was amazed!! Ah the innocence......

neilthefunkeone · 27-09-2011 4:25pm

Grandparents come up and we get a big chinese dinner in.. Then im off to Molloys in Tallaght for drinks with all the friends..

Not living at home this christmas but im sure its gonna be mostly the same!

Cant beat it!:D

Tabnabs · 27-09-2011 4:31pm

Best day of the year Christmas Eve, bar none!!

I'm very lucky to have a Scandinavian background so we celebrate two Christmases. On Chrismas Eve the family gathers in my parents house for the first Christmas dinner, this is usually a traditional Scandinavian dish including on occasion reindeer (don't tell the kids about the meat they're munching away on!). Then all sit around the christmas tree which is stock piled with presents from our extended family abroad and one person is nominated to dish out the gifts. This usually takes over an hour and is a wonderful family time. Then we have christmas cake, cookies and chocolates and sit there browsing through our gifts.

Then we get up on christmas day, head to the inlaws and do it all again!

DUBACC · 27-09-2011 4:37pm

Cristmas Eve is definitely the best day of the lot! Usually spend part of it with my gran, who's 93 now - she is more christmas-mad than any of us!!

Then home and make dinner while watching 'Its a Wonderful Life' - such a magical christmas film. After that we usually have a look around the movie channels as there is always one dreadfully cringy, yet lovely

christmas film on. Up to 10 mass then and back to the wife's family home up the road. Big gang of us there having a few beers and raiding the freshly cooked ham for a sambo!! The sight of her chasing her fully grown sons around the kitchen always makes me laugh!!!

This year might change though as we have a new baby daughter - ive already bought the santa suit so cant wait!!!

Hufflepuff · 27-09-2011 7:25pm

Love love love christmas eve

Get the turkey and ham on in the afternoon and prep all the veg and stuff for christmas day. Always have a take away for dinner then into new jimjams and watch Muppets Christmas Carol . This thread is making me feel sooooooo christmassey:)

milli milli · 27-09-2011 8:18pm

Tabnabs wrote: »

I'm very lucky to have a Scandinavian background so we celebrate two Christmases. On Chrismas Eve the family gathers in my parents house for the first Christmas dinner, this is usually a traditional Scandinavian dish including on occasion reindeer tofu!. Then all sit around the christmas tree which is stock piled with presents from our extended family abroad and one person is nominated to dish out the gifts. This usually takes over an hour and is a wonderful family time. Then we have christmas cake, cookies and chocolates and sit there browsing through our gifts.

Then we get up on christmas day, head to the inlaws and do it all again!

I love this (apart from the reindeer-eating). I would love to partake in a Scandinavian Christmas.

leahyl · 27-09-2011 10:38pm

Delighted everybody is enjoying the thread and it's making you all feel that extra bit more Christmassy!! ;-)

liv26 · 27-09-2011 11:00pm

Great Thread!
I usually prep everything for the dinner first, then not too much pressure christmas morning. In the evening i meet my boyfriend and we exchange gifts as usually dont see each other christmas day. The go to mass and come home and watch christmas father ted.

Cant wait now

RainbowJack · 28-09-2011 12:15pm

Love this thread but reading about your ham sambo's is making me jealous - I used to love those but since I had my daughter nearly 5 years ago I haven't had one on Christmas eve:eek:. We don't cook christmas dinner in our house (always go to my mam and dads!), and we used to go to his parents or mine on christmas eve just to get the ham sambo's but now like to stay at home and get all excited with our daughter!

Our christmas eve normally involves going shopping - even though we usually don't need to buy anything but love the atmosphere! I love coming home and spending the evening wrapping presents and listening to christmas songs while my daughter "helps"! We have dinner then watch the news to see Santa leaving the North Pole! Baths/showers then into our new pj's (yes I know I'm a bigger child then my poor daughter but I gotta have new pj's too!). Leaving the glass of milk and some pudding for Santa and of course the carrot for Rudolph! Once my daughter is settled in bed is when my excitement goes through the roof, helping santa with the presents while drinking wine;)!

Love Christmas!

snowgal · 29-09-2011 3:05pm

oh my god I love this thread! Im a christmaholic and I love love love Christmas eve. Usually get up around 9am too excited to sleep. Shower dress coffee turn on christmas cd, sing along get in the spirit and head down town to meet my 2 bros in our old local, we dont drink there anymore but always come in on xmas eve. We have a few brandys/whiskeys (something warming!) then bro heads off to last minute shop, tradition! and I head up to mams to say hello and smell the christmas smells in the kitchen! then hubby collects me we go home and wrap all presents, I usually have another brandy then off back to mams for big pot of something lots of wine and merriment. and we open all our pressies there and then! dont know how it began but its our tradition since I can remember (Me and hubby open our presents on christmas morn so I still have something). I just love the feeling on Christmas eve- I sum it up with the phrase from xmas song Sleigh Ride 'theres a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy'

elvis jones · 29-09-2011 4:41pm

Simple for us.

I'm home from work around 12 and cook until 5.

I prep all all the veg for the big day, boil my ham and then bake it.

Stuffing is made, turkey is preped.

Then its the time i love.

Big fire, door locked, kids in bed...............

Home alone on the tv and a bailey's coffee in hand:)

Then santa gets geared up and time for bed.

leahyl · 29-09-2011 4:45pm

elvis jones wrote: »

Simple for us.

I'm home from work around 12 and cook until 5.

I prep all all the veg for the big day, boil my ham and then bake it.

Stuffing is made, turkey is preped.

Then its the time i love.

Big fire, door locked, kids in bed...............

Home alone on the tv and a bailey's coffee in hand:)

Then santa gets geared up and time for bed.

Love it:D!! Home Alone is the best:)

And baked ham mmmm - must try that some year instead of boiled!

LadyMayBelle · 01-10-2011 12:50pm

We tidy the house, Mam is usually stressing getting the veg prepared. Myself and my brother started a tradition a few years back of walking down to the local Dunnes just before closing time and hanging around the meat aisle until they slap on the reduced stickers...it started out as a joke, and it is still funny, as you recognise all the other 'lurkers' at 17:50!! Usually end up with a cheap turkey or a leg of ham that gets named 'Hank' and lug it back home!

The boyf calls in for his visit (I go to his house on St Stephens).

We still watch the RTE news to see Santy head off (this year is the last year of Santy in our house), and check him up on the Santa tracker online. It's so cute!

Prayers (the folks like a bit of religion so gotta go with it when you're in the house), leave out the carrot and cookie and milk, put little sister to bed, crack open the roses, re runs of the Office or Extras or whatever is on the telly...and then bed!

I love Christmas!

LadyTBolt · 01-10-2011 10:25pm

Oh, I love Christmas and I love that others are talking about it already......

Christmas Eve traditions. Hmmmmm.........
Since we had our son the day before Christmas Eve 5 years ago our Christmas tends to start on his birthday (break-up day).

We break up from work on 23rd, as it's my sons birthday all the family (aunties, grannies, grandads, childminders etc.) all come round for a birthday party. As my sons birthday is so close to Christmas I feel its further unnecessary expense to his friends parents by throwing a childs birthday party into the mix days before Christmas, so I make as much of his birthday with the family as I can on 23rd, (and it's a great start to Christmas celebrations

After everybody leaves we tidy up and plan Christmas Eve. This usually involves me planning to go into town for last minute 'bits' on Christmas Eve morning. There is always some disaster / last minute hitches which need to be sorted on Christmas Eve morning. Then I head home and start to get things ready for Christmas Day. Then we head out for a bite to eat and get home on time for my daughter and myself to go to Christmas Eve mass at 6pm. It's my favourite mass of the year. Meanwhile the Ham is cooking at home.

After we get home from mass the children get into their pj's, set out Santas table and then toddle off to bed. I then prep what I can for dinner the next day i.e. veggies and stuffing. After that I bring down the pressies and set up for the next morning. Quick glass of wine or a cup of tea and then it's off to bed with full excitement for the next day.

Christmas day then involves us getting up with the kids and checking out what Santa brought. After pressies we quickly get dresses as we drive 15miles to my parents for Christmas breakfast where my sisters and their partners and kids are and we exchange gifts there and have brekkie. Then it's back into the car and a swift dash home to cook dinner for us and guests, usually my partners parents.
And then when dinner is over I just feel like collapsing.
Oh how I love it and I soooo cannot wait for it again this year.
Christmas is my most favourite time of the year.

AllAboutAoibh · 01-10-2011 10:37pm

The 23rd is my favourite. Myself and the mammy and the daddy go to Cork airport to get the big sister home from the UK, and mammy cries every year without fail. Then we stop off at my aunties house in Cork and exchange gifts and have a bit of a meal with her and her husband and kids. It's my favourite, cause the kids still believe in Santa.
On Christmas Eve we go up to Galway to visit the Grandparents, especially since they haven't seen my sister in so long.

We go for a bit of a wander around town, Dad and I go to Charlie Byrnes for an hour or so...And i run to the RI sale to spend the gift voucher my aunty gave me the night before)..Then we get heaps of chinese food and eat it at the grandparents and drive home to Limerick. It's the same every single year and I wouldn't change it

jluv · 01-10-2011 11:21pm

Work in Retail but stick to my guns that I must finish at 4pm. Whole family(sister hubby kids,brother who never does anything with family but would never miss this,mother father myself and son) all meet for dinner somewhere. So shattered from retail season but get energy as soon as we all meet. A realisation that this is what it is all about. Each to their own homes then to meet next day at sisters house. But again have to have the new PJ's,new slippers etc. Santa long gone from this house but we still get up like he has come,Xmas music playing..Oh I wish it could be Xmas every day....

Overflow · 02-10-2011 7:47am

Tabnabs wrote: »

Best day of the year Christmas Eve, bar none!!

I'm very lucky to have a Scandinavian background so we celebrate two Christmases. On Chrismas Eve the family gathers in my parents house for the first Christmas dinner, this is usually a traditional Scandinavian dish including on occasion reindeer (don't tell the kids about the meat they're munching away on!). Then all sit around the christmas tree which is stock piled with presents from our extended family abroad and one person is nominated to dish out the gifts. This usually takes over an hour and is a wonderful family time. Then we have christmas cake, cookies and chocolates and sit there browsing through our gifts.

Then we get up on christmas day, head to the inlaws and do it all again!

We also do the scandanvian thing on xmas eve, we have something called Pinnekjøtt, it cured mutton ribs with potatoes and creamed turnip mash, sounds odd but its actually lovely. Thats become a tradition on xmas eve in our house. Then the traditional Irish xmas dinner on xmas day.

Cork Lass · 02-10-2011 10:08am

Christmas eve is my favourite day of the year. I'm a mom to 2 girls aged 16 and 11 so this year will be a little different in that the 11 year old has an awareness that she didn't have before. It will be our first "grown-up" christmas but I'm looking forward to it. I will get up about 7.00 am on Christmas eve and start the food prep for Christmas day. Will get ham, spiced beef, stuffing and veggies ready but the goose will be cooked on the day. Then it's in to town for a bit of browsing and to soak up the atmosphere. Lunch is a sandwich in the Long Valley and maybe an Irish coffee. Then home again and a few friends and neighbours will call for a glass of wine and the exchanging of gifts. We dont watch much tv but will have christmas music on all day. Pressies will be put under the tree and a little something will be left out for Santa and the reindeer. Then it's off to bed (in new pj's of course) and girls are under strict instructions that no-one comes down before 7.00 am

shuffles88 · 02-10-2011 2:30pm

I love that so many other "grown ups":) haven't given up getting new pj's for Christmas either, its one of my favorite things about Christmas. I'm a nostalgic type so I do a lot of thing's that made me feel Christmassy as a kid like watching one of The Den Christmas specials on YouTube and i'll also make sure to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol.

During the afternoon I'll usually put on the radio and listen to Fairytale Of New York being played to death (I love it though!) while I wrap presents for my brother and my Fiance who can't wrap to save their lives.There's also a custom of helping my Father with the last minute gift purchase for my Mother. Ever since he bought her a Slendertone one year he now, thankfully, asks for advice!

I live next door to my parents so when they go to midnight mass, I go in and make Mulled Wine and Eggnog to warm them up when they get back and we usually order a take away and sit around and watch The Vicar Of Dibley and Father Ted Christmas Specials until someone is brave enough to break the seldom experienced family unity by announcing they're off to bed.

02-10-2011 3:58pm

I normally have to go to work for a couple of hours in the morning, but usually we spend it drinking tea and chatting. Then off home to my house, collect all the gifts, load up the car and off to the parents. There I help them with the veg peeling, and we get the ham cooked etc. I make some home made mince pies and some finger food and get the beer and champers chilling. Then the rest of the siblings call up and we have some nibbles and couple of drinks, put on cheesey Christmas music and see who can sing along the worst.

Then we have 'Stupid Santa'. It's a tradition that started about 5 years ago when we had a pretend Christmas dinner in November for a brother who was going travelling. Instead of real presents, we had to find the most ridiculous presents for as cheap as possible and wrap them up in imaginative ways (magazines, cereal boxes, empty beans tins!). Now that tradition has extended to every xmas eve. It's so much fun and we all roll around the floor laughing at the ridiculous gifts. Some of us go to mass then, I don't. Then later down to the local for merry chat and drink. Home by 12 where we absoloutely must eat some hang sandwiches!

Then to bed with the clean sheets and new pyjamas and up around 9am to see what santa brought

EDIT: and I just realised none of this will probably happen this year due to half my family emigrating

Think i'll have a little cry now!

milli milli · 02-10-2011 6:29pm

LadyMayBelle wrote:

Myself and my brother started a tradition a few years back of walking down to the local Dunnes just before closing time and hanging around the meat aisle until they slap on the reduced stickers...it started out as a joke, and it is still funny, as you recognise all the other 'lurkers' at 17:50!! Usually end up with a cheap turkey or a leg of ham that gets named 'Hank' and lug it back home!

This is hilarious! I laughed out loud at it.

AshAdele · 05-10-2011 9:15am

As I was growing up christmas eve was when we met up with my moms side of the family, everyone would pile into a pub at about 4 o clock to have a few drinks then head home at about 7-8 to go to bed and wait for santa.

Stephens day was when we all went to my dads side of the family, all the cousins would pile into the Nans house and stay there all day eating a full christmas dinner again with all the trimmings.

Myself and my boyfriend are now making our own traditions. Christmas eve morning is spent getting the last few things organised, taking the dog for a walk (she really doesnt like the cold so last years snow/ice did not make for a very productive walk).

At about 4 o clock we head to my dads for lithunian christmas (12 dishs served once the first star in the sky can be seen) that night we go to the local pub with all the boyfriends friends for a few pints then walk home. (this year we wont be within walking distance and will have to drive)

christmas day is split between the two families, last year was dinner at mine and evening drinks (lazying about) at his so it is the opposite this year.

Im trying to fit in a dinner this year with a few of my friends but I really dont see where I will have time in chirstmas eve/day so I think that will have to wait for stephens day.

really cant wait for christmas but I cant get anything organised as we are about to move into our new house so im preparing for that instead. hopefully by the time halloween is finished I will be able to focus all my attention on christmas preparations

Overflow · 05-10-2011 9:45am

We have two Christmases, because my wife is norwegian and i live over here in Norway.

Each year we alternate between Ireland and Norway. This year christmas is in Norway, so my family from Ireland will be coming over to stay with us.

Christmas eve over here is the big day, so the 23rd is actually more like Christmas eve, so we usually get up early go down to the local Christmas market and have a wander around. I try organize all the bits i need for the Irish Christmas dinner. Its not easy getting a big lump of salted ham, i have to special preorder it have have it cured in salt, weeks beforehand !

This year we have just bought a new house up in the countryside so we are pretty much guaranteed a white Christmas. So on the real Christmas eve the 24th

everything is closed, we will probably get up nice and early, head out for a stroll or out on the cross country skis before heading back to have the Norwegian Christmas dinner cooked by my wife's father along with a few norwegian Christmas ale's.

After dinner its time to exchange some gifts, this is the Norwegian tradition. Then probably a few hot whiskies while putting out the kids presents and watching our favourite xmas films, Scrooged and Home Alone. Then to bed nice and early, showered, new pyjama's, bed sheets and all that

Christmas day its pretty much Irish Christmas day with the exception that we will probably go skiing for an hour or so, the local ski resort is only 10 mins down the road. Its lovely to get out into the fresh cold air for a bit and come back to have the 'proper' Christmas dinner

EarlyStorms · 05-10-2011 3:56pm

My Christmas Eve is usually pretty simple. I get any last minute bits I need and then head for a meal somewhere. Then it’s straight to our local. Xmas eve night in the local is one of the best nights of the year. You see so many familiar faces that you don’t see too often throughout the year. Everyone is in such a great mood so we all just catch up and drink beer what more could you want?! I'm already looking for that night now!

Loughc · 05-10-2011 4:22pm

EarlyStorms wrote: »

My Christmas Eve is usually pretty simple. I get any last minute bits I need and then head for a meal somewhere. Then it’s straight to our local. Xmas eve night in the local is one of the best nights of the year. You see so many familiar faces that you don’t see too often throughout the year. Everyone is in such a great mood so we all just catch up and drink beer what more could you want?! I'm already looking for that night now!

This is exactly how I feel about my local on Christmas Eve, everyone is home, in great form, merry out and most years a sing song of Christmas songs gets going, its great craic, you just can't beat it!

Rackstar · 05-10-2011 8:28pm

I usually get up at about 10 on Christmas eve, head to some form of shopping centre and fight people for presents. Usually do all my shopping on xmas eve!

After the shopping I head back to the home place for about 3 or so, usually picking up a family member or 2 on the way. Once in the door after saying hello to everyone (have 5 brothers and 2 sisters) would have a drink or 2 and some food. Usually then myself and a couple of the brothers set up a networked game of Football Manager which usually gets played when there's nothing else going on, great for a bit of craic between the brothers and usually runs for 3/4 days.

Then at about 8 or 9 it's down to the local pub to see who else is home!! We used to have a good crew around 20 of us or so but the numbers have been dwindling in recent years with people moving away and stuff

Most years we end up staying way too late in the pub and leaving well after closing. Usually arrive home fairly sauced and attack the ham that's on the hob, might not do that this year though as there has been hell to pay for that in recent years. After butchering the ham would have a quick look at what Santa has brought and head off to bed, waking the next morning usually with an awful hangover!

Cherry Blossom Girl · 18-10-2011 12:56pm

I LOVE Christmas Eve! Think I prefer it to Christmas Day!
In the morning myself and my mam will usually go into town to pick up a last minute pressie and just soak up the christmas atmosphere & I meet with my boyfriend to exchange gifts and look around the shops (we just started this tradition recently).
Then in the afternoon we visit our cousins to give them presents - think boot of car piled high with presents

and we will have various family members & friends call to us throughout the day with presents, etc.

After that, the rest of the day is usually spent preparing food for Christmas day. My aunt lives on her own so she spends evey christmas with us. We go to 'midnight' mass at 9pm and when we come home we sit by the fire, have a drink, eating chocs and everybody opens 1 present (or sometimes more

) Then we will watch whatever christmassy stuff is on RTE & go to bed around midnight.

However, this year will be different as my cousin is getting married in Florida a few days after xmas and I am her bridesmaid! About 20ish members of my family are going out so we will have Christmas in the sun! It will be strange but I'm excited! Christmas in America is amazing, plus I can't wait for the sales

Edit: Meant to say Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum!

leahyl · 18-10-2011 1:38pm

Bright__Eyes wrote: »

I LOVE Christmas Eve! Think I prefer it to Christmas Day!
In the morning myself and my mam will usually go into town to pick up a last minute pressie and just soak up the christmas atmosphere & I meet with my boyfriend to exchange gifts and look around the shops (we just started this tradition recently).
Then in the afternoon we visit our cousins to give them presents - think boot of car piled high with presents and we will have various family members & friends call to us throughout the day with presents, etc.

After that, the rest of the day is usually spent preparing food for Christmas day. My aunt lives on her own so she spends evey christmas with us. We go to 'midnight' mass at 9pm and when we come home we sit by the fire, have a drink, eating chocs and everybody opens 1 present (or sometimes more ) Then we will watch whatever christmassy stuff is on RTE & go to bed around midnight.

However, this year will be different as my cousin is getting married in Florida a few days after xmas and I am her bridesmaid! About 20ish members of my family are going out so we will have Christmas in the sun! It will be strange but I'm excited! Christmas in America is amazing, plus I can't wait for the sales

Edit: Meant to say Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum!

Welcome Bright_Eyes!:D If you love Christmas then you'll love this forum!

They sound like lovely traditions! Especially the one with you bringing gifts to your cousins and the car piled high with presents! Like something you'd see in a Christmas movie:pac:

tittle mouse · 18-10-2011 9:01pm

Oh i LOVE this!!!!:D

Every christmas eve me and my mam head to woodies and buy more christmas decorations cause there all half price!!!! i love this cause she always buys me and my sis something special for our house.

When we get home we watch the 6 news with my son to see santa take off and his face is priceless(it makes my heart melt) we have a take away then my son has his bath and puts on his pjs his auntie bought him. Its the same for my sisters 2 kids who are 19 months and 6 months.

When the kids are asleep my dad starts putting together the toys that need to be put together!!:D (while eating a big tin of roses!!!)

Next morning we get up early and exchange gifts and watch the kids eyes light up which is the most amazing feeling in the world. Me and my sis help mum with dinner while everyone else minds the kids. After dinner we take out the rte guide and decide on a film and veg out in front of the telly for the evening.

I love Christmas Time

Christmas Eve Traditions :-)

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