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Christmas Eve Traditions :-)

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    #122
    SunnyDub1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,439 ✭✭✭SunnyDub1


    Great Thread. Love reading everyones different traditions :D
    I love Christmas eve more then Christmas day!

    I wake up early and get my Christmas eve clothes on (yes I get Xmas eve clothes :o)
    Out to the shops with my mam and sisters to get the last few bits, then have some lunch while we watch the busy crowds rushing around the shop.

    Afternoon is usually spent watching Xmas movies with my sisters and dogs while sipping a nice hot mug of tea & munching some chocolates, while mam preps the Xmas dinner for the following day.

    In the evening, after watching Santa go off on his travels on the 6pm news,
    we all open one present each from under the tree :)
    Dad then heads to the pub to meet his brothers and Friends. While I head to a different pub in the town to meet my Friends (love the atmosphere in the pub on Christmas eve)

    After a few drinks I will come home and get my new Xmas pj's on and have a few Turkey and ham sandwhichs my mam has made for us :D Then off to bed it is !


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    #123
    Scortho
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,876 ✭✭✭Scortho


    I remember it used to be always a tradition in our house to go into town and look at the moving windows/moving puppet displays that used to be in the windows of the bigger shops. Oh how I wish they'd bring them back!


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    #124
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    I light a really big fire,so Santa gets his "roasted nutts" when he comes down the chimney..:D

    At least he will have earned his milk and cookies that we leave out for him.:pac::D


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    #125
    narfsnonsense
    Registered Users Posts: 262 ✭✭narfsnonsense


    I love Christmas Eve. Its prob my favourite day of the year. I'm the wrapper of the family and usually start the day wrapping whatever presents I haven't already done.

    Get the bus into town, in my santa hat. Hit the same pub we've been going to every Christmas eve for 15 years. Friends who are around all the time, and those who we dont see that much anymore come and go all afternoon. I always leave something small to buy that day and scramble my way up Grafton Street.

    Bus back to the local, where the brothers will be, along with numerous more mates for a heap of pints and general merriment. A fun drunken walk home, to raid the fridge. No hang sambos for us though. The ma would kill us!

    Starting a new one this year. Having lunch with the girls first. In the midde east at the minute so Christmas excitement is at a whole new level this year!


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    #126
    leahyl
    Registered Users Posts: 14,244 ✭✭✭✭leahyl


    I just rememeber another "tradition" we have on Christmas Eve! Myself and my dad usually end up accompanying my mother to all the Dunnes stores branches in Cork City so that she can stock up on half price fresh turkeys for the following year:eek::D She buys about 3 if they are down in price and freezes them and they do us for the following year - Easter, Christmas and New Years!:pac:


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    #127
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    Whispered wrote: »
    My Dad is like that - we always got up very early as kids, but recent years we've grown out of it so would sleep until 9am or so. From about 6 my dad is up "quietly" going about his morning - ie coughing in the hallway, loudly scraping and lighting the fire, singing christmas songs at the top of his toneless voice (think dustin the turkey) and making brekkie. He's the biggest kid of us all. This year again we wont go down until Christmas morning so I'll miss all that. :(

    My parents have always made such an effort at Christmas, even when we had very little they made sure we had a special day.

    I was reading over this thread last night and wanted to comment on my post last year.

    I was a bit upset that we wouldn't get to be there for the Christmas morning "wake up", so we got up early and drove down at 6am Christmas morning. When I got to the house my dad was in the kitchen lighting the fire. His face when I walked in was priceless! Everyone else was still in bed so not only did I get down before the sitting room door was opened (they arrange the gifts before going to bed so opening the door is always a surprise), but I got to join my dad in his yearly efforts to wake people up.

    I definitely won't get down this year as I'm likely to be working for a few hours on Christmas day, but last year will keep me going for a while :D


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    #128
    leahyl
    Registered Users Posts: 14,244 ✭✭✭✭leahyl


    Whispered wrote: »
    I was reading over this thread last night and wanted to comment on my post last year.

    I was a bit upset that we wouldn't get to be there for the Christmas morning "wake up", so we got up early and drove down at 6am Christmas morning. When I got to the house my dad was in the kitchen lighting the fire. His face when I walked in was priceless! Everyone else was still in bed so not only did I get down before the sitting room door was opened (they arrange the gifts before going to bed so opening the door is always a surprise), but I got to join my dad in his yearly efforts to wake people up.

    I definitely won't get down this year as I'm likely to be working for a few hours on Christmas day, but last year will keep me going for a while :D

    That's lovely Whispered :)


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    #129
    Loughc
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 24,727 Mod ✭✭✭✭Loughc


    Whispered wrote: »
    I was reading over this thread last night and wanted to comment on my post last year.

    I was a bit upset that we wouldn't get to be there for the Christmas morning "wake up", so we got up early and drove down at 6am Christmas morning. When I got to the house my dad was in the kitchen lighting the fire. His face when I walked in was priceless! Everyone else was still in bed so not only did I get down before the sitting room door was opened (they arrange the gifts before going to bed so opening the door is always a surprise), but I got to join my dad in his yearly efforts to wake people up.

    I definitely won't get down this year as I'm likely to be working for a few hours on Christmas day, but last year will keep me going for a while :D

    Love it!!! :)

    Sounds great it really does!! :)


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    #130
    Silas45
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭Silas45


    Get up Christmas eve morning and by that time mam is in the middle of making the stuffings for the next day. Last minute cleaning and decorations done that morning then head to town for a walk around enjoying the atmosphere and picking up bits and pieces.

    Christmas movies then until the rest of the family start arriving. Quick dinner then head to late mass. Love the peaceful feel to Christmas eve mass in the candle light. Home then to mulled wine and roses for everyone and help the parents with the preparing the turkey. Have the same debate every year about whether the turkey will fit in the oven or not and whether we should stuff it…..we always stuff it! Wrap it up ready for the next morning. Christmas PJs then and new sheets are a must. I just love Christmas eve !!!


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    #131
    Deedsie
    Registered Users Posts: 5,272 ✭✭✭Deedsie


    This isn't really a Christmas Eve tradition but a Christmas week one. I always back an 18 to 1 horse, inspired by the lyrics to Fairytale of New York... Haven't won anything yet though! Maybe this year...


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    #132
    kerry4sam
    Registered Users Posts: 15,127 ✭✭✭✭kerry4sam


    Deedsie wrote: »
    This isn't really a Christmas Eve tradition but a Christmas week one. I always back an 18 to 1 horse, inspired by the lyrics to Fairytale of New York... Haven't won anything yet though! Maybe this year...

    That's a novel idea. I'm going to try this this year myself! Good Luck with your horse, Hope you get a win :)


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    #133
    Deedsie
    Registered Users Posts: 5,272 ✭✭✭Deedsie


    kerry4sam wrote: »
    That's a novel idea. I'm going to try this this year myself! Good Luck with your horse, Hope you get a win :)

    You to Sam... Let me know if you win! Doing it 3 years now, so far I'm down €30 :-)


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    #134
    midgetflynn
    Registered Users Posts: 150 ✭✭midgetflynn


    Christmas Eve back home has turned into a big tradition. Mum starts cooking the dinner that night and while she's doing that, other family members help her (my uncle who lives next door is on spud peeling duty!), I bake cookies and mince pies, some Christmas wrapping is done (usually by myself and my aunt), other family members and friends come over and have some food and some drinks, we play some music and around midnight we all have a taste of the ham that's been cooked. Last year, we had a bottle of champagne to celebrate Dad having finished his chemo. And this year we'll have extra family over (1 uncle and his wife and another uncle), so there will be 14 sitting down to dinner this year in my house!


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    #135
    Jude13
    Registered Users Posts: 3,797 ✭✭✭Jude13


    Some great traditions here keep them coming.

    I live abroad so will have to make new traditions this year as I will not be home.

    But when I am home I get up early and help my Mum with cooking etc and getting set up for the next day, thats if Christmas is in our house that year. I thien usually go into town on Christmas eve morning and pick up one or two things. Have lunch and watch the panic on the shoppers faces.

    It always ends up in the pub with a few people I have bumpned into or arranged to meet. Talk about old times and have a few ciders (can't get the good stuff in the desert).

    I jump on the bus/taxi home as we usually go to the local GAA club on Christmas for pints as a family. Prior to that I do a tipsy half assed job wrapping pressies. We walk up to the pub and have pint, its so busy its usually only one for me. Home and raid the fridge and then bed.

    Pretty simple. Oh and my mum makes all of us stirr the mix for the Christmas pudding for good luck. This year as I will not be there on the day I will have to stirr the flour that will be used in the pudding in a bowl a week before christmas to keep her happy.


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    #136
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    Jude13 wrote: »
    Oh and my mum makes all of us stirr the mix for the Christmas pudding for good luck. This year as I will not be there on the day I will have to stirr the flour that will be used in the pudding in a bowl a week before christmas to keep her happy.

    That is so sweet!


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    #137
    mashedbanana
    Registered Users Posts: 542 ✭✭✭mashedbanana


    touts wrote: »
    - Up early in the morning
    - Light a fire.
    - Search through the fully stocked Fridge for whatever takes your fancy for breakfast.
    - Watch some old black and white classic movie on TV while eating.
    - Quick run into town just as shops open for the last bits (bread, cream etc)
    - Back home and do some prep for the Christmas dinner with Christmas music playing in the background (used to cook the Turkey and Ham but recently we just get a cooked turkey and ham from a local butcher as it really frees up time on a day when you don't mind spending the money for more time to enjoy things).
    - Back into town with the kids for a walk around to savour the atmosphere. Hopefully cold but dry. Carol singers and buskers randomly popping up here and there. Crowds of people rushing about but yet more smiles on faces (in particular young ones) than any other time of the year.
    - Quick soup and sandwich for lunch somewhere in town where you can hear christmas music and watch the crowds pass by.
    - Back home and lay the table while listening to Santa and his elf reading letters on RTE Radio 1. Derek Mooney has destroyed this in recent years so hopefully since it is a weekend he will be off doing his shopping.
    - Crack open the tin of Quality street, box of tayto and tin of biscuits
    - Watch the news to see the little faces as Santa departs Lapland
    - Again raid the fridge for a light dinner (after snacking all afternoon)
    - Get everyone in the house showered and dressed for mignight mass (at 9pm)
    - Meet the grandparents at the church. Mass and then show the kids the Crib.
    - Back Home. Milk, cookies, carrots and water left out for our important visitors.
    - Get the overtired and over excited kids to bed.
    - Christmas music on the ipod as the room gets "prepped" for Santa's visit (making sure the hard bits were done in the days before if at all possible).
    - Exchange presents with herself with glass of mulled wine, dying fire and something nice on the TV.
    - Late to Bed in anticipation of an early start

    Best day of the year.
    I loved reading through this :-)


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    #138
    Sariah
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭Sariah


    I love Christmas eve better than Christmas Day. I usually get up early and do some cleaning and organising. I never go outside the door on christmas eve. My dh goes out and picks up turkey and all the last minutes bits like cream and flowers and nice treats. I then move the kitchen table in to the dining room which becomes the christmas room. I make stuffing, toblerone cheescake, prepare veg. My step daughters often drop in to give me a hand and some years they stay with us xmas eve and others xmas night. I light my yankee candles and change all the beds. Sometimes neighbours might drop in for a few mins. I then bath the smaller kids, put on their new jammies and read them a very special book that I have called "a dress for Ellen" I always cry reading this book to them. We wait for the kids to sleep and then get all their stuff ready for Santa. Then we wait for the 3 older "kids" to sleep so we can get their stuff ready. Then I usually fall in to bed around 3am exhausted to be woken up at 7am. I usually have all my family over for dinner christmas day which I love also.


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    #139
    AoifeCN
    Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭AoifeCN


    get all the pressies ready
    make (and usually fail :P ) the Christmas desert
    watch the father Ted Christmas special
    have some spiced beef
    try to get to sleep

    I love how Christmas makes us revert back to when we were 9 years old :)


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    #140
    amyfitz91
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭amyfitz91


    Well I'm not irish but my Dad is. We're actually bringing him to Ireland for the first Christmas since he emigrated. There's a thread about it. I thought I'd share some Christmas Eve Traditions outside of Ireland. We live in the Pebble Beach area of Cali which is near to San Francisco.

    We all wake up crazy early on Christmas morning. We will have breakfast at 7am and then Dad and I will go to Wholefoods where we'll buy anything perishable that hasn't yet been bought. We'll also buy some little treats for our dogs. We'll get back from Wholefoods at around 9am. We live right on the beach so the whole family, my sister, mom, dad, dogs and I will go for a stroll on the beach. We finish this by about noon at which stage we Skype my Dad's family who are all in my Grandparent's house. This used to be a phone call but the advent of Skype has meant that we can now talk to and see our family. This generally lasts an hour. Then my Mom prepares dinner for the next day. While she's doing this my Dad, sister and I pop out to the mall where we'll buy a gift for Mom from Dad. We also pick up some hot chocolate. When we get home dinner is prepared (we have turkey and spiced beef along with a selection of pies) and then it's time to decorate the family gingerbread house and make Christmas cookies. Once this is done we all get ready to go to my aunts house for a Christmas eve dinner, it's usually pasta as her husband is Italian. My Mom's two other sisters and brother will be there along with their parents and all the grandkids. We exchange gifts and then at around 9pm we all go to a Carol Service on the beach by candlelight near my aunts. We come back from this and spend about hour or so at my aunts. Then we get back home where we put out some stuff for Santa (my sister's 17 now so!) and then we all cuddle up under a big fuzzy blanket in Christmas PJ's with all the dogs and watch "The Santa Claus" Once this is over we go to bed but not before getting a call from my Irish cousins to say Santa arrived in Ireland and he's on his way to Cali. We've all grown out of Santa now but we still all ring each other to wish each other a merry Christmas. Then we go to bed in anticipation of the next day!
    Sorry, that was a lot longer than I thought!


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    #141
    fishy fishy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,456 ✭✭✭fishy fishy


    amyfitz91 wrote: »
    Well I'm not irish but my Dad is. We're actually bringing him to Ireland for the first Christmas since he emigrated. There's a thread about it. I thought I'd share some Christmas Eve Traditions outside of Ireland. We live in the Pebble Beach area of Cali which is near to San Francisco.

    We all wake up crazy early on Christmas morning. We will have breakfast at 7am and then Dad and I will go to Wholefoods where we'll buy anything perishable that hasn't yet been bought. We'll also buy some little treats for our dogs. We'll get back from Wholefoods at around 9am. We live right on the beach so the whole family, my sister, mom, dad, dogs and I will go for a stroll on the beach. We finish this by about noon at which stage we Skype my Dad's family who are all in my Grandparent's house. This used to be a phone call but the advent of Skype has meant that we can now talk to and see our family. This generally lasts an hour. Then my Mom prepares dinner for the next day. While she's doing this my Dad, sister and I pop out to the mall where we'll buy a gift for Mom from Dad. We also pick up some hot chocolate. When we get home dinner is prepared (we have turkey and spiced beef along with a selection of pies) and then it's time to decorate the family gingerbread house and make Christmas cookies. Once this is done we all get ready to go to my aunts house for a Christmas eve dinner, it's usually pasta as her husband is Italian. My Mom's two other sisters and brother will be there along with their parents and all the grandkids. We exchange gifts and then at around 9pm we all go to a Carol Service on the beach by candlelight near my aunts. We come back from this and spend about hour or so at my aunts. Then we get back home where we put out some stuff for Santa (my sister's 17 now so!) and then we all cuddle up under a big fuzzy blanket in Christmas PJ's with all the dogs and watch "The Santa Claus" Once this is over we go to bed but not before getting a call from my Irish cousins to say Santa arrived in Ireland and he's on his way to Cali. We've all grown out of Santa now but we still all ring each other to wish each other a merry Christmas. Then we go to bed in anticipation of the next day!
    Sorry, that was a lot longer than I thought!


    sounds nice, but no offense it just sounds like there is something missing....the weather - it MUST be cold dark wet or snowy. Christmas in the sun is just too wrong. :D:D


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    #142
    amyfitz91
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭amyfitz91


    fishy fishy wrote: »
    sounds nice, but no offense it just sounds like there is something missing....the weather - it MUST be cold dark wet or snowy. Christmas in the sun is just too wrong. :D:D

    I guess it's what we're all used to. Sunny Christmases are what I've only ever had but I would love to have a cold Christmas which is why I'm so totally stoked to have the holidays in Ireland this year!!


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    #143
    Q_ueeny
    Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭Q_ueeny


    I really enjoyed reading all them :D

    I love Christmas eve just as much as Christmas day.

    I normally work both so Christmas eve , get home and gather my presents and an overnight bag and head to mam's where I meet my 2 brothers and her partner. We have what we like to call a 'Swaray' where we cook loads of really lovely party bits and sit down and really have a laugh and eat good food. Its not often we are all in the house at the one time so its really nice.

    The night is usually board games or a stand up comedy dvd in front of the fire and loads of ****e and sweets! The boys then usually play the playstation so me and mam will be wrapping and chatting. Strict rules then before bedtime about getting up at silly o clock. Im 26 , my brothers 21 and 27 and we still get up really really early to see if Santa has been!

    :D

    Oh I cant wait :D

    Bed early tho as work at 9am Christmas day! I dont mind really tho as there is a delay in serving the dinner to wait for me!


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    #144
    Posy
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 27,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭Posy


    fishy fishy wrote: »
    sounds nice, but no offense it just sounds like there is something missing....the weather - it MUST be cold dark wet or snowy. Christmas in the sun is just too wrong. :D:D
    Like Amy said, it depends what you're used to I suppose!
    I remember an Australian girl talking about Christmas in the UK and she said it just seemed wrong because it wasn't sunny. :cool:


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    #145
    Witchie
    Registered Users Posts: 5,597 ✭✭✭Witchie


    I am getting so excited about Christmas already and reading all this has triggered the butterflies!

    Christmas day is manic in our house with anything between 15-22 people for dinner so there is a lot of prep to be done the day before. Christmas eve sees my mum, dad, sister, myself and my sons all at stations peeling spuds, carrots, sprouts, grating bread for stuffing and bread pudding etc but all activity ceases at about 3 in the afternoon when we all head into town (not Dublin!) for a wander around and to get the last minute things and just get into the spirit of it all before we retire to a hotel in the centre of town for our tea at about 5ish.

    Bellies full they all come out to my house for some mulled wine and mincepies and when my boys were younger we would all watch Santa leaving the north pole on the news while my boys used to sup hot chocolate or hot cordial before they were allowed to open one present each.

    When they would go to bed I would get everything else sorted and roll into bed myself.

    Christmas morning we head out to my parents house and help organise the dinner but have a brunch around 12 of bacon, sausages (for the meat eaters) quesadilla, scrambled eggs and what is called "Scuddum" in our house but is kinda like a ratatouille to sustain us until dinner at 5pm.

    We then open any family gifts before finishing getting the dinner ready and relaxing before my 2 aunts, uncle and cousins with their kids descend on our house for dinner.

    After dinner more presents are opened (mostly just the kids) and a night of partying is on the cards with all sorts of stupid games of Animal Families, blow football, charades etc before the smaller kids are put to bed and a sing song breaks out.

    Its the one time of the year when our whole family is together and partying so it is really a special time of the year.

    Cant wait!!!!! :D


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    #146
    spygirl
    Registered Users Posts: 344 ✭✭spygirl


    Just came across this thread, the posts are lovely and really put me in the mood for the coming festivities. Just heading off now to make the christmas pudding with the little ones, an everyone has to have a stir and make a wish. Just sent Son no.1 upstairs to get down the Christmas cd and then the fun begins. Love this time of year, glad to see so many others follow the tradition of new PJ's on christmas eve. We do that here but everyone has check PJ's. Nothing very ocd about that is there?


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    #147
    Bubblefett
    Registered Users Posts: 2,032 ✭✭✭Bubblefett


    This is a year of new Christmas eve traditions for me.

    - Going to get up and bring my dogs for a massive walk.
    - Lunch with my family. The place we're going to will have a santa visit and does an "everyone gets a prize" raffle!
    - Drop into a few friends to give them their Christmas pressies.
    - Out to the boyfriends family to relax by the fire and watch a Christmas film.
    - Bring boyfriends Dad to the late Mass.
    - Out to pick up very drunken parents from their Christmas party and bring them to midnight church (the dog comes to this too!).
    - Back to parents house of a glass of whiskey and opening out "Santa socks."
    - Staying over and sleeping in my old childhood bedroom.

    I do miss the old days when my parents used to throw a big Christmas eve party for our friends but still, new traditions are just as fun as old :)


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    #148
    tomboylady
    Registered Users Posts: 309 ✭✭tomboylady


    Love reading everyone's stories and traditions!

    I usually head home to my parents around the 22nd/23rd (depending on when I finish work). My mum and I deliver all our presents on the 23rd, we have done for as long as I can remember. Our house becomes a centre of madness on Christmas Eve. Friends and neighbours will drop in for breakfast/lunch/tea/whatever. My Dad and I will start to prep the food for Christmas Day. Clean pyjamas and a little TV before bed. I'm in my mid 20s but the big tradition in our house is that I still have to go to bed before my parents on Christmas Eve, just like when I was a kid!


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    #149
    Witchie
    Registered Users Posts: 5,597 ✭✭✭Witchie


    Really really getting excited now!


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    #150
    ispini1984
    Closed Accounts Posts: 241 ✭✭ispini1984


    Just chill at home with the parents and the sis. Im home the 22nd this year so wont be shopping or doing anything major on chris eve so will be nicer to just hang at home, chop timber, get house sorted and go to mass, then home for food, then onto pub, but head home before midnight for a turket sambo with mam and dad before off to bed before santa arrives

    :D:D:D:D:D:


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    #151
    Frisbee
    Registered Users Posts: 23,561 ✭✭✭✭Frisbee


    Head down to my mates around 3pm and watch Die Hard with a few beers and then get Chinese from beside his house.

    Walk to the local.

    Stay there until about 12.30.

    Another Chinese form the take away across the road as it's the only place still open.

    Walk home, or if I'm lucky find a taxi.


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