by Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount
Member since:
August 4, 2006

My Christmas Eve Tradition What's Yours?

December 01, 2008 06:39 PM EST
views: 131 | rating: 10/10 (20 votes) | comments: 31

I love Christmas more every year. Every year it is clearer to me Christmas is about CHRIST!!
My boys are grown and gone but I still decorate as if they were home. It is the little girl in me. Even at 53 I find her.
It is nice when friends come over to feel in the holiday setting. On Christmas Eve we always have a big dinner and watch Christmas Movies with family and friends.
Time to enjoy all the cakes and cookies I worked so hard on all month & sip eggnog.
After everyone leaves whomever is left gets in their PJ's and we sit down around the tree around bedtime and One person is picked to be Santa's helper elf.
They pass out the gifts while wearing the elf hat of course.
Photos to be posted later ; )
Once they are all given we start at one end and each person takes a turn opening the one the choose.
We have done this many years the only difference is the family members that cannot partake any longer for one reason or another aren't here.
We remember it is the day Christ was born.

Do you have any special things you do? Please add them.

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Comments: 31

donna h. Dec 1, 2008, 6:44pm EST
Years ago I did, not so much anymore.....
Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount Dec 1, 2008, 6:46pm EST
Well come on over we can have a PJ party : )
Peter Joseph Swanson Dec 1, 2008, 6:46pm EST
I don't have any
Rae M. Dec 1, 2008, 6:46pm EST
We have Christmas Eve with my family every year at my mom's house. We do Christmas with my husband's family. But my Dad comes (parents are divorced), and my sister, and her husband and kids from Texas. We will have dinner then exchange gifts, and then have some dessert and sometimes play a game. I love Christmas Eve.
sarah g. Dec 1, 2008, 6:49pm EST
we go to a family party but we also have our kids open one gift, which is always a new set of Christmas pjs.
carolyn b. Dec 1, 2008, 6:52pm EST
We visit family and then ride around and look at the wonderful decorations on everyones homes. We usually open up our gifts that night but last year, we opened them on Christmas day.
Leah Christensen Dec 1, 2008, 6:57pm EST
It looks like Walker and I are going to start something new this year, and celebrate a Danish-German Christmas with a German friend of ours, here in Guelph who doesn't have family in the area.
Stacey (Jesus is coming soon! ) U. Dec 1, 2008, 7:00pm EST
Can't think of any particular thing I do on the Eve, but has far as decorating, which I seem to be more and more in charge of, I am getting as many nativities as I can this year--even on my limited budget. After all, He's the Reason for the Season ! ;)

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Charles Temm JR Dec 1, 2008, 7:06pm EST
Midnite or Children's Mass depending on whether we have the granddaughters with us!
Kelly Kay Dec 1, 2008, 7:06pm EST
We watch Christmas themed movies, have snacks & hot chocolate. We always open the "family game" and play that. Then at the end of the evening I allow the kids to open one gift & I read Twas the Night Before Christmas. So I guess we have many traditions.
Rhonda M. Dec 1, 2008, 7:12pm EST
We go to my parents house and all the family is there, we eat, play games and exchange gifts and then do it all over again at my in laws house. It's quite a busy day.
Rob Appell Dec 1, 2008, 7:17pm EST
The only tradition I have for the holiday is at midnight as Christmas Eve turns into Christmas Day, I turn off all the lights in my home and place one single lit candle in a front window to welcome the 'wayfaring stranger'. At the same time, I play Mahalia Jackson's 'Sweet Little Jesus Boy'...followed by other selections from Mahalia. After about an hour of sitting in peace and reflecting, I turn off the music, put out the candle and go to bed.
Lucky Stars Dec 1, 2008, 7:28pm EST
I love your tradition, Rob.

Until this year, our tradition was for all of my husband's family to gather at my house. We would munch on an appetizer fare served up with ham and sometimes turkey. My daughter and her family would spend the night (they live 2 1/2 hours away) and we had our immediate family Christmas on Christmas Day with my son coming back over - he lives down the road.
My husband always made a breakfast casserole and we would have that with mimosas as we looked in our stockings. Later we would open gifts and lounge around and eat leftovers all day.

However, the grandkids have finally decided they want Santa to come to their house. They are 4 & 5. (Who can blame them?) So, the large family gathering is getting moved to the Sunday before Christmas and we will go to my daughter's home Christmas Eve.
Things change.
Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount Dec 1, 2008, 7:32pm EST
Awee I forgot to mention Midnight Mass.
Thank You all for posting your traditions.
Very neat to read what other will be doing.
Happy Holidays.
j - Frugal Mom - r. Dec 1, 2008, 7:36pm EST
We only celebrate Christmas Eve in our house, so this is where we have all the fun.
Debra H. Dec 1, 2008, 8:04pm EST
Wow, you have great traditions there! Can I come to your house?
Karen M. Dec 1, 2008, 8:44pm EST
We go to my brothers for snacks and conversation with family and friends...
Carol B Dec 1, 2008, 8:48pm EST
That sounds really nice. My husband's family whom we used to spend Christmas eve with would open all their gifts that night. But in our immediate family my children were allowed to open up their christmas pj box and their ornament box. We would then at midnight put the baby Jesus in the manger and off to bed. Now that my children don't live home any longer, they still get their jammies on Christmas eve and I put the baby Jesus in the manger.
Charlie B. Dec 1, 2008, 10:33pm EST
I sleep.
Dana M. Dec 1, 2008, 11:14pm EST
I always had to work on Christmas Eve. Since I got laid off a few weeks ago I finally won't have to work. Maybe I can start traditions with my son this year. I can't believe after thirteen years of working every single holiday I'll actually be able to enjoy one! I don't know if I will know how! I guess there is something good about being unemployed!
Carla B. Dec 2, 2008, 6:16am EST
We spend Christmas Eve just hanging out together. We try to get any chores done earlier in the day, so that when Elliott gets up from his nap, we can just hang out and do whatever he wants to do. Before we go to bed, Elliott gets to open one present (pajamas).
Danielle P. Dec 2, 2008, 6:28am EST
I make dinner we go to church and then come home and open gifts around midnight. It allows me to sleep in the morning and then we go to my in laws house with the kids bright and early.
Elaine S. Dec 2, 2008, 7:03am EST
The Family comes to my house and we have dinner and open gifts.That way they can all stay home Christmas Day.when they leave we go to Midnight Mass and then come home and go to bed.
Judy Kiser Dec 2, 2008, 7:03am EST
We spend the day with family, seems that as we age, our traditions change. But Family is always the center of everything we do. I always fill a stocking for each member of our family, and putting them on the mantle is quite the challange, as our family grows every year.
Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount Dec 2, 2008, 10:24am EST
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Cindi P. Dec 2, 2008, 10:59am EST
WE go to my mom and dad's early in the day, we watch The Santa Clause movie (2 if we have time) We have dinner, and goodies of course, then the kids open their gifts from Grandpa and Grandma. Then on the way home we stop at several neighbors and drop off plates of goodies we made, then home and to bed!
We always tell the kids if you aren't asleep before midnight santa will Fly right past!
Then Christmas Morning we open presents, then go to church, then Mom and Dad(and who ever else we come across who needs a place to go) come over in the afternoon and bring stockings she has for the kids! I always make Swiss STeak and scallopped potatoes fro dinner. (This year Randy has decided STUFFING is his favorite food, so i think Grandma is making stuffing to go with the steak!LOL)
Michelle W. Dec 2, 2008, 1:12pm EST
My husband and I don't have any Christmas traditions for either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Since he is a long-haul truck driver, we never know if he is going to be home for the holidays or not.
Kim ohhh I wish.... Dec 2, 2008, 7:30pm EST
Usually we go to my sister's inlaws for Christmas Eve and then spend the day at my sister's house on Christmas day. The 4th Saturday in Decemeber (which falls as the 27th this year) we have our huge family party. We have so many people that we rent a building, wel all bring food and munch all day. And after its dark, we all open gifts.
t w. Dec 4, 2008, 8:34am EST
great traditions, we read the story about the birth of Jesus on Christmas eve and then the kids leave santa a cookie and some milk, and they each leave him a note.
Laurel H. Dec 10, 2008, 11:22am EST
We always talk about the true meaning of Christmas on Christmas Eve and then we make Cookies and leave some milk for Santa. Santa is in our life until they get older. Santa is all around how do you tell a child their is no Santa. You don't, they will find out. We also have a Birthday Cake for Jesus Birthday!
Janie E. Dec 16, 2008, 1:43am EST
Our Christmas tradition involves me making my honey-orange glazed ham with pineapple and cherries!!! Hubby makes the side stuff and our daughter busies herself helping Mom in the kitchen!!!! This year, I think we will get invited to one of my brothers or sisters house, but I will still make my special ham, just for them!!!!

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