It’s 4 p.m. on Christmas eve. I’ve just walked around, setting my exterior Christmas and platform lights (I live in a replica train station), to stay on all night. Next was my interior Christmas lighting – once again, for all night. This is the only night I keep them on all night.
I’m a 66 year-old single man. I know that Santa is not real. I have no children to impress. But I still make sure my Christmas beacons are on all night. Because, you know, Santa is on his way.
The only difference between tonight and any other night is the eggnog. I don’t usually drink rum during other times of the year.
To the OP, I don’t leave lights on, but I do try to be sure that all the stray critters at the shelter get a can of food each. I usually buy and deliver it myself, but this year I ordered from Chewy. Its been my tradition for over 30 years, the shelter workers say the critters all seem to enjoy it.
Not exactly, but I’m happy that you are sharing your tradition. This is a part of what makes us human.
We do keep the one Christmas light going as long as we are awake and turn it on as soon as we get up (I turn it on when I turn on the espresso maker), and this we do from the first Sunday in Advent until Ephiphany. And we have a LED polar bear that has a timer, so he’s lit from 8-10 pm.
I’ ve not heard of that tradition. I think it’s cool but I have an irrational fear of fire. I do have a Christmas tree nightlight that obviously stays on all night.
I always keep the exterior Christmas lights on overnight on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. This year I set the timer to “Dusk-to-Dawn” in mid December and kept them on every night, just as a little bit of extra cheer for a dark year. I’ve noticed a lot more Christmas decorations than normal on homes, so I’m not the only one.
Our other Christmas tradition is to watch Blackadder’s Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. (This originally started when we couldn’t agree on which version of A Christmas Carol to watch - my wife’s favourite with Alastair Sim or mine with George C. Scott.)
We had lots when we had kids at home. When we had dogs they always got a can/container of fancy dog food for their dinner.
Sadly, we don’t have our dogs this Xmas and haven’t had kids at home for ages. Also no traditional meal of spaghetti shared with extended family this year.
It was pretty bland and tradition-less this year.
We do leave the tree lights on from Xmas Eve morning til Xmas Day night.