What's YOUR Christmas Eve tradition?

[PapSett]

When my parents were alive, we always opened our gifts on Christmas Eve, about 5 PM. Then we’d go out driving around for a couple hours to look at the CHristmas lights, listening to Christmas music, and we’d come home, have our traditional meal of cheeses, summer sausage, chips, dips, etc. and play a game- there was always a new board game for Christmas.

Now, I am alone. I don’t have family or friends to do anything with. No tree, no gifts, no driving around looking at lights. I’ll hug my dogs, give them a chewie and go to bed early.

It’s the loneliest night of the year for me.

[interface2x]

My family is so fractured that I personally don’t really have any Christmas Eve traditions. It all depends on who I am with that year. This year, I’m with my mom and we will probably go to a party for her (Christmas Eve is her birthday).

[gwendee]

For the last few years we’ve been joining my siter and brother-in-law for an evening church service. We’re working out some food traditions, too.

Growing up my sister and I opened gifts on Christmas Eve with our mom, and then on Christmas Day with grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins.

[matt_mcl]

Recently we’ve been “having Christmas” at my mom’s on Christmas Eve, with mr and mrs bro_mcl going to her parents’ for Christmas morning and mom_mcl and I joining them for dinner. Last year I asked Mom what she planned to do on Christmas morning, and she festively replied, “Sweet F.A.”

[Dung_Beetle]

@Unauthorized_Cinnamon

*Yes, having my kids like Star Wars is more important to me than what religion they choose.

My kids both understand that if they read Gone With the Wind and don’t care for it, they’d best keep their mouths* shut!*

[yellowval]

@norinew

(Bolding mine).
Heavens to Betsy! Please tell me that by ‘grasshoppers’, you’re talking about the mint-flavored cocktail!

If so, we have a traditional holiday dinner ‘festive’ drink, too: Ice wine! My hubby doesn’t like any kind of wine but this, but he loves this! Even my 9YO likes it, and gets her own little glass of it! (It’s really too sweet to be consumed more than 2oz at a time anyway; definitely a ‘dessert wine’). So we have little liqueur glasses, and serve chilled ice wine with the pumpkin pie, apple pie, whipped cream, etc.

Whoops! I guess grasshoppers are such a tradition for us that I didn’t even consider that someone might think of something other than the drink. We make ours with ice cream. It’s the perfect dessert after you’ve stuffed yourself on Christmas Eve because, as Mom always says, “Ice cream just slides in the cracks.” Plus it’s minty and soothes the stomach. Yum!

[norinew]

@yellowval

Whoops! I guess grasshoppers are such a tradition for us that I didn’t even consider that someone might think of something other than the drink. We make ours with ice cream. It’s the perfect dessert after you’ve stuffed yourself on Christmas Eve because, as Mom always says, “Ice cream just slides in the cracks.” Plus it’s minty and soothes the stomach. Yum!

Well, that’s a relief!
Not that I’m against anyone having. . .non-traditional traditions, but still. . .

When we lived in the suburbs of Baltimore, hubby and I frequented a restaurant/lounge where, upon request, any mixed drink that usually contained milk/cream, they would make for you with ice cream instead. Some of them were quite tasty, and it’s hard to feel like you’re getting ‘toasty’ when all you’re drinking is freakin’ milkshakes!

[Serenata67]

My fiance and I drive. We spend dinner time on Christmas Eve with his mom’s extended family, then we drive to Illinois (about 5-6 hours depending on weather) through the night and get to my parents’ house around 2 or 3 am Christmas morning. Ugh.

[Labrador_Deceiver]

Fun thread, norinew.

No set-in-stone traditions, but church was always on the schedule when I was a kid, as was a rather large dinner of prime rib or beef tenderloin. Now, we may drag ourselves to church, but two very small children make that difficult. We don’t do presents until Christmas Day, after which we always have the same enormous brunch with lots of Champagne.

Now that one of our children is old enough to sorta understand Santa, I can see a bunch of traditions popping up over the next few years.

[norinew]

@Labrador_Deceiver

Fun thread, norinew.

No set-in-stone traditions, but church was always on the schedule when I was a kid, as was a rather large dinner of prime rib or beef tenderloin. Now, we may drag ourselves to church, but two very small children make that difficult. We don’t do presents until Christmas Day, after which we always have the same enormous brunch with lots of Champagne.

Now that one of our children is old enough to sorta understand Santa, I can see a bunch of traditions popping up over the next few years.

Well, our ‘delivery pizza and rental movies’ didn’t start until about 10 years ago; I was late-stage (a week from delivery) with kid number three, had Christmas dinner looming large for me to deal with, and I was just tired. So I said “You know what, this Christmas Eve, we’re just gonna order pizza and rent movies; get over it”.
Had no idea the rest of the family would love it so much! And just like that, with no intention of starting a tradition, a tradition was born! (And mudgirl was born five days later. . .)

[Todderbob]

I prepare for my trip to whoville, to steal their Christmas Spirit.

[Walkabout]

The kids used to get pajamas from the elves every year on Christmas Eve, but a few years ago my son read the writing on the To/From label as “Elvis”. So now they get sweat pants and t-shirts from Elvis every Christmas eve.

Our dinner that evening has traditionally been lasagna, but this year my daughter requested Baked Ziti.

[norinew]

@Todderbob

I prepare for my trip to whoville, to steal their Christmas Spirit.

I understand that, but I watch your antics year after year, and it never works.
Perhaps Christmas isn’t something that comes from a store
Maybe, just maybe, it’s a little bit more. . .

Hasn’t your heart grown yet?
And what does PETA have to say about the way you treat Max?

:D:p

[norinew]

@Walkabout

The kids used to get pajamas from the elves every year on Christmas Eve, but a few years ago my son read the writing on the To/From label as “Elvis”. So now they get sweat pants and t-shirts from Elvis every Christmas eve.

Bwah!
My kids get gifts from Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, Timmy the Leprechaun (family legend, you’d have had to have been there. . .); I’m so totally giving them all gift from Elvis this year!

[Todderbob]

@norinew

I understand that, but I watch your antics year after year, and it never works.

I’ll continue to try, goshdarnit!

@norinew

Perhaps Christmas isn’t something that comes from a store
Maybe, just maybe, it’s a little bit more. . .

:dubious:

@norinew

Hasn’t your heart grown yet?

I should hope not.

Cardiomegaly is a serious medical condition. It can kill you.

@norinew

And what does PETA have to say about the way you treat Max?

:D:p

I shouldn’t think that People Eating Tasty Animals care all that much.

[MissTake]

It keeps changing, dang it.
When I was little, Xmas Eve was at our house. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, Uncle, cousins all in our basement by the aluminum tree and faux fireplace, eating dinner, unwrapping only a few presents each. All would clear out by 9 so we could attend candlelight service at 10. After church it would be bedtime for my sister and myself.
Xmas Day would be at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house all day for food, family, football, and presents.

Then people started dying off or moving. Xmas Eve became both church services (5 and 10) for Mom, Dad, me, and TheKid, with dinner of roast beef and card games between. Sometimes my sister would join in, sometimes TheKid would be with her dad, but it was both services and roast beef. I enjoyed it very much - no pressure, lots of good family time.

Then we hired a stupid new pastor who first pushed our music director to quit (I adored her, played both services for many years) and then changed to only one 7pm service. Last year we had less than 20 people for service. Candlelight service used to fill the pews. But less than 20. Gah. My Mom, sister, b-i-l, TheKid and I went to service, then out to a chinese buffet. Whoo hoo. TheKid and I were going to go to midnight service at the Basilica, but changed our minds at the last minute.

This year I work in office until 430 - the first time in years I’ll be in office Xmas Eve. TheKid is doing a service project at church, so we’ll be there, but I’m not happy about it. I mean, I’m happy she’s doing a service project, but 7pm is a stupid time for church service. Well, unless we do get whalloped by snow, like the talking heads are predicting. Then we may wuss out, order pizza, and watch Monty Python movies - just TheKid and I. crosses fingers