Give me a Christmas Eve tradition to start with my kids.

[swamp]

Don't currently have one. 

[Apple]

We have two movies we watch every year (although, not necessarily on Christmas Eve).  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and Claymation Christmas.

We always opened our presents on Christmas, but Christmas Eve we would get to open ONE, and it had to be from one of the grandparents.

Other than that, we don't really have any traditions I can think of for C.E.

I know one family who opens a gift (always "matching" PJs), and watches a new movie.

[Peace Of Mind]

1.  Make a dinner that everybody will love that's not your usual big dinner.  Just for you guys.  If it includes others do your usual big dinner and add a different dessert that is really decadent or sinful but not something you'd usually allow them to have.

2.  Make a special drink for them like hot chocolate with marshmallows, apple cider or any type specialty drink (virgin strawberry daiquiri's?) you think they'd love but you don't want them to have on a regular basis.   

3.  Play a game that would make them laugh a lot.  It can be anything but something they will just think is a hoot/special.

4.  Find a Christmas movie that is more their style that they love the most and play it while doing any of these things or afterwards if they are allowed to stay up later than usual. 

5.  Do they get their own Christmas tree besides the family one?  My nephews were allowed their own tree in their room.  Maybe you could let them decorate it only on Christmas Eve. 

6.  Allow them to either open a gift at your choosing (so they don't grab a Santa/big one) or dig into their Christmas stocking if you hang them.

It's been awhile so I need to think more about this but great idea!

ETA:  Great minds Apple!  Too bad I type so slow I could have just liked your post instead of typing all of this. 

 

[Deleted]

We watch a Christmas movie, anymore Nightmare before Christmas, open our new pjs, set out cookies and milk (yes, we are past Santa )  

Maybe a special movie, read an Xmas story, play a game... Drink hot chocolate. 

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Read "T'was the Night Before Christmas".

I don't know how old your kids are, but perhaps take them out caroling at neighbor's doors.

Have hot chocolate with a candy-cane stir-stick as an added treat.

[Apple]

Oh, I guess the other big tradition we do is have the big dinner on Christmas Eve, that way Christmas can be nice and relaxed. 

[Tennesseer]

Watch Bad Santa ?

[Shooby]

We watch the original Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck. A must see and pop popcorn.

[mmhmm]

When I was a kid, we always had hot chocolate and fudge on Christmas Eve. It was a chocolate lover's paradise! Then, we'd sing carols around the fireplace, or go out caroling in the neighborhood. We also got to open one present on Christmas Eve night. I did the same with my kids because I'd so loved it when I was little.

[Green Eyed Lady]

My mom always read Christmas books to us.    There was something magical about sitting around by the tree in our new Christmas pj's, eating cookies and milk and listening to Mom read

[busymom]

Because DH & I had to try & combine our Christmas traditions, we allow the kids to open one gift on Christmas Eve. (They have to wait until Christmas morning to open the rest.)

I don't know if you guys attend church, but when the kids were younger we'd go to a church that let them do something "cool" during the service, like hold a lit candle (obviously with a lot of supervision by Mom & Dad), or something that they wouldn't normally experience in a normal worship service.

We also have a traditional meal that we only serve on Christmas Eve. Do you have something special that everyone likes that could be your family's Christmas Eve meal? Or, go out to eat, or bring home some takeout?

[thyme4change]

You could drive around and look at Christmas lights?  You are sort of out of town, so maybe that is harder for you.

[Lizard Queen]

My family always celebrated together on Christmas Eve. Big dinner, presents, sometimes church. It made Christmas day really boring. We'd often go bowling. It makes for a good spread between celebrating with my family and DHs. Are movie theatres open on Christmas Eve? That could be fun.

[Shooby]

Get Chinese take out?

[thyme4change]

How about something completely different?

You and your husband could write down things that relate to your family's year, and then you can use those to play pictionary or charades or something.  When the kids get older, they could contribute, too.  

Like this year - Disney, the new school, your new office, etc.  Even if there are some repeats - like whatever sports / activities your kids are doing, even if they have been doing them for years.  You could also put in really stupid stuff, like someone got new shoes or got a haircut or whatever.  

As I'm thinking about this - I might make this a tradition for December 30th or Jan 1.  We do family on both Christmas eve and day, and New Year's is variable - but we could find time for that.  

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Get Chinese take out?

Then you end up with left-over Chinese take-out containers in your fridge on Christmas Day when you're trying to do the big turkey feast with even more left-overs.

We usually did Chinese take-out on NY Eve - if we didn't cook up our traditional seafood feast.

[billisonboard]

Adopt a family?

[Bonny]

I can't remember, do you guys play Ice Hockey? If so it could be fun to play a mini Ice Hockey game; e.g. girls against the boys or mix it up; Mom and son vs Dad and daughter.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

My mom's birthday was Christmas Day, so our Christmas was always Christmas Eve.  Santa came then, and we opened our presents.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We do the pajama thing. Well, i get pjs for the girls (boys are both out now) and DH. They unwrap them Christmas Eve after dinner. 

[taz157]

Dec 14, 2014 23:21:02 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

You could drive around and look at Christmas lights?  You are sort of out of town, so maybe that is harder for you.

We've done that a few times on Christmas Eve. We also drove around with the convertible top down in my car (we live in Florida). Sometimes, we are starting to decorate the Christmas tree too. it kinda depends on what's going on too. With DD now 3 and getting the deal of Christmas, I'm not sure what we'll do this year. We are already starting to decorate the tree (tree is currently up and need 1 more string of lights from the store) so we'll see. We may let her open a present early, we may do the Christmas lights (I think she'll love that). It's not Christmas Eve yet so we have time.

[tractor]

Tequila shots?

[olderburgher]

If it is for your kids, make sugar cookies in various cut out shapes (Santas, stars, snowmen, moons, etc.) On Christmas eve make differenf colored icings and decorate the cookues.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Swamp - what memories do you have of Christmas Eve?  And are there any you'd like to replicate for your kids? 

Same questions for your DH too. 

[Cookies Galore]

Christmas Eve was (still is) celebrated with my dad's side of the family. Maybe you could get divorced and give the kids two Christmases?

But seriously, I remember that we would get home and Mom would be watching A Christmas Carol while she finished wrapping gifts. We would open our stocking stuffers with her on Christmas Eve.

[NancysSummerSip]

Dec 15, 2014 8:47:58 GMT -5 tractor said:

Tequila shots?

Well, it would help the kids sleep, anyway...gives new meaning to Silent Night.

Since Christmas and Hanukkah are very close together this year, how about teaching the kids about Hanukkah? A little dreidl spinning, some latkes, chocolate gelt...

[Pants]

Polar bear plunge. Do it!!!

[Abby Normal]

Dh's entire family gets together on Christmas eve.  We have dinner (usually pizza or something easy) and exchange gifts for the kids, play games etc.  Then christmas day, the individual family's can do what they want.  

We have christmas morning at our house, then my family comes to dinner.


One year, the weather was too bad to travel to their house so we went out for chinese food and played games at our house.  DS still talks about that. He thought it was a blast.  I don't know how  chinese food  started as a tradition for some, but I think he'd prefer doing that. 

[vonna]

Our Christmas eve tradition was unique before The Polar Express Movie came out in 2004 -- we think the movie is awesome, but it took away a little magic of the book . . .

So, we read the book out loud -- we have two copies, so everyone can follow along. I used to be the reader, but for the last 10 years our DS (now 19) has read. This year DD (now 9) has mentioned she would like to read it to us this year, so she may be taking over!!

After reading, we unwrap "the first gift of Christmas", which is always the dated Wallace sleigh bell ornament for the current year. We ring it to make sure we can still hear it, then it is hung on the tree.

[shanendoah]

We always opened one gift on Christmas Eve, in the evening. We got to pick, but we knew it couldn't be a "back of the tree" big gift. Except for one year when my brother didn't get to pick, and we "had" to open our gift in the early afternoon. (That was the year my grandparents sent my brother a high powered rifle, and Dad knew he'd want to shoot it right away, so it got opened Christmas Eve early enough for us to then go shoot.)

But what I remember most, and maybe what I think I want to start with Pop Tart- we used to spend Christmas Eve day making sugar cookies. My brother and I got to decorate them. That night (generally after 10pm), my father would take them to the nurses working the night shift at the VA hospital where he worked. I remember finally being old enough to stay up late enough to go with him. I was only actually allowed on one floor, but I loved being able to give the nurses the cookies we had made.
In your case, maybe do that for the police officers working the night shift, since your job brings you into contact with them?