Christmas Eve traditions?

[Lyric]

Almost everyone's family has some sort of Christmas Day tradition, but what about Christmas Eve? Our family has an interesting one. Every Christmas Eve, we choose a "theme" for dinner, and the entire extended family shows up and eats buffet-style. Some of our recent themes were Italian, Seafood, Mexican, and "Game Day" (think sports bar food). We all hang out, eat, the adults drink "adult" drinks, and watch the kids having fun. Each kid gets to open *one* present on Christmas Eve. The kids go to bed at 10:30, and the adults all help to get the "Santa" presents wrapped, then everyone heads home.

So what does your family do on Christmas Eve?

[NMDemDist2]

1. we have a Ham dinner, open on present and watch "The Santa Clause" and "The Muppets

Christmas Carol"

but this year we're doing Prime Rib instead and having the ham on Christmas day

[Lyric]

12. The Santa Clause!

I think I actually liked The Santa Clause 2 even better. :)

[NMDemDist2]

14. we have that one too! we put that on Christmas day and nap through it

after pigging out :rofl:

[Flatline]

2. Well on Winter Solstice

I like to take the day and thanks the Gods for everything around me and for giving me what I have though it isn't much, but it's enough to make me happy and I thank them for it. Then I have a meal at my Altar and dine with spirits then clean up a bit then stand at the window for a few looking at nature and to end it by sitting by the fire and watch a good movie =)

[tjwmason]

3. We prepare most of the food.

Particular jobs being allocate by tradition - then on Christmas Day it merely needs to be placed in the oven &c.&c. Table is laid and suitably decorated. The broadcast of the King's College Carol Service marks the actual beginning of Christmas.

Family supper of fish-pie. Then drinks afterwards before most of us go to midnight Mass.

[dropkickpa]

4. open all the presents

designate the garbage elf and hurl abuse upon him. We open presents then because we always have. We eat on xmas day and it would be way too much of a pain in the ass to clean all that up and make dinner, too. Besides, the little ones all get their "Santa" presents at their homes in the morning.

[Burma Jones]

9. Garbage Elf........I am appropriating that one......

[Lyric]

17. Garbage elf!

Oh man do I ever love that. We should use glitter paint on a Santa hat and make an Official Garbage Elf hat for the chosen trash-picker-upper to wear. Thanks for the idea!

[dropkickpa]

26. We have one!

[Omphaloskepsis]

5. When I was growing up...

All the males in my family worked for my dad and working on Christmas was mandatory. They did maintenance shit at a large paper making plant that was only closed on Christmas. It was the only day they could get inside some of the machines without interrupting production.

So my family always opened all our gifts on Christmas eve. Christmas day was a non-event.. We played and mom did dishes..

[bertha katzenengel]

6. Pizza and Trivial Pursuit

But it's been so long since I've been home for xmas that I hardly remember. :cry:

[Lyric]

16. I'd probably enjoy the Trivial Pursuit thing on Christmas Eve too, but...

...unfortunately most of my extended family members are...erm...how to say this politely...a bit uneducated. They'd likely just get frustrated by the game. We'd have better luck with Monopoly or something. :hi:

[Shine]

7. Christmas eve and Christmas are always at our home EVERY year

we've got my own family, my visiting dad from Virginia, my single and very cool SIL, and my sis, her hubby and their two kids...that's 10 people, all under one roof and about 2000 sq ft...for 3 whole days!!

We're the cozy hub o' the family.

We basically do the exact same thing you guys do: hang out, eat, drink, watch kids play, play games, have a fire, let the little ones open ONE gift.

:hi:

[Burma Jones]

8. Several, depending on which side of the family

My Mom's Side are mostly Texans and will always serve pinto beans on Christmas Eve at the big family party.

My Dad's side just drinks and starts in on the Airing of Grievances.

Now that I have my own Family, we always go over to my Brother's house for his Christmas Eve Party which he has been throwing for nigh onto 25 years now. After that party, we go home, put the kids to bed and start assembling stuff for Christmas Morning.

My wife is Jewish, so, before we had kids, we would go to my brother's party and stay until it busted up at about midnight, The next day, we would open a few presents in the Morning, snuggle for most of the day, and, in fine fine Jewish American tradition, see a movie and have Chinese food for dinner. Now that we have kids, we are the hosts for the out of town family and we do up Christmas Dinner. For the last two years, and this year too, we all go to Clyde's Tower Oaks Lodge on the 23rd, the restaurant looks like a gigantic Adirondack Cabin and is festooned in Yule splendor - and the food is first rate.

[Lyric]

13. Forgive me, but...

My Mom's Side are mostly Texans and will always serve pinto beans on Christmas Eve at the big family party.

I bet that makes for some interesting "carols" the next day!

:hide:

[Burma Jones]

27. They mostly live downwind of Pasadena, TX, so it's hardly noticable.....

People around Houston know what I'm talking about......

[Beer Snob-50]

10. PIEROGIS AND SEAFOOD SALAD SANDWICHES

followed by opening presents and lots of adult beverages.

[charlie and algernon]

11. we have a spagetti and fish dinner

italian my family is.

[trof]

15. Chinese take-out!

Makes a nice contrast to the next day's menu, which is usually prime rib.

[Kajsa]

18. Julafton- Christmas Eve, is the big

holiday celebration in my family.

We have a big dinner with ham, red potatoes, and traditional
Swedish foods.

It's been Californiaized to include lots of fresh veges and the
lutefisk has been eliminated.

We open our presents after dinner.

[MissMillie]

19. Dinner w/ my son (and his girlfriend)

usually a New England boiled dinner.

then we open presents.

[Lyric]

21. Forgive my ignorance, but

what exactly *is* a New England boiled dinner? I've heard the term before, but I'm not sure what it means.

[MissMillie]

22. here ya go!

New England boiled dinner is the basis of a traditional New England meal, consisting of corned beef or a smoked "picnic ham" shoulder, with cabbage and added vegetable items, often including potato, rutabaga, parsnip, carrot, white turnip, and onion. When utilizing a beef roast, this meal is often known simply as corned beef and cabbage even with the addition of other vegetables <1>. A similar Newfoundland dish is called a Jiggs dinner, named for the character in Bringing Up Father. When prepared with a ham shoulder, this meal is often referred to as smoked shoulder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_boiled_dinner

[Nevilledog]

20. Oyster Stew

Not sure where this tradition comes from, but we always have oyster stew (lots of oysters, milk, butter....oyster crackers on top) on Christmas Eve. And for Christmas morning we have a delicious quiche of swiss cheese, bacon and lots of hot green chili and then drink mimosas while we open presents.

[AllegroRondo]

23. My family has a big poker game

My mom's family would all meet at my aunt's house for a big dinner party, opening of some presents, and lots of drinking.
The poker started when I was maybe 10 or 11, most of the teen kids (and some adults) would play for pennies. As we got older, the stakes got higher, but its still mostly for small change. Now its just a given, and everyone brings their change jar to the party. It would break up around 11 or 12, then everyone goes home to sleep late.

[lost-in-nj]

24. We used to

get all the food ready for Christmas day....
The whole family was involved...
we would drink eggnog (your choice of rum or whiskey) and Holiday Wine by the Brotherhood winery... then we would stay up (or try to) watching A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim and wait for the little ones to fall asleep so we could play Santa.....

lost
we ended up eating Chinese or Burger king on Xmas eve.... :)

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

25. Cookies and a Manhattan for Santa...

I have pictures of my kids through the years, in their pajamas and pouring whiskey into a lowball glass, making Santa his Manhattan.

They're both older now, but Santa still gets his Manhattan, dammit!

[bif]

28. I read "A Child's Christmas in Wales" to the family

Then we pig out. My brother gets drunk. And we stay up late arguing because he's a racist, right wing, sexist pig.

[dysfunctional press]

29. a fight a my parents house, then an argument at hers...

it's usually a pretty busy day.

[flvegan]

30. Journey down to Whoville and steal their presents

and of course, the roast beast. Mmm...my brother loves him some roast beast.