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tell us what your Christmas eve tradition is. mine has changed over the years, this year will be very quiet. but once it was so full of children and family. then for a few years i worked for the guys who had little kids. my gift to them. what do you do? food?gift-opening? i will watch about 5 versions of 'christmas carol' , it makes me happy.

Christmas Eve I'll be finishing my shopping and wrapping and swear I'll never wait so long again. Next year, it'll be the same thing.

Family Church service at 7 pm and another at 11 pm. Sometimes one of the two, sometimes both.

When the children were older, they were allowed to open one present, of their choice, after the church service.

Daughters were allowed to choose a piece of jewlery that was Grandma's and wear it to church. In this way we remembered Grandma and 'brought her to church with us.

that is sweet! ...the few times i went to a candlelight service i cried so hard i had to leave. can't do it again.

lady cop wrote: that is sweet! ...the few times i went to a candlelight service i cried so hard i had to leave. can't do it again.
Maybe you should try............

SOJOURNER wrote:

Maybe you should try............i can't. i am too emotional at this time of year. thanks though. :-4

Quietly, with my husband and my girl pup. Sometimes we have pizza as

a treat, but sometimes I make a dish that we don't have too often.



Probably a roaring fire in the fireplace.



(Note to self: Need to buy kindling...)



:)

Well tonight I am going to a church Christmas cantatta...all singing. One hour of some of the most beautiful and peaceful music I have ever heard! Can't wait. On Christmas Eve we go to my inlaws for a huge Italian dinner...homemade ravioli, roast chicken, every vegetable you can imagine cooked to perfection....then open gifts/go home. Wake up in morning and see what Santa brought us--and while doing this the phone is ringing incessantly--it's my dad and sister: "When are you getting here? Are you on your way?"!!! So we race the kids thru Santa's gifts and race out the door for Grandma's house literally ALL STILL IN PJ's!!!! After driving across town in our pajamas with my pug dog on my lap, we get to grandma's house and sit down to a giant HOT breakfast. My dad "fries" up pancakes so they're really like fritters... just sinful. But who cares? It's Christmas day! After breakfast we let the kids tear into their gifts and when done, the adults go...but it is painstaking. We each open one at a time and it takes forever....goes on til 3 pm or so......We even break for lunch. Pathetic. Then we all take turns showering/getting cleaned up and more guests/inlaws/friends arrive at 5....sort of like Thanksgiving again... 30 people or so....no gifts now... just eating and drinking in the bar....kids playing with all their new gadgets....just can't wait!!!! Good movie LC... we usually have that playing on Christmas day and have been known to play several times in a row. My dad is a bit obsessive about it!! Good thread LC.. you've got me all psyched up!!!

When I was married, we used to go to my mother-in-law's in South Philadelphia and later, New Jersey, for a traditional Italian Christmas Eve with the seven fishes. We'd exchange gifts and just have a family night of it. They always had a full house with different people popping in and out throughout the night.

Anymore, my Christmas Eves are quiet. I'm not married, so it really just depends on how I feel like spending them. I haven't my own traditions for Christmas Eve, except one, eggnog with rum and/or Amerretto. That's the one thing I always like around the Christmas holidays.

I will be very busy on Christmas Eve........................

santa wrote: I will be very busy on Christmas Eve........................but i don't have a chimney anymore! :-1

We will be by ourselves.........a snuggle sounds good to me. Watch some schlocky movies that make us get teary eyed..........:-4

santa wrote: I will be very busy on Christmas Eve........................


will you be emptying your sacks?

what kills me is that this will be my first christmas eve alone. i have to treat it like any other night. and will probably be the only poster here on christmas!

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at church, very pretty.

Oh LC, you won't be alone at FG on Christmas Day, there will be lots of us here.

lady cop wrote: what kills me is that this will be my first christmas eve alone. i have to treat it like any other night. and will probably be the only poster here on christmas!
I don't think so............

We who are addicted will not let the day go by without a look see and a hi.

We have the entire family up to my sister house on Christmas Eve for a traditional California Christmas... Christmas is spent at home.. I will be here on Christmas LC.. not to worry..

I'll be hitching up the reindeer....................

Elves Rule, Grinches Drool!

lady cop wrote: what kills me is that this will be my first christmas eve alone. i have to treat it like any other night. and will probably be the only poster here on christmas!


Hey LC...you're always welcome at my parents. It's a big place...getcha a plane ticket and come up!

For life it was always food and drinks someplace usually my house while we tried to get the girls to bed at a decent time. Ever since my divorce we have changed christmas eve to the time to open gifts and gather family and eat.

This Christmas eve it is off to my brothers. Joyous indeed as my oldest and boyfriend will be there this year. Then after all the festivities Jr Minks and I shall sleep at my parents house and open our stockings in the morning and then Jr will go with her sister to her dads, my brother will come to my parents and we shall have a feast just us 5. With any luck my parents can convince the beau and his father to join us.

go to church, get drunk,wait for the kids to go to sleep so I can play santa

Daytime ....busy , busy , busy



Evening...mellow out with some Baileys and/or a glass or 2 of wine

i'm off to Yorkshire to see some family. I'm not long single again and don't feel i could face Chritmas day by myself:yh_sad

I don't know yet, I assume some time before the day my ex will let me know what time he's picking the children up.

Might go to the pub if some mates are going may just sit in and feel sorry for myself, I have never had Christmas Day without the children, not looking forward to it.

Hmm can't say I tend to do anything special for Christmas Eve, at least during the day. Usually at evenings we just have a big family dinner, and talk about what is going to happen tommorow, which is when all the fun begins.

Christmas Eve, I'll be collecting the turkey and lamb I'm cooking on Christmas Day from my mother's freezer ( mine's not big enough) and then going for a walk on a Devonshire beach if it's not too cold/raining, and then chilling in the evening with Bach and a cassis and champagne cocktail or two.....:p

My thoughts though are with those who will feel lonely this Christmas ; you're not alone but I guess it doesn't help to say so. *hugs*

Christmas Eve my most beautiful wife & I had a yummy Italian dinner out, then came home and peacefully opened presents one at a time in the glow of a soft lamp. Very nice !