“I’ve always been a family-first girl, my family isn’t very big at all but because we’re all a bit spread out between the UK and France, Christmas is the only time of year that we’re all together and I never take those moments for granted. Especially in my late teens/early 20s most of my friends always used to go “out-out” on Christmas eve but still to this day it never tempts me at all.
My grandparents arrive at my parent’s house on Christmas Eve every single year so for me that marks the start of my time with them. Plus, who wants to spend Christmas Day with a hangover anyway eh!? Food comas only for me thanks – MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
— Maddie —
“My Christmas Eve usually ends up looking like an episode of the vicar of Dibley, my parents live in a small village and we’re usually visiting there over Christmas, so on the evening of the 24th, we’ll be heading down to the church to watch the local live-action nativity, where small children in costume volunteer themselves for acting roles (usually resulting in 8 Marys, 6 donkeys and 3 stars), and the whole congregation then wander down the road to a local farm to drink mulled wine amongst actual cows. It’s bloody brilliant.
After that, it’s back home for more mulled wine and usually helping my mum make a start on her epic feast for the next day. Merry Christmas!”
— Carrie —
“All of my siblings and our sig-others head back to my parents for Christmas and the energy on Christmas Eve is always electric! We’ve more recently started heading to the cinema to see a festive film around late afternoon, last year we watched Mary Poppins and this year it’s Star Wars (not that festive I know!)
Without a doubt, we’ll be chowing down on ham and dauphinoise potatoes, ham cooked in orange juice although we did try the infamous ‘Nigella coke recipe’ one year! At around 9pm we’ll settle down to watch Miracle on 34th Street, we can quote pretty much every scene, we always shout WE BELIEVE when the support for old Cringle ramps up, predictably we all cry at the end. After that, it’s time to head to bed ‘uncharacteristically early’ and wake up on the big day to an ice-cold mimosa!”
— Danielle —
“Gone are the days when I’d hit the town on Christmas Eve. There was that one fateful Christmas Day I couldn’t even bring myself to eat one single prawn from my festive starter and therein lies the reason I prefer to drink a cup o’ hot cocoa on the 24th December nowadays.
There’s something really tragic about a proper foodie not being able to stomach any of the festive grub on Christmas Day. Now, I stay in, I climb into my new festive PJs, as is tradition, and then await the 11pm phone call from my dad to pick me up for midnight mass. I’m not overly into it but I know it means a lot to him to have me there so I go, I choke on the dust of a thousand incense sticks, sing hymns at a pitch only a cat can comfortably reach and THEN… it’s Christmas!”
— Lareese —
“A Christmas Eve tradition we have as a family is matching PJs, so the girls venture out and find a really cute pyjama set for the three of us (me, Poppy, and Alfie’s mum Amanda). This year Poppy found the PJ’s from Marks and Spencer, they’re a gorgeous pink with red stars.
The boys will go out and source their matching PJs, and we’ll all come together on Christmas Eve. This year it’s at my house and we’ll all have nibbles and drinks with a Christmas film on the TV. We’ll all go and put on our pyjamas and take pics, and usually, we’ll open one present from our stockings to get us in ready for the festive period.“
— Zoë —
“Christmas Eve for me is the pre-game; it’s all about the food and watching festive films and cooking shows, doing a puzzle and making some really yummy food. This year I’m baking a yule log which I’m excited for, and I’ll probably end up on the sofa in-between icing to watch a classic Christmas film with a hot chocolate.
It’s all about relaxing, bathing in the excitement, and spending quality time with family, and of course, peeling at least 20 potatoes for dinner tomorrow – a Merry Christmas indeed!”
— Lauren —
“Christmas Eve is all about family for me. I’ve never been tempted to go out partying on Christmas Eve, as I have always wanted to save myself for the big day ahead. Every year I spend the evening at my dads with all of his family, having a pre-Christmas feast with lots of good food, especially seafood (which has also become a Christmas Eve tradition)! After we’ve eaten, we make sure to leave a mince pie and a carrot for Santa and his reindeers, while the children hang their stockings.
Also, it’s not Christmas Eve in my household without reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” altogether, which we all know off by heart! Christmas Eve is one of my favourite days in the festive period, everyone’s spirits are so high and the excitement for the next day is contagious.”
— Darcey —
