Over the last few years, I have come to realise that Christmas Eve might actually be better than Christmas Day. Why you ask? Well, there’s so much pressure on Christmas Day, but the day before is a prepping day, for baking, film watching, present wrapping. It’s a day to chill whilst bubbling with the excitement of Christmas.
I do a few things to make my Christmas Eve feel extra special, here are my traditions.
Heading to our old local Chinese for lunch or dinner
This is my favourite of all the Christmas Eve traditions and the one that has withstood the longest. I can’t remember not doing this, the staff have known me since I was a little girl. The restaurant used to be our local Chinese and on the way home, we would listen to the radio, track Santa on the Norad App and look at all the Christmas lights. A few years ago we moved and this Chinese is now an hour drive away, but I still insist on us visiting each year, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without going!
Watching a Christmas film with my sister in our pyjamas
Who doesn’t love watching a film in pyjamas on Christmas Eve? This is the perfect way to chill out and enjoy some cosy time with my sister. Christmas pyjamas are of course a must, and I usually save on of my favourite Christmas films for Christmas Eve. This year I’m thinking maybe The Muppet’s Christmas Carol, Arthur Christmas or Elf. I made a list last year of the best and worst Christmas films if you need any tips.
Making a Christmas cake with my mum
Every single year my mum and I decide to be our own Pinterest queens and make a Christmas cake. We attempt to find a decoration design we like the look of online and then recreate it, whether it works or not is anyone’s guess. Each year we try to be a bit less ambitious with our designs, but what’s Christmas without a massive baking fail?
Wrapping any last-minute presents
In the years of Christmas past, my mum has suddenly rushed upstairs at 8 pm to finish wrapping presents. I’m usually very organised with my wrapping, but it’s also really nice to wrap a few pressies on Christmas Eve too. It makes me feel all excited to give the gifts the next day and also reminds me of some of the presents I’ve bought too!
What are your Christmas Eve traditions?
Now you’ve mentioned it, I think I prefer Christmas Eve too. It’s when I watch my Christmas films, read A Christmas Carol and The Night Before Christmas/Visit From St Nicholas and just enjoy it in my own way. There are no expectations and it’s nice.
We always have a lot of relatives over for a Christmas Eve buffet-style dinner that my mom makes and it’s so much fun–definitely my favorite part of Christmas!
I think I may be a bit bias with preferring Christmas Eve because it’s my birthday. I pretty much get pampered and it’s a day when I get to not have to do a bunch of errands or chores because my hubby wants me to feel like a princess on my day. Plus there isn’t as much cleaning up of things or clutter from all the trash made on Christmas
I have a special place in my heart for both days because I have traditions on each. What I love about Christmas Eve is that my siblings and I go out shopping with my dad. Not for anything in particular, but just to go out and spend time together.
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When I still celebrated Christmas with my family, Christmas Eve was always the bigger night because the family got together for gift opening and a late dinner. Then the next day, on Christmas proper, everyone went to their in-laws’ for dinner. Since we were a single parent household, Christmas Day was always really chill and quiet – full of leftovers and holiday films!