Why not make those moments even more special by getting Santa his very own plate! It’s all about the gift-giving, pictures with Santa, elves on shelves and of course, the food! Her family’s tradition is to stage the Nativity scene at the beginning of Advent and use the figures to act out the events leading up to Jesus’ birth. 29 of the best Christmas Eve traditions Make Christmas Eve every bit as magical as the BIG day itself with these gorgeous traditions. And, we tell them “Santa must have loved the cookies you put out last night!” (wink, wink- we make some awesome Christmas cookies for a reason here). ), 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! You could: • Bake cookies and take to a local shelter, • Sing Christmas carols at the nursing home, • Adopt a family in need and deliver their gifts (better yet- do it anonymously through a friend or neighbor), • Invite another family to join you for a Christmas meal. These traditions included: It’s not too much to plan for or handle as parents, and not too little that it’s forgotten. (I didn’t expect that DIY set to be soo inexpensive when I first saw it!! Christmas Eve has many of its own customs and traditions. Posted on December 24, 2018 0 0. https://www.thoughtsinstyle.com/, Ahhh, looking back on this feeling nostalgic for pre-Christmas! Lots of questions about my school uniform grant. Toddlers can do many of the same things other kids can do on Christmas Eve. We are incorporating at least a few of these Christmas Eve activities into our time of celebration this year. Copyright © 2020 Stress Less. Print it out, or edit it on your computer, phone, or tablet, so keep it a bit more secure so others won’t see what they’re getting for the Holidays! Our Church does not usually hold a Christmas Eve service but the last few years, we’ve enjoyed visiting other churches the night before Christmas. Last modified on Monday 18 November 2019. The most widely practised one that still exists today is going to a Midnight Mass Church Service. Food comas only for me thanks – MERRY CHRISTMAS!”. So why not let them bake a special cake to celebrate the birth of the King? (And hopefully getting at least a few hours of sleep before they wake up!). *Note: some links may contain affiliate links (meaning if you end up purchasing something when you click on the link then I may get a commission on it, with no extra cost to you, of course). Lutherans traditionally practice Christmas Eve Eucharistic traditions typical of Germany and Scandinavia. Leading up to Christmas, my prayer is that we will all recognize the nearness of the Savior. My question had to do with whether or not to keep doing one of our annual holiday traditions when it seemed my kids were being pulled … We all know how excited kids get when they set out cookies for Santa, and then the look on their face in the morning when they see that some of them are gone. Next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy, and small gifts from St Nicholas. Over the years the true meaning of Christmas has got lost in the turmoil of the days leading up to Christmas. When you went to bed, you left the cake by the fire hearth and your true love was supposed to coming in at midnight and prick his initials next to yours! After that, it’s time to head to bed ‘uncharacteristically early’ and wake up on the big day to an ice-cold mimosa!”. The younger ones like to pretend Santa is real but they’re wise enough to know otherwise. If you’re fortunate to have a live nativity nearby with camels and donkeys…you don’t want to miss it! There’s something really tragic about a proper foodie not being able to stomach any of the festive grub on Christmas Day. So starting on Christmas Eve, you could begin to hide the wise men around the house each night and have the children “hunt” for them up until Three Kings Night (January 6th), where you can make them arrive at their destination. 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)! 8 Favorite Christmas Eve Traditions I was talking to a friend of mine this morning whose children are grown and out on their own. I’m a mom of three and I still remember those Christmas Eve’s like they were yesterday! You were supposed to make the cake in silence and prick your initials into the top. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can see where Santa's got to on www.santaupdate.com. All toddlers may enjoy these activities on Christmas Eve: For more awesome Christmas traditions to start with your family this year, click here! How people celebrate Christmas Eve at home will differ depending on many things. Get them a new set of pj’s to wear for Christmas morning! You could include things like pajamas, popcorn, a family devotional, a Christmas movie, and anything else that your kids would enjoy. It was also traditional to bring the Yule Log into the house and light it 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. This tradition died down around the 1950s, but the yule log is still lit on Christmas eve. “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). Hahaha So light the candles and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus! And, there are some Christmas movies you just have to watch, and can’t skip a year without! A Christmas Eve box can include any items you’d like – so why not make it into a meaningful family memory? Pin Christmas Eve Gift Traditions & What to Gift! This year it’s at my house and we’ll all have nibbles and drinks with a Christmas film on the TV. Well, you don’t want to be taking pictures of them in old pj’s that may be getting too small on them. If I can be honest…it creeps me out more than a little! There’s more gifts you can give to your kids on Christmas Eve, but let’s keep this simple and not try to out do ourselves here! But, depending on if they’re just coming into toddlerhood or if they’re on the older end, there may be a slight difference. Christmas Eve Traditions. The birth of Jesus, the ressurrection – His ultimate sacrifice? Please read my disclosure for more info. He’s the One I want to invite in this year. • Planning Christmas on a Budget:  Free Christmas Organizer, • Resurrection Sunday:  Inspiring Gift Ideas for Kids, • Bedtime Stories without Books:  Free Printable Story Ideas, • Spending Time with Family, more Intentionally, • Free Printables: Farmhouse Christmas Signs (Favorite Hymns). Christmas Eve is also Santa's busiest day of the year when he has to travel over 220 million miles (355 million km) to get to every house on earth! In some other countries, such as Belgium, Finland, Lithuania and Denmark the meal is eaten in the evening and you might go to a Midnight Service afterwards! It’s quite humbling – and you won’t experience this kind of peace in a shopping mall, that’s for sure! Brandi, Thank you for this wonderful column. 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! Baby Jesus is put in the scene on Christmas Eve by the youngest child in the family. Or, maybe you didn’t have those traditions as a child. So fun to read how others celebrate Christmas Eve! Post originally written 9/15/18 and last updated 12/7/19. Thank you so much for posting this! Other Christmas Eve superstitions included that farm and wild animals would kneel at midnight in honor of Jesus being born or that they could even talk! Think of ways your family could serve others in your community on Christmas Eve. My husband and I want to be more Christ-centered every day, but especially at Christmas. Christmas caroling, attending midnight Mass, feasting on a home-cooked meal and watching classic films like How the Grinch Stole Christmas are among the most popular traditions, but every family is unique — which is exactly why we asked readers to share their favorite holiday traditions. 1 of 25. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Policy, Going to both sets of Grandparents’ house to open presents, play with cousins, and eat, Opening up one present before bed….the same type of present every year; pj’s, open a Christmas Eve present (look below for ideas!). And I want my kids to feel the joy of His presence – the joy that lasts beyond this season. In many European countries including Germany, Serbia and Slovakia, Christmas Eve is the day when the Christmas Tree is brought into the house and decorated. I think Santa must have those countries on his extra early list! Some Christmas Eve services will also include a live nativity which kids will love as well. Of course, most people use LED candles now so you don’t have to worry about the kids + candles factor!