(ended)Countdown contest: 36 Days Till Christmas

[mindyd2006]

Christmas Eve we always go to my Moms and exchange Gifts with her and my Step Dad and all my Sister and Nieces and Nephews. Then we come home and I bath the kids they always get new pj's and we watch a Movie and Play A game then we leave out the Reindeer Food and the Cookies and Milk for Santa.

[mia214jia]

We go to my DH aunts were all his family gets together for a big meal. After we spend the day there we head home about dusk and by the time we get in town its getting dark. So we cruise around looking at lights. A local nieghborhood makes it a event with the United Way accepting donations or wrapped toys. The kids get to set with Santa, free Pictures and Hot Chocolate. So we after we get home they unwind, make Santa's cookies, settle in and we play a game or two and then Dh reads the bible story.
After the kids are SOUND asleep ~ we elves here are up for a looooonnnggg night wrapping and setting up for the morning of SANTA CAMEschreeching through the house and busting into our room.

[bajam]

We find the earliest chuch service in town. After church we come home and have cheese and crackers and other little finger foods for dinner. This is the only time I let the kids eat in the living room. We watch The Polar Express and have hot, hot, hot, hot chocolate of course. Then we wrangle the kids to bed only to have them stay awake until the wee hours of the morning making everyone a little tired the next day.

[tarheelpat]

At bedtime, my husband reads the Christmas story from Luke followed by "The Night Before Christmas" while everyone enjoys a mug of either eggnog or hot chocolate.

[Magical JenK]

Sadly, I no longer have any of the same traditions I used to growing up. DH's schedule isn't condusive w/holidays & now just a matter of where I/we can/cannot be. But when I was growing up, Christmas Eve was my favorite. Just my immediate family & we went to mass, had the most wonderful dinner of appetizers when we returned & then opened gifts! I would really like that to be the same now, but it just isn't...buh humbug huh?

[Candi]

We go to my FIL's for Christmas Eve. We eat a fancy meal with several courses. Afterwards, we open presents. After presents, we have dessert. Then we drive home. It's about and hour and 15 minute drive so our kids fall asleep on the way home. After we put them in their beds, we get everything ready for Christmas morning.

[Hedy]

We do our dinner on Christmas eve-so we do our adult "secret santa" swap, and the boys generally get to open 1 toy from my mom.

[Alice28]

we usually have a ravioli dinner, let the kids open 1 gift (they can choose), watch A Christmas Story, and then send the kiddoes off to bed so we can get the rest of the gifts under the tree. I love christmas Eve- so peaceful and exciting at the same time!

[Soccer Princess]

We used to have a nice dinner and then go the candlelight service at church. When we got home, we could open our presents from family. We also tracked Sanata on the news lol. Then it was off to bed so Santa could come!

[sabrina90744]

Christmas Eve is our "Tamalada" Day. Everyone gets together at my mom's house, the women sit around with our beer and wine and make 10 dozens or so of tamales. The men and kids are usually hanging out in the backyard around the bonfire. We are usually finished preparing the tamales around 10 then we all gather around the bonfire and sing and laugh and just enjoy each other. We usually head home around midnight and wait for Santa. This will be my first year hosting as mom is fighting cancer right now. I hope I don't foul it up..