Interesting things to do on Christmas Eve: 50 traditions that will create amazing memories
Christmas is a significant holiday in the Christian calendar. It is an annual festival commemorating Jesus Christ's birth, observed primarily on 25th December as a religious and cultural celebration by billions of people worldwide. The evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day is known as the eve. Christmas Eve is celebrated in some parts of the world in anticipation of the big day. If you were wondering about the things to do on Christmas Eve, you would be glad to learn about traditions that will create wonderful memories.
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What day is Christmas Eve? It is on 24th December and marks the end of the Advent season, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve. Many churches hold midnight church services to mark the end of Advent. It is commonly observed on the night before Christmas Day in modern times.
Things to do on Christmas Eve
What do you do on Christmas Eve? On this day, you can have a lot of fun playing games with your family and friends. If fun and games aren't your things, you'll be relieved to know there are other ways to commemorate this day. Here are some ideas for things to do on Christmas Eve.
1. Open a gift
What to do on Christmas Eve with family? One of the oldest and most common practices is opening a specific gift. You can choose a specific gift or take one randomly from under the tree.
2. Read Christmas books
One popular book to read on the eve is The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore (Author) and Cheryl Harness (Illustrator). With its story of dad stealing an inside look at Santa's operation, this Christmas poem has become synonymous with 24th December.
3. Display a pickle ornament
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According to German Way, a gherkin ornament is hung on the Christmas tree on eve. In some versions, the child first to discover the ornament gets a special present.
4. Surprise your neighbours with cookies
By assembling tins of Christmas cookies to be delivered as a surprise to your neighbours, you may bring holiday pleasure to the entire street.
5. Host a White Elephant game
Engage your entire family in a humorous White Elephant game if you have a large family. With hilarious gag gifts or Christmas gift cards with people swiping presents left and right, you can be sure that the evening will be filled with fun.
6. Make Christmas cards
On Eve, you can work with your children to make homemade festive cards they can distribute to friends and family at your celebration the following day. These handwritten greeting cards would be the ideal way to complete your presents.
7. Practice hygge
Many families give new pyjamas on Christmas Eve, but you may heighten the cosy atmosphere of the season by incorporating hygge into your celebration. This Danish way of life, pronounced "hue-guh," is characterised by a pleasant atmosphere, spending time with loved ones, and relishing the cosiness of an indoor winter night.
8. Put a care package
An excellent way to let loved ones and those in need know you're thinking of them over the holidays is by sending them a care package. These can also be distributed after Christmas so that recipients would receive them as a New Year's gift to continue the festive greetings.
9. Make Christmas crafts
There is always little Christmas craft-making. Give your children some paper, glitter, and glue to start DIY projects for the upcoming year!
10. Break out the ugly Christmas sweaters
You can invite your family to an ugly sweater theme night and ask them to dress in their greatest outrageous outfits. Have everyone secretly vote for the ugliest sweater of the night after the party and then award candy awards. Anyone who makes an ugly Christmas sweater themselves gets bonus points.
11. Write a letter to Santa Clause
Even if Santa enjoys all the cookies and milk he receives, he will cherish a message specially written for him. Encourage your kids to write Santa Claus thank-you notes, and they'll be sure to get on the nice list the following year!
12. Make a gingerbread house
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What are fun things to do on Christmas Eve when you are bored? Christmas dessert baking is usually enjoyable, but make a gingerbread house when you've finished creating cookies! For this enjoyable hobby, you can buy a kit or construct your gingerbread house.
13. Track Santa
You can tune onto websites like NORAD that track Santa's every move on Christmas Eve if your kids want to know when they can get their presents. Just make sure your children are asleep when he comes close to you!
14. Hang up your Christmas stockings
If you use your fireplace frequently, you should skip hanging your stockings up at the start of the holiday season, but waiting until the very last minute creates a unique Christmas Eve ritual.
15. Make reindeer food
The reindeer who pull Santa's sleigh will also require food to fuel their lengthy journey. Gather some carrots, oats, and anything else in your cupboard to put together a bag for Rudolph and his pals.
16. Feast of the seven fishes
Enjoy a traditional seven-course seafood feast from the early 1900s to celebrate like an Italian. You can prepare many recipes at home or skip washing dishes by locating a nearby Italian eatery serving a special Christmas Eve menu.
17. Attend church services
A church is an ideal venue to spend Christmas Eve because most of them provide special events (live concerts, carolling, nativity pageants, and more). Some even provide services until late at night, enabling your family to celebrate the momentous day together at midnight.
18. Bake cookies for Santa
Prepare some unique snacks to leave out for Santa, and grab your cookie sheets. Traditional sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, or sweets with a peppermint topping are always a good choice.
19. Host a game night
Enjoy Christmas Eve games with friends and family. According to Play Party Plan, various popular games exist, including Candy Cane Olympics and Christmas Charades. The next morning, the winner gets to receive the first present!
20. Exchange one small gift
Let the kids unwrap just one modest gift, preferably a board game or toy that everyone can enjoy together if they are getting impatient before Santa's big arrival.
21. Set up a hot cocoa bar
Setting up a hot cocoa bar works equally well for treating a small group as it does for entertaining a large audience. Set out all the ingredients you'll need to prepare a cup of hot chocolate and some festive extras like peppermint sticks, sprinkles, holiday candies, speciality sauces, and more.
22. Christmas Eve takeout dinner
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Order takeout from your favourite neighbourhood eatery in less than 24 hours until your annual Christmas Day feast to save yourself more time in the kitchen. Make it available as a buffet so that everyone can help themselves!
23. Take a nighttime drive
Get in the car and drive about your neighbourhood to see the best and brightest lights. For a wonderful evening out, bring a thermos of hot cocoa and turn on your favourite Christmas music.
24. Wear matching Christmas pyjamas
Sit by the fire in your matching family holiday jammies to keep things low-key. They are the ideal uniform for a family portrait because so many reasonably priced and lovely variations are available for everyone (including pets).
25. Watch a festive film
Fire up the fireplace and enjoy a fun movie while lounging on the couch. There will be plenty of entertainment for the evening, with so many festive movies to pick from. Watching a movie is among the most popular things to do at home with family on Christmas Day.
26. Arrange a visit from Santa
Your kids will behave all night long if you can get one of the adults to dress up as the cheery fellow.
27. Volunteer your services
To learn how to help those in need the most effectively, contact your neighbourhood soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or charitable group. You can locate neighbourhood organisations requiring holiday assistance through platforms like Volunteer Match.
28. Sing a Christmas carol
Gather your loved ones to form your chorus of carolers, and then surprise your neighbours by delivering festive entertainment to their door. You may even create and send video messages to spread holiday pleasure virtually!
29. Take a carriage ride
Take a delightful carriage ride while dressed in your favourite holiday attire. This style of horse-drawn attraction is available in many towns and cities. Local Christmas train rides are also offered in some places.
30. Write riddles on each present
Write a riddle about each gift on the paper or card it came in before putting it beneath the tree. Have everyone go around and try to guess what their gift is. A favourite among the family will be this adorable guessing game.
31. Hang a new symbolic ornament
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Establish a custom of purchasing an ornament for each significant event over the year. Find a tennis ball decoration, for instance, if your family started playing tennis together. This will give each ornament in your family a special memory to go with it!
32. "Wrap" everyone's door
Parents or guardians can place wrapping paper over the kids' doors or the living room entry on Christmas Eve. To get to their gifts in the morning, they'll have to break through!
33. Make cinnamon rolls
Make these delicious cinnamon rolls and enjoy them with your family on the eve of the big day.
34. Flip through old Christmas photos
Most of the old Christmas pictures will have your kids grinning with excitement as they enjoy looking at them.
35. Make eggnog
What is Christmas without a steaming mug of eggnog? Eggnog is a creamy, chilled, sweetened dairy beverage. Traditional ingredients include milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and whipped egg whites.
36. Dress up your pet
Make your pets festive with amusing hats, antlers, and even red and green capes.
37. Make Stovetop Potpourri
Stovetop Potpourri is a simmering pot of citrus, spices, and other ingredients that will make your house smell fantastic. It is a completely natural air freshener!
38. See the lights
One activity that will get everyone in the holiday spirit is to load up the family car, crank up the carols, and drive to the best light displays in your neighbourhood.
39. Make a Christmas village
Why pay a lot for a gorgeous Christmas village when you and your kids can construct one out of affordable wooden birdhouses? The best aspect is that you can establish a tradition by constructing a new structure each Christmas Eve and setting it with the rest of the village.
40. Watch festive movies
From Jimmy Stewart's It's a Wonderful Life to Will Ferrell's Lovely and Goofy Elf, watching festive movies is a fun way to spend the night before the big day.
41. Make Christmas crackers
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These vibrantly coloured table decorations, also known as Christmas crackers or poppers, are a fun Christmas Eve craft idea because they are filled with confetti, presents, and jokes.
42. Toss an open house party
Tossing an open house party is among adults' popular Christmas Eve traditions. An open house party is a less formal relative of the conventional gathering that welcomes visitors at any time throughout the designated time. Since it makes it simpler for your family and friends to find the time to attend, this is particularly wonderful for hectic Christmas Eves.
43. Do Christmas crafts
On Christmas Eve, everyone gets together to craft. We especially adore this recipe for salt dough ornaments, which may be used to decorate your family's tree or given as charming gifts.
44. Mix up a mocktail
Create mocktails that the whole family can enjoy to make the eve even more joyful and cheery. In addition, you can make the drinks a bit strong if you have adult guests. Mixing up mocktails is among the top Christmas Eve traditions for adults.
45. Take out dinner
You deserve a little break since the major meal is the following day, and by keeping things casual, everyone can get into those gorgeous matching jammies early.
46. Craft Christmas cards
Homemade Christmas cards are typically the most appreciated since they show you care enough to take time out of your hectic schedule to produce something from scratch. If you and the kids create these on Christmas Eve, you can distribute them at gatherings the next day.
47. Exchange presents
The night before Christmas, in the United States, one box of presents is typically given out. Some parents claim it soothes overly excited kids who can't wait for Santa to arrive.
48. Host a family sleepover
To experience the ultimate sleepover, invite your family over. The grown-ups can pop the champagne while the youngsters watch holiday movies. Make sure there are lots of small bites and sweet sweets to satisfy you.
49. Go for a festive walk outdoors
After all the big day's supper preparation, going for a stroll on Christmas Eve may be a terrific way to unwind. It also gives restless kids a chance to get some exercise.
50. Collect unused toys
You can go through the toy box and encourage the children to gather a few items they no longer use. It is helpful to teach kids that not all children are as lucky as they are and that Santa can bring them to other children in need by bagging up their old toys. Donate the toys to a charity shop or donation facility to make someone's Christmas great.
Things to do on Christmas Eve include opening gifts or decorating the Christmas tree as a family. However, you can spend the day in whichever way you deem fit, and being creative is the best approach. So, if you have run out of ideas on what to do during this year's Christmas Eve, the ones mentioned above should sort you out.
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