Christmas Eve – The most exciting night of the entire year – is nearly upon us! With the run up to Christmas being so hectic, it is important to enjoy the spirit of Christmas and keep the traditions of Christmas eve alive and well with some family time together. As a family, it is a great opportunity to bring the family closer together and forget about the stress – just enjoy yourself! Here are a few ideas to get everyone in the Christmassy mood ready for Christmas day …
Preparing for Santas arrival – For the kids, this is by far the most exciting part of Christmas eve, and we all have happy memories of our own childhoods, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Santa and the reindeer – and the important question, has he brought me the gift I wrote to him for? Encourage the Christmas magic with your own family – get the kids to write or draw their messages to Santa, leave out a mince pie, a carrot, and a glass of milk, and read a Christmas story to them. The night before Christmas is a classic that is perfect for Christmas eve – it captures the magic and excitement of Santas arrival perfectly. Oh, and don’t forget to leave the stockings out ready to be filled!
Christmas Light Walk – This is a great way to get the kids tired out if they are a bit over-excited! If you live in a neighbourhood where there are a lot of festive looking houses, it is lovely to walk around on Christmas eve and see them all lit up. Some places, such as Westonbirt Arboretum, do enchanted Christmas light walks in the woods which are a lovely family activity.
Watch a Christmas family film – Get everyone snuggled up on the sofa, open a big tub of sweets, and settle in for a family movie. Elf, Arthur Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street are great Christmas eve films – and don’t forget the Christmas classic the Snowman!
Get the dinner prepared – Get the vegetables ready, and defrost the turkey ready for the big day – get the kids involved and get them to help decorate the table. Sprinkle snowflake confetti and get them to make the table place names for all the guests. Check that you have everything that you need – if you are feeding a big family, you may need commercial catering supplies from https://www.247cateringsupplies.co.uk/ to get you through the day!
Watch a carol concert – You might be lucky enough to have some carol singers pop by your house, but if not, see if there are any local carol concerts that you can attend. There are bound to be some on the television that you can watch – whilst enjoying a mince pie and sherry once the presents are wrapped and the kids are in bed!
