Does your family have a Christmas Eve tradition?

Yes, we order Chinese.

Usually Christmas Eve includes snack foods, Christmas music, maybe a movie and we sometimes open one gift. For many years we gathered at my parents.

Our family's tradition on Christmas Eve, when we were children (80 years ago), was to bring in the 'tree', which was actually a large branch cut from a yew tree we had in the garden, and then to decorate the tree and the house with holly, ivy and all of the decorations, which had been stored for a year. Since it was Christmas Eve and Father Christmas had not been yet, there were no presents under the tree until Christmas morning. When the decorations had been done and the candles on the tree were alight, we had tea and sandwiches and sang several Christmas Carols. When it was time for bed, we each took a five-pointed silver star from the tree (there was one for each of us) and this was hung over the head of each of our beds. A large stocking was found for each of us and placed at the foot of the bed. Waking up on Christmas morning was always exciting. It was pitch dark still (probably about 6:30 am), so we felt around the end of the bed for our stockings. They were always fat with strange knobbly and hard things and, in fact, each was meticulously packed in a specific order, which I later had to learn for my own children. When the contents of the stockings had been opened, marvelled at and eaten (as appropriate), we went down for breakfast but, on the way, were allowed to peep at the tree. During the night, an enormous quantity of gaily wrapped presents had been placed around its base. We were not allowed to touch them, however, though some labels were read and the contents felt through the wrapping with much excited guessing as to the contents. The giving out and opening of presents only happened after the Christmas Dinner and when we children had had a rest on our beds while the adults cleared away the dinner table.

We sadly do not have any tradition. I am so glad you still do Chicaa, it is such a good thing you just dont know.

I get together with JJ and sing “Just 24 More Hours and This is OVER!!!!!”

Christmas is not a part of Hindu festival but we celebrate it in our house. The more celebrations, the merrier it isMy daughters put up the tree 13 days before Christmas. They expect their gifts under tree on the dayand Yes for few days as it's a holiday we sit around singing and playing games. And my daughters get a good excuse to do something that they love.. Bake, bake and bake

Oh, paella? Ok, you already said you're not Spanish! But it's great reading about paella here . Ok, I'm from Spain and here we have a family dinner on Christmas' Eve and also have lunch together on athe 25th. Something (different from other countres) we do is, on New Year's Eve, at 0:00 we eat one grape for every "dong", a total of 12 grapes that should take luck for the incoming year.

Our son's mother-in-law does Christmas Eve. That is when they celebrate. She has a big meal of various fish, perogies, and other Polish dishes, all of which are delicious. We have always been included. We do either Christmas brunch or supper here with our son and his wife. We usually do gifts on Christmas Eve and then a few more on Christmas Day. My hubs and I do ours together, quietly on Christmas morning. And it is usually the nicest morning of the year in my eyes. I bake up a fresh batch of orange-cranberry muffins and we enjoy a muffin with our coffee as we open gifts together.

It's just the two of us; so we don't do anything really special. This year we will take out from our local Italian restaurant. Gnocchi for me! I am the product of two Italians from the old country; but I don't remember anything about the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

We go on tours during this time...I mean towards the end of December and celebrate the New Year somewhere else from my place of dwelling. But this year we are home-bound! I think I will enjoy at home.