Czech (and a lot of Eastern Europe) tradition is to have the major dinner and family gathering on the Eve. Christmas day is when we chill in sweatpants and do nothing.
For the last 25+ years we’ve had family & friends over for a big casual buffet feast, carols, Christmas Crackers, and laying baby Jesus in the manger. Our small house is bursting at the seams.
One year the doll representing Jesus vanished from the manger part way through the night. We found it tucked into our bed. I guess one of the littles though he deserved better accommodation.
But we stopped during Covid, and haven’t resumed because of other complications. I miss the Christmas Eve crowd.
We do a “Bethlehem dinner” (sit on the floor and eat food that we pretend was authentic for the time and place).
Then open a single present before bed.
We also do other things not dictated by tradition. Those are obviously different every year.
This year…
As of 10 minutes ago I just decided to watch at least one Christmas movie! Other than that, I’ll be stuffing money into decorated envelopes, you know, gifts!
I don’t celebrate holidays in general since I moved out of my parents’ home. In part this is because my family all moved to Florida like a year after I bought my house. Like, what, am I gonna decorate for my cats? I’ve got nobody to celebrate with, so I might as well eat what I like, go where I like, and do as I like. I’ll call loved ones, text close friends, usually make some homemade biscuits and sausage gravy Christmas Eve so I have something nice to eat for the rest of the week in the morning.
I miss the time with family, but I don’t miss the weeks of fighting and stress leading up to it. I won’t say it’s been 100% for the better, but on the balance it’s a net improvement.
Like the song that kicks off “Fiddler On The Roof”…TRADITION! We get together with Mrs. H’s family, and have a simple meal of soup, cheese, crackers, and some Christmas goodies. We open gifts, then play games…cards, dice or board games. After sending everyone off, it’s time to clean up, so we can head off to my Dad’s place the next morning.
Prep to have the whole family and some friends over for dinner tomorrow.
Sing at church tonight.
Suddenly remember that there was ABSOLUTELY something that had to be done before tomorrow.
I’m a godless younger millennial, so absolutely nothing. No family to speak of, and all my friends are pretty much in the same boat and just don’t care anymore. It’s just another regular, non-home-owning day for us as we wait for the sweet release of death.
Go to in-laws on Christmas Eve, go to my family Christmas Day. Shoot myself Christmas night from family overload. And yet, still my MIL was asking if she could do breakfast with us Christmas morning. I just saw you Christmas Eve, what more could you possibly have to say to us that you didn’t say last night??? And your 44, I think it’s okay if he opens his gifts without you.
For 45+ years, starting as a kid, I played the carillon before and after 3 sets of Christmas eve services, going down from the tower to watch one of them. This church - not even my denomination - does the Christmas pageant, has chamber music, hand bells, as several members of the choir who sing locally in the opera including several of the wise men who walk the entire length of the church singing 3 we kings, the congregation sings many Christmas carols as part of the Christmas story, and of course a family with a young baby play that role with (usually) the baby cooperating.
As I have lived out of state for many years (mom still lives here along with one of my sisters, a couple of nieces and nephew) I’d practice the Christmas Carols for several days before the three services, hear the hand bell choir practice… Although I don’t play that carillon any more as they have finally have a church member who learned how and is doing that (and I miss that; although in the past I taught a few to play and they’d never play all 3 services so I got to play at least one, if not more) the tradition hasn’t changed for decades. There is something to be said for tradition that you can count on.
Christmas Eve is when we do everything Christmas except for presents. Have family over, eat way too much, pull Christmas Crackers, play games (although didn’t this year), ritualistically sacrifice virgins in the basement to satan, drink, have fun… all the usual things.
My usual December 24th evening has traditionally been spent trying to avoid thinking about the date or the season. This year, the combination of pain meds, other meds, the effects of what engendered their need, and the perversity of cats proved capable of blanking it out better than usual. As a result, although I could probably reconstruct it, I don’t really recall what I did on Saturday night. That is probably for the best.
Wait for Christmas day!
@yakkoTDI Today I ran a couple errands and picked up some delicious BBQ for lunch and made sure I got enough have left overs for tomorrow.
@yakkoTDI Do you decorate for your cacti?
Or decorate the cacti?
From Target:
@Kyeh I never decorate because I am never home for Christmas and I don’t have people over. I enjoy the decorations of others.
That is a cool cactus toy.
We do our family gathering on Christmas Eve. Via Zoom these days.
@Pony
Why zoom these days? People too old?
@Star2236 We live in different states now, and health issues make travel too difficult.
Go to church
Czech (and a lot of Eastern Europe) tradition is to have the major dinner and family gathering on the Eve. Christmas day is when we chill in sweatpants and do nothing.
For the last 25+ years we’ve had family & friends over for a big casual buffet feast, carols, Christmas Crackers, and laying baby Jesus in the manger. Our small house is bursting at the seams.
One year the doll representing Jesus vanished from the manger part way through the night. We found it tucked into our bed. I guess one of the littles though he deserved better accommodation.
But we stopped during Covid, and haven’t resumed because of other complications. I miss the Christmas Eve crowd.
Cook for the Christmas Day gathering.
Sadly, the same thing I do every other day.
@Tadlem43 Try to take over the world?
@yakkoTDI lol No, but I DO have some Pinky and the Brain videos that I can watch and live vicariously through them.
@Tadlem43
@yakkoTDI HA HA HA! That is awesome!
I love Pinky and the Brain!!
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!
We do a “Bethlehem dinner” (sit on the floor and eat food that we pretend was authentic for the time and place).
Then open a single present before bed.
We also do other things not dictated by tradition. Those are obviously different every year.
As kids we got to pick one present to open.
As a young adult prob watch Christmas movies with friends or family.
As a not-so-young adult get baked outta my mind.
This year…
Other than that, I’ll be stuffing money into decorated envelopes, you know, gifts! 
As of 10 minutes ago I just decided to watch at least one Christmas movie!
Church, cook, gather, eat. All with family.
I don’t celebrate holidays in general since I moved out of my parents’ home. In part this is because my family all moved to Florida like a year after I bought my house. Like, what, am I gonna decorate for my cats? I’ve got nobody to celebrate with, so I might as well eat what I like, go where I like, and do as I like. I’ll call loved ones, text close friends, usually make some homemade biscuits and sausage gravy Christmas Eve so I have something nice to eat for the rest of the week in the morning.
I miss the time with family, but I don’t miss the weeks of fighting and stress leading up to it. I won’t say it’s been 100% for the better, but on the balance it’s a net improvement.
@Catburd Decorate for the cats?
@Catburd
The answer is YES!!!
@Catburd @yakkoTDI
All decorations are for cats.
Who did you think it was all for?
/giphy entitled cat
Like the song that kicks off “Fiddler On The Roof”…TRADITION! We get together with Mrs. H’s family, and have a simple meal of soup, cheese, crackers, and some Christmas goodies. We open gifts, then play games…cards, dice or board games. After sending everyone off, it’s time to clean up, so we can head off to my Dad’s place the next morning.
Prep to have the whole family and some friends over for dinner tomorrow.
Sing at church tonight.
Suddenly remember that there was ABSOLUTELY something that had to be done before tomorrow.
I’m a godless younger millennial, so absolutely nothing. No family to speak of, and all my friends are pretty much in the same boat and just don’t care anymore. It’s just another regular, non-home-owning day for us as we wait for the sweet release of death.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
@ShotgunX
Plenty of godless folk of all “toxic generations” are around.
Hope life grant you some sweet releases along the way
most years… Work…this year… I somehow got the 23rd, and 24th off ( store closed 25th) I guess after 25 years seniority finally pays off…
( boss didn’t realize she gave me the whole weekend off…oopsie!)
Go to in-laws on Christmas Eve, go to my family Christmas Day. Shoot myself Christmas night from family overload. And yet, still my MIL was asking if she could do breakfast with us Christmas morning. I just saw you Christmas Eve, what more could you possibly have to say to us that you didn’t say last night??? And your 44, I think it’s okay if he opens his gifts without you.
Wrap presents, prep food, clean.
I spen a good bit of the day snoozing with The Dude. He’s a very congenial cat to cuddle up with.
Make some Begg Nog:
So good, you’ll be beggin’ for more.
Mainly prepping for tomorrow’s dinner. Make the deviled eggs, any dips, prepping veggies, maybe prepping the main course depending what is is.
And wrapping those last minute gifts that amazon or whoever just delivered and finally getting the box of wrapping paper put back up
This year… work. I am covering the ER 7p to 7a tonight.
@chienfou I hope nobody I know increases your workload.
(Also, thank you for doing that work.)
@xobzoo
Got your wish… No “hold my beer and watch this” patients tonight!
@chienfou @xobzoo Hold my eggnog…
For 45+ years, starting as a kid, I played the carillon before and after 3 sets of Christmas eve services, going down from the tower to watch one of them. This church - not even my denomination - does the Christmas pageant, has chamber music, hand bells, as several members of the choir who sing locally in the opera including several of the wise men who walk the entire length of the church singing 3 we kings, the congregation sings many Christmas carols as part of the Christmas story, and of course a family with a young baby play that role with (usually) the baby cooperating.
As I have lived out of state for many years (mom still lives here along with one of my sisters, a couple of nieces and nephew) I’d practice the Christmas Carols for several days before the three services, hear the hand bell choir practice… Although I don’t play that carillon any more as they have finally have a church member who learned how and is doing that (and I miss that; although in the past I taught a few to play and they’d never play all 3 services so I got to play at least one, if not more) the tradition hasn’t changed for decades. There is something to be said for tradition that you can count on.
Christmas Eve is when we do everything Christmas except for presents. Have family over, eat way too much, pull Christmas Crackers, play games (although didn’t this year), ritualistically sacrifice virgins in the basement to satan, drink, have fun… all the usual things.
Christmas morning we exchange gifts and relax.
By the way, just kidding about the basement thing. We don’t have a basement, we use the garage.
@OnionSoup And here the rest of us sat, wondering how you made do with a shed that was so tiny.
My usual December 24th evening has traditionally been spent trying to avoid thinking about the date or the season. This year, the combination of pain meds, other meds, the effects of what engendered their need, and the perversity of cats proved capable of blanking it out better than usual. As a result, although I could probably reconstruct it, I don’t really recall what I did on Saturday night. That is probably for the best.