The holiday season gives us the opportunity to experience the world through the innocence and wonder of a child’s eyes. There is no evening more magical than The Night before Christmas. Christmas Eve is one of the most exciting nights of the year as festive anticipation reaches its peak. On Christmas Eve, we enjoy our final moments of preparing for Christmas Day. We’re wrapping presents, baking pies, and stuffing stockings before morning. For kids, it’s all about the countdown for presents. People around the world celebrate Christmas Eve in different ways. Christmas Eve is celebrated with large family meals featuring traditional Christmas dishes. In some cultures, presents are exchanged and opened on the night of Christmas Eve. Many homes have their Christmas trees lit up, mistletoe hung, and other Christmas decorations at this time of the year. It is also a time for children around the world to hang their Christmas stockings hoping for a present to arrive from Santa Claus on Christmas Day.
Already have your Christmas Eve planned or you’re going to just wing it and hope for the best. Either way, the team HalfCute gathered some favourite Christmas traditions to implement into your Christmas Eve celebrations. These tips are meant to encourage your planning and help you have the best celebration ever.
Making Snacks for Santa
Making snacks for Santa is one great tradition for many families. Santa is not the only one that needs a snack during the busy night. Before going to bed, the kids can make a fun, easy recipe for Magical Reindeer Food to help the reindeer fly through the night. This has become an annual tradition in every home.
Leaving Santa’s Footprints
The anticipation of the Santa’s arrival on Christmas Eve. When the kids have gone to bed, parents usually pour out glitter on newspaper then stick a boot in it. Then leave footprints wherever Santa may have gone around the house to surprise the kids.
Singing Christmas Carols
Carol singing is a huge part of mid-night masses on Christmas Eve. People spend days practising for the evening. The carol is part of the Midnight Mass Communion Service.
Preparing Food for Late Night Workers
Thinking more about those who may not be able to spend Christmas Eve with families, try making a bowl of Maggi, cake and share a few random acts of kindness.
Christmas Eve Box
One exciting way to get Christmas started is with the Christmas Eve Box. A box that includes all of the essential items to have a celebratory Christmas Eve. New clothes, popcorn, candy, a new movie, hot chocolate, cookie dough, etc
Midnight Mass
Christmas Eve has many of its own customs and traditions. The most widely practised one that still exists today is going to a Midnight Mass Church Service. People might fast during Christmas Eve. The Midnight Mass Communion Service was a very special one as it was the only one that was allowed to start after sunset. So it was held at Midnight.
Burning Yule Log
It was also traditional to bring the Yule Log into the house and light it on Christmas Eve. It was lit using a piece of the previous year’s log and then would burn non-stop until Twelfth Night (night of the 5th January).
Laugh… A lot!
The holiday season is a time to celebrate love, life and redemption and spend our days with those we love the most. With all the focus on holiday planning and rush to finish the ever-growing to-do list, Christmas Eve is your chance to finally sit down and enjoy the moment with your family.