What do you for a fun Christmas Eve Dinner?

[kelly ann]

Since DS is 3 and will start remembering things from his childhood soon, I want to start a Christmas Eve dinner tradition this year. In the past, I have always cooked fish for Christmas Eve - not sure why though (maybe something to do with being Catholic). Eating fish is not really the fun atmosphere I want to create for the kids. What do some of y'all do for a fun and laid back Christmas Eve dinner?

I have tought about...

Make your own pizza - have a bunch of toppings and each person gets their own piece of dough

Fondue - cheese, broth, & of course chocolate for dessert

Any other ideas?

Thanks :)

[khakismom]

My parents started our Christmas Eve tradition years ago when my brother and I were teenagers, and I have still kept it up now with the kids. On Christmas Eve we go to our favorite Chinese restaurant! :9 It's kind of silly, but we always have lots of fun. We do Christmas Mass and then go get some yummy chinese! :)

[ctmom]

We also go out for dinner after mass, but not for Chinese, I think I will throw that out to dh!! I started the tradition a few years back because of all the last minute rushing around, and knowing what Christmas day is like, I just didn't want to worry about cooking another big meal/throwing another party...

[Dcclerk]

We do the fondue thing, and I absolute love it. It is liesurely and allows us to do a lot of reflecting and enjoying. Plus, it is delicious, and depending on how it is done, not a ton of work. I'm sorry I don't have another suggestion, just wanted to point out how much I love one you already have thought about.

[Mommy_Again]

This is more on the pricy side, but we do stone crabs. sooo yummy. but it depends if you can get good ones where you live.

I think the fondue idea is great, though. It is definitely a special occasion type of meal.

[kristenk]

My family did tamales, chili, beans, etc. on Christmas eve. DH's always did lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. I like both traditions, and think we might make one traditional for Christmas Eve dinner and 1 traditional for December 26th!

[dknees]

We used to travel to visit my relatives on the 24th, so the night before (our immediate family's "Christmas Eve"), we used to have a casual "munchie" dinner, usually taco salad, some veggies with dip, pepperoni bread, and other dippy, appetizer-like foods. We all sat around the coffee table in the living room (on the floor!) and lit the tree and were silly. Sometimes we watched old home movies and laughed ourselves silly :) We followed that by eating homemade Christmas cookies and fudge, mom just put out a tray and we ate and ate and ATE until they were all gone. We also used to open 1 present. Usually my sister and I opened the ones from each other, while my parents opened a gag gift from each other. So, we basically ate like piggies and giggled a lot. It was tons of fun!

On Christmas Eve, we did the traditional Italian eat all day buffet, followed by a big pasta dinner. Then we'd go to midnight mass, then my mom's mom's house and she'd have a freshly baked ham and fresh made rolls (homemade) All my aunts, uncles and cousins would meet there after church, and we'd have ham sandwiches and munchies and stay up until all hours of the morning. As if we hadn't eaten enough all day long!!!!!!!!! But, it was so much fun :)

[elliput]

My family (parents) also do crab, but it is usually snow or dungoness. I miss living close to my parents. :-(

[steph2003]

We go to service & then have a casual evening full of "finger foods" both cold & hot. We love snacking & hanging out together as a family.

[aguinn]

christmas eve is my b'day, so we go to dinner at the only restaurant around that's open: the chinese restaurant!

;)amy
momma to DS#1 "Big Brother" (BB) and, finally, DS#2 "Little Brother" (LB)

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"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." ~ Neil Postman

[redhookmom]

I like the fondue idea!

After dinner we put hot chocolate in travel mugs and ride around town looking at the lights.

[mcdonald29]

DH's family always has what they call a smorgasboard on Christmas Eve, basically a buffet of appetizers and snacks. Some of the *required* menu items, according to DH, include Spam pizzas, deviled eggs, and "stinky" cheeses (FIL is Dutch). It's much easier now since each family can bring a specific appetizer or two.

[spencersmommy]

Kelly Ann,
Christmas Eve has always been the "important" night for our family. We have pizza in the mid-afternoon and then make snacks to eat around 6-7, the same snacks every year, too! Mom's bacon wrapped sausages, meatballs, roll-ups, quiches, and now we are adding to that menu, too as our group gets bigger (marriages, babies, etc!)
Then we play a board game. After that, we take turns opening gifts. We draw names for the adults at Thanksgiving and have a limit. Everyone buys for the kids. Then, we hit the Christmas Eve candlelight serice at church. I love that night. I am so looking forward to this year already and we are planning the board games. Hope that helps! I know, I am looking to start some Christmas Day early morning traditions with my boys before we head to the in-laws.

[spencersmommy]

Kelly Ann,
Christmas Eve has always been the "important" night for our family. We have pizza in the mid-afternoon and then make snacks to eat around 6-7, the same snacks every year, too! Mom's bacon wrapped sausages, meatballs, roll-ups, quiches, and now we are adding to that menu, too as our group gets bigger (marriages, babies, etc!)
Then we play a board game. After that, we take turns opening gifts. We draw names for the adults at Thanksgiving and have a limit. Everyone buys for the kids. Then, we hit the Christmas Eve candlelight serice at church. I love that night. I am so looking forward to this year already and we are planning the board games. Hope that helps! I know, I am looking to start some Christmas Day early morning traditions with my boys before we head to the in-laws.
****Sorry about the double post!

[deborah_r]

My ILs always do Mexican food on Christmas Eve. My sister started doing fried dough on Christmas Eve when her boys were little - she asked what they wanted, and that was it! (This might be a regional thing, I'm not sure if everyone knows what fried dough is?)

We are sticking with Mexican for now, but I guess I will see if Kai has something he wants to do as he gets older.

I think make your own pizza sounds great! Maybe follow it up with make your own sundae?!? :)

[MelissaTC]

We are going to do heavy appetizers- cheesy spinach pinwheels, cocktail franks (DH and DS live for these!), shrimp cocktail, etc..

[HGraceMom]

We do a huge pot of King Crab Legs at our house for Christmas Eve to keep my mom's house clean for Christmas Day! I've added various sides: a shrimp & wilted spinach with pasta dish, huge salad, couscous, smashed red potato, plenty of appetizers, and a fancy chocolate mouse or other individual serving dessert... and set the banquet table with my china, silver, candles, placecards (the whole 9 yards) because Christmas Day, though fancy, isn't formal, and I'd like DD to have a formal memory or two from growing up. It's always just my immediate family (brother, sister, parents) so is a little more intimate. After dinner, everyone goes off to Midnight Mass (except the 3 of us b/c of bedtime.)

[kelly ann]

Love the lights idea...think I will add that on to the evening!