Our Christmas Eve Traditions: Simple, Sacred, and Full of Magic

nourishednotperfec
Jan 18
3 min read

Christmas Eve in our house is one of my favorite days of the entire year.

Not because it’s perfect. Not because it’s quiet. Not because everything goes as planned.

But because it’s full of anticipation, tradition, and those little moments that feel like magic—especially when you’re a kid.

Everyone is buzzing. Everyone is excited.Everyone is counting down.

So we lean into it.

Start the Day by Getting Out of the House

On Christmas Eve morning—weather permitting—we have to get out of the house.

Because everyone is already thinking about presents. And if we stay home all day? It turns into chaos.

So we plan something active and fun:

⛳ Golf

🥏 Disc golf

🚲 Bike ride

🚶‍♀️ Long walk

🎬 Or even a Christmas Eve matinee

It helps burn off energy, reset attitudes, and remind everyone that Christmas is about more than just opening gifts.

Christmas Eve Church (3pm Is the Sweet Spot)

We love the 3pm-ish Christmas Eve service.

It’s early enough that:✔️ We’re not exhausted ✔️ No one is hangry yet ✔️ We can come home and still enjoy the evening

It sets the tone for everything.

Peaceful. Intentional. Centered on what actually matters.

Christmas Eve Dinner: Simple & Comforting

Our Christmas Eve dinner is a tradition we adopted and tweaked from my husband’s family—and it’s perfect.

We do sliders:

🍞 Hawaiian rolls🍖 Ham & turkey🧀 Cheese🧈 Butter, minced garlic, Italian seasoning melted on top

Then we add:

🥔 Chips🧅 French onion dip (Helluva Good only around here)🍇 Fruit 🍪 White chocolate-covered Oreos

For drinks:🍎 Sparkling cider🧊 Cranberry frozen ice cubes

It’s simple. It’s cozy. It’s perfect finger food for movie night.

Christmas Eve Gifts & Stockings

We open a few select gifts on Christmas Eve—usually:

🎲 Board games 🧩 Family games 🎁 Fun shared gifts

And we open stockings.

This helps scratch that “I NEED TO OPEN SOMETHING” itch without ruining Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve Movie Night

After dinner and gifts, we pick a Christmas movie and settle in.

Blankets. Snacks. Dim lights. Pure cozy.

No pressure. No agenda. Just being together.

Our Santa Traditions

These are some of my favorite parts of Christmas Eve.

Our Santa Plate

At the beginning of December, we go to a pottery place and make a plate with everyone’s handprints. We decorate it, and it becomes our Santa plate for the year.

On Christmas Eve, we put:🍪 Cookies🥛 Milk🥕 Carrots for the reindeer

on that plate.

It becomes a keepsake from that season of life.

Reindeer Food

Before we head to church, we mix up reindeer food.

Oats, glitter, and whatever else the kids want to add—marshmallows, cereal, sprinkles… anything goes.

It’s messy. It’s ridiculous.They love it.

We sprinkle it outside so the reindeer can find our house.

After Bedtime: Santa’s Letter

Once the kids are asleep, Santa types a letter and leaves it by the fireplace.

But it’s not just a “Merry Christmas.”

We write:

✨ What we’re proud of them for

✨ What they worked hard on this year

✨ How they’ve grown

✨ What we encourage them to keep practicing

They wake up to it Christmas morning, and it’s always emotional in the best way.

It’s one of those things they may not remember word-for-word—but they’ll remember how it made them feel. (if you want a copy of this-email me and I'll send it over)

Seen. Known. Loved.