Friday, December 24, 2010

What Are Your Favorite Christmas Eve Traditions?

Leaving Cookies for Santa

On Christmas eve, the night before Christmas, children expect a visit from Santa and stockings are hung by the fireplace to collect gifts from Santa. It is customary to read children some Christmas stories to complete their evening. The classic The Night Before Christmas is by far, the most popular short story of all. Reading stories in front of the fireplace with some hot chocolate will get the kids settled down and ready for bed. Then leave cookies for Santa and he will leave some crumbs and a note behind.

Make fresh cookies. Whether you plan on leaving chocolate chip, gingerbread, or frosted sugar cookies, Santa prefers homemade to store-bought cookies. Put the cookies on a decorative Christmas plate. Leave at least ten cookies. Make sure that there will still be cookies for Santa after Mom and Dad have eaten a few themselves.

Leave a glass of milk or eggnog with the cookies. Keep the milk or eggnog in the refrigerator and have Mom and Dad put it out before they go to bed. Santa loves icy cold milk.

Leave the cookies in a place where Santa will see them. Place them on the fireplace hearth or near the Christmas tree. Leave a note to tell Santa where the cookies are if you have to hide them from the dog.

Leave a napkin for Santa to dab his mustache. Santa loves festive napkins, but a plain napkin will do as well.

Leave a note by the cookies. Let Santa know how thankful you are for his visit to your house. Sometimes Santa has been know to write notes back to good children.
Reindeer Food
You can also have the kids throw Reindeer Food out in the yard for the reindeer before bed. See our recipe by clicking here. If the reindeer do not eat it the squirrels and birds will.

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6 comments:

AuPairDebbie said...

I love going to candle light service at church on Christmas Eve. Then straight to bed so Santa can come!

Grace said...

We usually bake cookies for Santa and we still set them out. Then, we have a nice dinner and watch a Christmas movie. To bed early to wake up early to open gifts.
Nanny Grace, Hilton Head, SC

Anonymous said...

One of my former charges used to wake up with a red lipstick mark of a kiss on her forehead...from Mrs. Claus on Christmas Morning.

And also would get a call from Santa a few days before (someone she did not know the voice of.)

Coleen said...

Each year we go caroling with the church to our shut-ins or those that cannot make it out to our church services anymore. Then church service. Not much at home, it's the next day we open presents.
Coleen

Michelle said...

My most treasured memories are of attending a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. I love the dim lighting, the glow of the candles and singing the songs. But you can do this at home too with candles lit and sing Christmas carols.

Anonymous said...

Ahhh you forgot to leave carrots for Rudolph.