How to Plan the Perfect Christmas Eve Celebration
Author: Nikki Barnett Date Posted:5 December 2020
Make it a jolly good day
Here in Australia, Christmas happens in the middle of summer—no snow in sight. The days and evenings are long and still warm. The shops are open late and the streets are full of last-minute shoppers rather than sparkly fairy lights on a setting sun as businesses close for the holiday.
Christmas Eve is not a public holiday in Australia, so many people are still finishing up last-minute work duties before heading off on their long-awaited break. School holidays start at least a week before Christmas, so families are often travelling with their children to visit the extended family ready for the big traditional Christmas Lunch on the big day.
Traditionally there are many Christmas Eve activities in every town leading up to the big events on Christmas Day, especially for children. Christmas pageants and Carols by Candlelight services happen in every state’s capital city and most small country towns would usually have a holiday-themed parade organised.
Make this year special for your family—no matter what
This year is a little different as we have all learned. 2020 has taught us to be innovative as the things we took for granted suddenly changed. This year, many major city’s pageants and Christmas celebrations have been cancelled or modified due to COVID-19 regulations, but don’t let this take the joy away from Christmas for you and your family. Your Christmas Eve traditions might need a re-think, but there are still so many things to do for adults and kids.
As your family makes plans for where to go on Christmas Eve, you can think back to some old fashioned favourites, come up with new ideas, or ask around friends and family to see what they are planning to do to make Christmas Eve special. There is still so much you can do to bring out the Christmas cheer for everyone and not put a dampener on the festive mood.
What to do on Christmas Eve
Apart from last-minute food preparations, secret wrapping of the kids’ gifts and decorating your home ready for the traditional Christmas Day celebrations, take the time to make this day fun for everyone. It’s easy to make Christmas Eve special for the children with small gatherings and holiday parties at home. For a couple, you might enjoy some romantic, quiet time for two to put this year to rest. From Christmas Eve family party ideas to starting new traditions for adults, here is our list of what to do and where to go on Christmas Eve 2020.
Make a Christmas wreath
Spend the day with a fun, creative activity for the whole family. This is a great DIY project to make your home bright and cheerful for this Christmas. Buy a faux wreath of your choice from any craft shop or big discount store, use some Florist wire and secateurs and weave and tie in a selection of native flowers like kangaroo paw, bougainvillea or banksia. Tweak it until you get the look just right, tie it together and hang when ready. A wonderful way of creating some Christmas cheer.
Watch a holiday movie together
If you are all organised and crave a little rest day for everyone before the house is full of visitors again, make your Christmas Eve a family day full of movies and popcorn. A holiday favourite with the children is easy to find with the hilarious ‘Home Alone’ series or ‘The Grinch’ available on most online streaming platforms now. Couples will enjoy a star-packed holiday romance like ‘Love Actually’ or the newest ‘Last Christmas’ movie.
Enjoy baking fun as a family
It’s a great team activity with your children to get some last-minute Christmas cooking or baking done before the big day. Why not bake some chocolate cupcakes and let the little ones turn them into Christmas trees with green frosting, red and white chocolates as baubles and a yellow star on the top? The internet is full of wonderful Christmas-themed food ideas for your home or office.
Check the neighbours’ lights
Many Australians delight in decorating their front yard with blow-up Santas, giant sparkly inflatable Christmas trees and fairy lights all over their roof and gutters. Why not take the kids for an early morning or late evening tour around the neighbourhood to see how creative everyone has been this year? Your kids might even take along a notepad and play judges and decide on their personal winner for some extra fun.
Visit some friends for pre-Christmas drinks
Christmas and Boxing day are often reserved for family outings, beach barbecues or festive road trips. Use the day before the holiday madness to visit some close friends and have a small gathering together. Mix some cocktails, chuck some prawns on the barbie, reminisce about the year nearly gone and have a laugh with your nearest and dearest.
And why not do it all? Enjoy the day crafting and baking with your kids, finish the afternoon with a movie, head out for the lights before the children go to bed to dream about Santa while you have your friends over for some adult fun. Sounds like a perfect day for everyone.
Kick off the shoes, relax and enjoy – you deserve it
Here at The Hamper Emporium, we love to be part of your special occasions and everyday fun. Christmas is our favourite holiday and we are delighted to be offering the best gift boxes in Australia for you to enjoy with the ones who mean the most. The best Christmas Eve gift traditions involve choosing one present to open the day before Xmas. We recommend buying a gourmet Christmas hamper and opening it to share.
Christmas Bites Hamper
This beautiful festive blend of sweet and savoury is a great way to say Merry Christmas. It includes the award-winning Cabernet Merlot from Cape Mentelle and luxury treats the whole family will enjoy.
Everything But The Ham Hamper
Share this glorious hamper with your friends or family and make 2020 a memorable celebration. This Christmas gift box is truly spectacular and comes in a premium keepsake box. As the name promises, you will be delighted to find everything but the ham in here to host your guests.
Chandon Sparkling Christmas Hamper
Spoil a special someone or yourself with this gift hamper filled to the brim with indulgent nibbles and sparkling wine. Vibrant, fresh sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut NV is the ideal summer companion. Enjoy it with indulgent festive goodies like handmade Christmas Pudding, Christmas fruit mince tarts, and more. The most wonderful time of the year made even better with a selection of treats—both festive and classic.
As a bonus, when you purchase a hamper containing Chandon sparkling wine, you can automatically go in the draw to win a magical weekend getaway to the Yarra Valley for six people. Find out more about how to win this unforgettable experience from The Hamper Emporium and Chandon.
Pre-order now and share the love
Don’t leave it too late to order our sell-out Christmas hampers. The cut-off date for Christmas delivery is nearly upon us, so don’t miss out! Be the host, be organised and then just enjoy time together, without doing the hard work. Let us do all the preparations for you so you can indulge in some luxury with gourmet treats and your favourite Xmas drinks.
We have a hamper for every budget and every taste. No matter what your plans are, no matter who is coming over and what food you all enjoy, here at The Hamper Emporium we have something for everyone. Enjoy FREE Australia-wide delivery. Your family will be excited to receive luxury Christmas hampers in keepsake boxes full of traditional treats and favourites.
