Christmas Eve
A Visit from St. Nicholas • Hamper Night
The Zenith of Merriment and Good Cheer!
About Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is a day filled with domestic joys and the special traditions that give the Night Before its own character. The anticipation is palpable. Who can relax, much less sleep, when Santa’s sleigh is on its way? Yet it’s also a time for slowing down and enjoying the warmth of family. It’s peak merriment, coziness, and excitement. It’s a wonderful feeling. We recommend anchoring the day around three traditions. First, gather the family to watch a Christmas movie. It doesn’t matter if it’s heartfelt (It’s a Wonderful Life) or Christmas-adjacent (Die Hard). The key is to pick one movie that becomes a yearly tradition. Second, embrace the concept of Hamper Night, an indoor picnic made up of everyone’s favorite ready-to-eat foods. This lighthearted meal removes the pressure of cooking and adds a sense of fun as everyone shares their chosen treats. Finally, end the evening with a nod to Iceland’s Jólabókaflóð, the tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve. Throughout the day, a playlist of quieter, more solemn Christmas tunes (think “Silent Night”) helps tie the day back to the original Christmas story. The result is a day deeply connected to family and the season’s true spirit. The feeling in your heart will last forever; the heartburn from eating too many blue-cheese caramels should fade by the time Bruce Willis reclaims Nakatomi Plaza.
Inspiration
My family goes all in for Jólabókaflóð. We all open one book-shaped gift, though you’re allowed to open two if you can pronounce Jólabókaflóð correctly (spoiler: no one can). But mostly, we keep things blissfully lazy, grazing on Hamper Night crackers and cheese and snoozing between movies. Around the world, Christmas Eve is marked by wildly diverse traditions. In Poland, families gather for Wigilia, a twelve-dish feast symbolizing the apostles, with an empty plate set for a stranger who might arrive. (Pity the Polish Scrooge assigned to clean the dishes.) In Mexico, Las Posadas culminates in a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, followed by a joyous feast. In the Philippines, Noche Buena brings families together for a midnight celebration, which can evolve into block parties. However you celebrate, let it be a day of joyful anticipation and abundant love. The gifts can wait.
Adornments
Watch
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)
Based on Barbara Robinson’s beloved 1972 novel, this heartwarming comedy-drama centers on the notorious Herdman siblings: six unruly kids who unexpectedly take over their town’s annual Christmas pageant and end up delivering its most authentic and moving performance ever.
Die Hard (1988)
An unconventional Christmas favorite that turns a holiday office party into an action-packed adventure. Off-duty cop John McClane finds himself trapped in a Los Angeles skyscraper when terrorists take over the building during the company’s Christmas gathering. The film’s twinkling decorations, ironic use of carols, and snow of falling papers at the end have helped cement Die Hard as a genre-defying staple of Christmas Eve viewing.
Listen
Silent Night (Traditional)
The quintessential Christmas Eve hymn of peace and stillness. First sung in 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria, to guitar accompaniment after the church organ failed, it has become the most translated carol in the world.
O Holy Night (Traditional)
Composed in 1847 with lyrics based on a French poem, “O Holy Night” remains one of the most stirring carols in the Christmas canon. Its sweeping crescendos and message of hope and redemption (“fall on your knees”) make it a staple of Christmas Eve services. A personal favorite.
Still, Still, Still (Traditional)
This Austrian lullaby dates back to the 19th century and is traditionally sung on Christmas Eve to commemorate the calm of the Christ child’s birth. Its gentle melody mirrors a mother rocking her baby.
The Huron Carol (Traditional)
Often called Canada’s first Christmas carol, this haunting hymn was originally written in the Wendat (Huron) language by a Jesuit missionary around 1642. Also known by its English opening “‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime,” the song blends Indigenous imagery with the Nativity story.
Read
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
Also known by its original title, ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas,’ this 1823 poem shaped much of the modern mythology surrounding Santa Claus. With its vivid imagery, galloping meter, and iconic opening line, it has been recited on Christmas Eve in countless homes for two centuries.
Eat
Hamper Night Spread
Skip the formal dinner and instead gather around a casual indoor picnic of everyone’s favorite easy bites. Think cheeses, crackers, charcuterie, fresh fruit, finger sandwiches, smoked salmon, or any dish that requires little more than assembly and enthusiasm.