The ultimate Christmas Eve checklist: From the food to the festivities to traditions!

Christmas Eve can be the most wonderful – and the most stressful – time of the year! There’s so much prep goes into preparing for Christmas that by Christmas Eve we just want to flop down in front of the fire.

But by Christmas Eve, there’s still so much to do with those last-minute jobs and items to check off your list that can only be done at the last few seconds! This is your complete checklist for Christmas Eve to make sure you’re ticking all the boxes and have everything ready to go and glow on Christmas Day!

Do your final big grocery shop – ingredients and household items!

Check your recipes to ensure you have the right equipment

Time how long dinner will take and verify the order you need to cook it in

Get your Christmas pyjamas ready

Have your candle ready in the window to be lit

Find baby Jesus and have him ready to put into the crib

Get your Christmas Day outfit ready

Do one last quick cleanup of the house

Wrap your last-minute presents

Write your Christmas cards

Put bottles of wine into gift bags and have cards ready to hand in case of any unexpected visitors!

Prepare some hors d’oeuvres to snack on this evening

Do the last advent calendar window

Set out Santa’s milk and cookies – and don’t forget Rudolph’s snacks!

Take a Christmas Eve photo

Check the Santa tracker to keep tabs on when the kids need to go to bed

Assemble anything that needs assembling

Lay out the stockings

Make sure you have everything ready for Christmas breakfast and set the table

Have enough firewood for a big roaring cosy fire the next night

Ensure the kitchen is clean and ready for a full day of cooking

Pre-make any part of the dinner courses that you can

Charge your cameras and phones

Give the kids their final Christmas day baths

Meal prep – anything you can get ready before time, you should – it takes the pressure off

Check that you have batteries

Stock up on ice

Set the table for Christmas Day

If you’re travelling, check the weather

Make sure tape, scissors and wrapping paper are all to hand

Make pimped-out hot chocolate

Go see the lights around town

Watch your family holiday movie

Have a toast to all your hard work and enjoy the holidays!