It’s Christmas Eve. Time to stop & find your joy
- Meg
- Dec 24, 2025
- 3 min read
If you’re reading this on Christmas Eve, let me say this first: You’ve done enough.
The shopping lists have been ticked off. The fridge is full. The plans however loose or ambitious are made. And now, before the evening slips quietly into tomorrow, this is your reminder to stop.
Christmas Eve is not the moment for one last push. It’s the threshold. The pause before the gathering. The soft landing after weeks of preparation.
When the World Finally Goes Quiet
There is something deeply comforting about Christmas Eve once the shops are shut. No more dashing out for forgotten ingredients. No more “just one more thing” you could add to the menu. The door closes on possibility and with it comes relief.
What’s done is done.
What’s in the house is enough.
In all my years cooking professionally from busy pub kitchens to private dining rooms Christmas Eve has always been my favourite moment. Not because it’s glamorous, but because it’s honest. There’s nowhere left to rush to. No expectation to perform. Just the quiet knowledge that tomorrow will arrive whether we fret or not.
A Calm Kitchen, A Kinder Evening
In my kitchen, Christmas Eve has always been about calm. Food that’s already made or gently ticking away. A pot of soup on the stove. Bread wrapped and ready. Puddings waiting patiently.
And candles — always candles.
They’re lit far earlier than necessary, simply because they make the room feel festive, kinder and warmer.
Back home in Ireland, there’s a tradition I’ve always carried with me. On Christmas Eve, a candle is left burning through the night in the window a light for the souls of those we love who have died. It’s a small, quiet gesture, but one that fills the house with meaning. A reminder that Christmas is as much about memory and love as it is about food and celebration.
Small Joys Matter Most
Christmas eve is about small joys
A cup of tea or in my case, a glass of wine enjoyed sitting down rather than on the go
The smell of something familiar and comforting drifting through the house
The quiet satisfaction of knowing that enough really is enough
So if your table isn’t perfect, it doesn’t need to be. If your plans have changed, that’s allowed. If you’re tired, that’s human.
The joy of Christmas doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from letting yourself arrive.
A Little Something to Sip
Christmas Eve deserves a drink that feels celebratory without being demanding — something you can make in minutes, hold in your hands, and enjoy slowly.
Here are two of my favourites: one sparkling, one alcohol-free, both rooted in simple, seasonal flavours.
Christmas Eve Prosecco Cocktail
Light, festive and gently aromatic
Serves 1 (easily multiplied)
You’ll need:
1 tsp clementine or orange marmalade
A squeeze of fresh orange or clementine juice
Prosecco, chilled
A sprig of rosemary or a strip of orange peel, to serve
How to make it: Spoon the marmalade into a champagne flute and add the juice. Give it a gentle stir to loosen, then slowly top up with chilled Prosecco. Garnish with rosemary or orange peel.
Why I love it: It tastes like Christmas morning bright, citrusy and quietly joyful.
Christmas Eve Spiced Apple & Cranberry Mocktail
Warming, festive and beautifully balanced
Serves 1
You’ll need:
100ml cloudy apple juice
50ml cranberry juice
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
A splash of sparkling water
A cinnamon stick or star anise
Fresh cranberries or apple slices, to serve
How to make it: Pour the apple and cranberry juices into a glass with ice. Add lemon juice, top with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with spice and fruit.
Why I love it: It feels grown-up, celebratory and comforting without the need for alcohol!
Cooking with Care, Hosting with Ease
If you’re craving a gentler way to cook, host and celebrate — now and beyond Christmas — my cookbooks, festive food orders and private chef services are all designed with exactly this moment in mind.
Calm, confident kitchens.
Nourishing tables.
No drama.
No overwhelm.
Just good food, cooked with care.
And Now… Rest
For now though, close the laptop.
Light a candle.
Take a breath.
Wishing you a peaceful Christmas Eve and a table filled with warmth — whatever that looks like for you.
Love
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