I did this for many years too- especially the decades when I was doing a church gig and usually had a 4pm and a 10pm or midnight service; went out for Chinese between services. I remember a few years ago was the first C'mas eve in about 25 years that I didn't have to do church; 4pm rolled around and I got confused. I didn't really know what people do on C'mas eve! Another holiday tradition that I love is going with my school's madrigal singers (I'm a music teacher) to a retirement home for Franciscan nuns. We sing for them and then at the end the gals raise their hands and sing (in their tremulous 90-year old voices) a blessing to the kids. We try to tell the kids how moving it is; they always go "uh-huh, sure", and then sure enough, all of them have tears running down their faces when it happens. It's a very sweet holiday moment that I cherish every year. "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."