Do you open your presents on Christmas eve...or do you have to wait until Christmas morning?

We let the kids open one thing on Christmas eve. A tradition I have from growing up, its usually a new pair of pjs that I give in and let them wear that night. All the other gifts "arrive" during the night.

since I am remarried we have 5 places to be between Christmas eve and day-plus we have to share the 2 older children with my ex and his family,so our children usually open our gifts Christmas eve morning(that has become our Christmas morning-since they typically arent here) then they do santa gifts when they get home from their dads-
It gets crazy...

I make 'em suffer they can open stockings first thing Christmas morning when I am busy getting my tea....only after I have had a half a cup are they allowed to open presents.

I make 'em suffer they can open stockings first thing Christmas morning when I am busy getting my tea....only after I have had a half a cup are they allowed to open presents.

ewwww, thats mean! Do you take small sips too... (LOL) :lmao:

We usually open up gifts to each other xmas eve,
and the ones from "santa" on xmas morning. :)

ewwww, thats mean! Do you take small sips too... (LOL) :lmao:


Well in my defense I have to say that I let them wake me anytime after 5:00am and most Christmas mornings that means 5:01am...lol

Everyone in the family gets to pick 1 gift on Christmas Eve - with help from mom and dad - don't want to ruin any surprised you know. ;)

The next morning, the kids are allowed to tear into their gifts from Santa and their stockings, at that point I call grandma and tell her she can come over and then they must wait until I'm done cooking breakfast for the family. The kids usually just munch on christmas candy, and when grandma comes we start opening presents one at a time. It's usually quite a long drawn out ordeal - but I hate it when the kids open a present from someone and we don't even get to see their expression. I want to see the joy darnit! :p

The boys can open stockings first thing. Then they can open a few presents. Then we take a break and have breakfast before we finish opening stuff.

One present on Christmas eve and the rest Christmas morning. The stockings are always last.

I like other people to open gifts early, but I like mine on Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we exchange gifts with the entire family. We usually have 22+ in the name exchange, my SD receives all of her gifts on Christmas Eve because we don't see her Christmas day. My kids get their Santa gifts on Christmas morning. Our stockings are always last (we usually forget about them).

We let them pick out one gift to open Christmas Eve; everything else gets opened Christmas morning.

Kids get to open one present each on Christmas Eve. It is always new PJ's... They also get to open one as a group-- normally a new movie and they get to go upstairs and watch it as they go to bed.

Everything else is opened Christmas morning. Santa gifts aren't wrapped so they play with those first and then everyone does their stockings-- then after breakfast- we open the presents under the tree!

We open ours Christmas morning. We go to my family home on Christmas Eve and exchange gifts and have a meat and cheese type meal. After we have breakfast christmas we go to my DH's family home and exchange gifts and have a formal lunch. When we get home I sleep for a week.

Everyone in the family gets to pick 1 gift on Christmas Eve - with help from mom and dad - don't want to ruin any surprised you know. ;)

The next morning, the kids are allowed to tear into their gifts from Santa and their stockings, at that point I call grandma and tell her she can come over and then they must wait until I'm done cooking breakfast for the family. The kids usually just munch on christmas candy, and when grandma comes we start opening presents one at a time. It's usually quite a long drawn out ordeal - but I hate it when the kids open a present from someone and we don't even get to see their expression. I want to see the joy darnit! :p

We do it that way too. I love to see their faces from my 4 year old to my 23 year old.

My whole family get together on christmas eve and we exchange gifts and whatever you get that evening you are allowed to open. But as for what santa brings they can only open on Christmas morning. We put out the toys and all other gifts christmas eve after the kids go to bed and then we wake up and play with the kids and their montains of gifts.

Something that I started with my family is the kids open a new pair of pjs from santa on christmas eve..at my grandmas house..and then they wear them home and that way they have x mas pjs to wake up and open gifts from santa!

Dh's family has always done their presents on Christmas Eve, so we all go over there and do Christmas with them, and then we get to do Christmas with my family on Christmas day...since we live in PA, and our parents live in NY, Santa brings a few gifts to each grandparents house, which they open on Christmas day (the only ones they open on Christmas Eve are the ones from Mima/Boopa and aunts/uncles), and then when we get back to our house, of course Santa came and left most of their presents here, so we get to do it all over again.

My kids are only 3 1/2, and my youngest will be 2 on Sunday, so they really don't have the concept yet (my older one knows Santa brings presents and stuff, but as far as time-wise, and all that, he's still too young), but within a couple of years, we'll have to change the way we do things, because I want them to be able to wake up in their own house on Christmas morning, the way dh and I did, and know what a typical Christmas is like...

I let the boys open 1 present on Christmas Eve..usually something from family in Ga. Santa brings most everything else during the night. Christmas night my 3 best friends come over with their kids and we open presents and spend time together. (neither dh nor I have family so this makes up our family for holidays).

Here's our "list": :eyepoppin
(1) Rod's grandmother's - weekend before Christmas
(2) Rod's mom - Christmas Eve lunch
(3) My grandma's - Christmas Eve dinner
(3) Presents from Rod, Me, and Cailyn to each other - Christmas Eve night
(4) Santa - Christmas morning
(5) My Aunt Gale's - family trivia where we play dirty Santa and Rod, Cailyn and I open presents from my Granny and Papa George
(6) My parents / brothers - Christmas afternoon

We open gifts from each other on Christmas Eve evening. We light a fire, either play Chrostmas carols or watch a christmas movie, and open gifts. Christmas morning, I make 'em suffer too. I make them sit at the top of the stairs until I get my tea and dh gets his coffee (which he draws out really long). My daughters are 15 and 11 and we do the same thing every year. My 11 yo says she still believes, but I think she's afraid to tell me she doesn't for fear she won't get any presents.:holiday02

Christmas morning

We go to my moms house to exchange gifts with my brother and cousins usually the weekend before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we exchange with my husbands side of the family and then when everyone leaves, the kids can open all presents from mom and dad - always pj's, socks/underwear,movie, video game, books, etc. Then Santa is the next morning on Christmas - Santa gifts are not wrapped though, they are just laid out in a pile - two different piles for each child. My mother-in-law/father-in-law and my mom and dad come over for breakfast casserole to see what the kids got from Santa and watch them open their stockings. Then, we all go to my moms house (Nana's) because SANTA came there too.

My kids get to open two gifts on christmas eve pj's and a one small gift. Then it is mayhem Christmas morning. We live too far from family so they send us boxes of gifts, the UPS guy hates me in December.

Our's changes every year since one year we have DSD on Christmas Eve then the next year on Christmas Day. When we have her on CE we open one present (usually pj's) the night before then the rest CE afternoon after I get home from work (Yes I have to work half a day on CE if it falls MON-FRI), the rest of the day is just the kids enjoying their new toys and watching christmas shows. The two that live with us full time also get presents on CD from Santa when DH and I get ours then everyone goes next door to my dad's house for the family Christmas dinner. If we have DSD on Christmas Day then the kids get pj's CE night and the rest Christmas Morning. Afterwards we go to my dad's. My mom always comes to my dad's Christmas dinner so that is taken care of and DH's parents come down the weekend before Christmas.

Usually my wife's side of the family opens presents on Christmas Eve, then my side of the family opens them on Christmas day. Sometimes both on Christmas Eve.

One each Christmas eve, then a small dose of cough syrup for each child to knock them out lol ( I am kidding) and we wrap the rest:tongue1: Christmas morning, stockings first then we open one at a time. It can take hours lol.

We open them all on Christmas morning. Then off to my parents.

Our youngest is the only child we have to share with my DH's ex. We have him on Christmas Eve/Day on alternating years so we alternate when Santa comes depending on which morning he will be with us. Only one year did it not work out (due to blizzard conditions) and he got all of his when we could get to him.

Last year was supposed to be Christmas Day but he came over on Christmas Eve and my oldest DD19 was on her own for the first time and had to juggle 3 dinners with our family along with 1 for her father and 1 for her in-laws so we had a special opening so that her and our granddaughter could all be here on Christmas Eve evening.

Since DS7 still believes he has just always been comfortable with Santa being able to do a few houses at a different time to make the good mommies and daddies happy when kids have 2 sets of parents. I always get a chuckle that his "other" mommy must be on the naughty list cause Santa only comes on Christmas Day at their house. :cheesy:

We open presents with the in-laws on Christmas eve and with my family on Christmas day... the best of BOTH worlds!!! haha

ours always get to open one present each (christmas pj's) and then they get to open one together which is always a christmas movie we watch that night..then they open the rest on Christmas morning before breakfast

I have to open mine on Christmas morning from my mom, my sisters would be happy to open then on Christmas Day but it just doesn't seem right.

We do gifts from aunts, uncles, and cousins on Christmas Eve, and then we open the ones from Mom and sisters depending on where we are for Christmas Day.

i peak at everything or keep asking :stir:

On Christmas eve day we go visiting a couple friends and family that we will not see the next day. Any gifts from them are opened while there so they can the see the kids faces and get a thank you in person from the kids. Before our son came along, our daughter got to open one gift from us on Christmas eve. Now the kids will get to open the gift from each other. It will be a toy. My mom just requested that we bring the kids to her place on Christmas eve morning so she can let them open their toy gift from her. On Christmas Morning they open the gifts from santa, their stockings and then the gifts from us. Later in the day other family members come over for either breakfest or dinner and exchange gifts. The day after Christmas we celebrate with my father in law and his family so more presnts opened that day too.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day both....on Eve my stepson goes to his mom's house and opens gift from her family while by husband and I go to my parents and open gifts from them...then on X-mas day we open ours together in a relaxed mood then pig out on a breakfast casserole that has been made up the night before which is cooking when we start opening.

We have family, extended family and a few close friends that all come over on Christmas Eve, we can open gifts from each other and family gifts that have been sent from far away...taking pictures of every last thing so they can be emailed to family that is not here with us. Then Daughters and their Families head home and arrive the next morning again about 9:00, yea I get to finally sleep in on Christmas morning!!!! When they all get there the first thing we do is find our Stockings... grown DD's would be greatly upset if they did not have a full stocking...LOL... then on to the gifts most of whom are marked from Santa...grandchildren are 6 and 4 years old. We mostly try to open them one at a time so everyone can enjoy watching what everyone got their expressions...we finally finish up around 1:00...think we have a few gifts under our tree? Just in time for them to head off to the other sides of family, etc and for me and Sig. Other to head off to visit his side of the family for a few hours...they just don't get into the Christmas thing like we do...and like he had a choice when he came into my life. :)

we open both days.

Christmas eve:
The boys exchange to each other and to us. Mike and I exchange, and we give the boys each a gift, and one together gift.
Christmas AM:
We exchange with my mom and dad, brother and SIL.
Christmas PM:
The huge grab bag where ALL the aunts and uncle and all the cousin meet at my Parent's house.

ours always get to open one present each (christmas pj's) and then they get to open one together which is always a christmas movie we watch that night..then they open the rest on Christmas morning before breakfast


We have ALWAYS bought our boys new Pj's (christmas eve) for pic on Christmas AM..lol
We started the movieand or Game thing the last two years also...LOL

This year we may have to open presents Christmas Eve due to the fact that I may have to work Christmas day. I do 12s so I wouldn't get home until 8p. Traditionally we open presents on Christmas day.

A little bit of both. I like to open our gifts on Christmas Eve b/c we go to my dh's parents for breakfast Christmas morning (which is a sore spot for me).

we go to my moms on xmas eve and open there, then xmas morning at our house

xmas morning after my shower, i can't look like crap on camera.

I let them open one gift on Christmas Eve, a tradition that I carried on from my childhood. On Christmas morning, if my kids are with me, I let them go through their stockings if they wake up before I do. But since I now have 2 teenagers I normally get up before they do.

We went to my step-mom's one year for Christmas and their house rule was no gifts until after the LUNCH dishes were done. My DD was 4 at the time and she was dying!!!

We do have the tradition of only one gift being opened at a time. Another one I brought in from my childhood. Since my kids gets lots of small gifts, our gift opening normally lasts all day. We take breaks for food and visits to other folks houses.

The weekend prior to Christmas up to Christmas eve we are attending family parties and opening all kind of gifts.
Christmas morning my ds 8 can admire his Santa presents which are left unwrapped and also look in his stocking. We all get a wake, drink tea or coffe, brush teeth and then sit and open gifts. My ds gets excited to open them all but for the most part we take it slow and trade turns opening gifts. Most of the time my mom and her bf makes it to our house before we are done and they watch us. Around 9am my brother and his gf and her kids come over and mom cooks a huge breakfast and then we open gifts from each other.

We let the kids open one thing on Christmas eve. A tradition I have from growing up, its usually a new pair of pjs that I give in and let them wear that night. All the other gifts "arrive" during the night.

That is how we do it too. :yup:

I am just tickled someone else does the Christmas Pj thing.... its a huge deal at our house... to see who has the coolest pjs..... for my ds 12 he gets cool tshirts... the kind that say he will trade his sister for a new video game... and stuff like that.... it makes us all feel special.

We have my grandmas and my mom's family on Christmas eve.
Then there is our house (husband, son and I) FIRST thing on Christmas day.
My husbands family early afternoon on Christmas day.
My dad's family Christmas is usually a day or two after Christmas.

One on Christmas eve, we usually get together with my sil's and let the kids exchange with each other also. The rest on Christmas morning.

My mom always lets the kids all open one present. And she makes sure it is something good, not clothing. lol The rest we open at the crack of dawn.

We let the kids open one thing on Christmas eve. A tradition I have from growing up, its usually a new pair of pjs that I give in and let them wear that night. All the other gifts "arrive" during the night.

Same here.

Somehow me and my sister always manage to open at least one gift before christmas eve lol But the rest are all staying under the tree til Christmas Day after we all eat.

Well so far we have only had one Christmas that our son has really enjoyed his 2nd one and this will be his 3rd. So we let him open them up when he woke up and let him do them all at one time. We normally go to my mom's Christmas Eve and do gifts than.

Our kids get to open one present on Christmas Eve night before they go to bed and then the rest on Christmas morning. Then we have a small breakfast and then go to my Mother in Law's to eat a big meal then they get to open the stuff from her. She always goes overboard, so the kids love it! Then they usually visit my dad for his gift either Christmas Eve morning or later in the day on Christmas. Not sure how he'll do it this year though because he just moved about half a mile down the road from me!

We open gifts from each other on Christmas Eve night and stockins and gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. This is how it was my whole life so I just kept it that way with my kids.

When my DD was young she opened gifts from Mom "me" on Christmas Eve. Then Christmas morning was all Santa. We would then go to my parents for the day. Now that she is married they come to my house after my DG opens Santa's gifts at home. We exchange gifts, eat breakfast then it's back home for them and me to get ready to spend the day with the rest of the family at my folks.

Growing up we opened on Christmas Eve. My Mom couldn't wait any longer. Now we open one gift Christmas eve, and the rest in the morning.

One present on Christmas eve and the rest Christmas morning. The stockings are always last.


Us too, but stockings first on christmas morning.

Our kids(5,12) open 1 present Christmas Eve afternoon before we go out. The others get opened Christmas morning....after 7am(they are sleepers so it's not too evil) But they do have to sit and wait til after I make my coffee and drink some of it. ;)

Our stockings are last too...after the livingroom gets cleaned up, so the little things don't get lost.

My husband grew up opening gifts on Christmas Eve.
I grew up opening gifts on Christmas morning.

We celebrate with his family Christmas eve, and open presents that we exchange with them.
We celebrate with my family on Christmas Day (like around 1pm) and exchange gifts with them.

My husband and I (and now our kids) open our own family presents under the tree when we wake up in the morning. We wake up, brush our teeth, and freshen up, get the coffee going, and get ready to get started.

Traditions...traditions...huh? It's hard to change!

X-mas eve morning we let the kids open 1 small gift from us so they'll play while we cook and stuff,..then my dad and sister comes over in the evening to exchange gifts and the kids can open them up,..then before bed 1 more gift of jammies to sleep...then x-mas day the MIL comes over for the opening of gifts,..i have a small living room so it can get ugly with paper flying ..:smirk:

On Christmas eve the kids open a few presnts, but there is tradition involved. Every year the Christmas eve presents opened are pj's from us (to wear to bed that night of course), their annual ornament from me (gets hung on the tree immediately), a present from Grandma who is 1200 miles away, and 1 toy from us. Grandma usually sends us a family dvd and a gift card to wal mart. We usually use it to buy each of the kids a board game and wrap them from grandma. This year however I think I will buy 1 game they can all play from grandma and a small gift each from grandma. The kids are all old enough now to play most games together. Nathaniel is only 5, but he loves to play Life and Monopoly with us. We just read for him and tell him how much money to give people. He does pretty well.

Then, Christmas morning we make the kids wait till 8:00 am to wake us up. Mean, I know, lol. They get their stockings first, then we start with the pile under the tree. However, we don't just tear into the stuff. We open gifts 1 at a time and actually watch each person open every present. We go around from youngest to oldest until all gifts are opened. This is a tradition I grew up on and I enjoy doing it with my kids. It makes the gift opening last longer and we get to watch the person's reaction to the gifts. I love it.

Elena

One thing on Christmas Eve; the rest on Christmas morning.

Then, Christmas morning we make the kids wait till 8:00 am to wake us up. Mean, I know, lol. They get their stockings first, then we start with the pile under the tree. However, we don't just tear into the stuff. We open gifts 1 at a time and actually watch each person open every present. We go around from youngest to oldest until all gifts are opened. This is a tradition I grew up on and I enjoy doing it with my kids. It makes the gift opening last longer and we get to watch the person's reaction to the gifts. I love it.

Elena

And I thought we were mean to make them wait until 7:00am. ( LOL) Growing up, it was my job to entertain my little brothers until the sun came up (they would be up at 4am and as I grew older, we were sometimes in bed less than an hour when they would be tiptoeing into my room with flashlights). I'm going to try the 1 at a time thing this year since the gifts are smaller in size (but not in price...). Usually dh and I watch them open their stuff from us (Santa hasn't wrapped in our house--that came from dh's side) and then we open ours.