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When do you open gifts?


ilikefree

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Do you do Christmas Eve? Christmas morning? After breakfast?

 

When we were kids we would wake up before dawn, begging Mom and Dad to get up so we could see what Santa brought. After being told to go back to bed till at least 6 a.m., it was finally time that we could get up. We were too excited to eat breakfast but we had to wait for Mom to get her coffee and while we did that, we were allowed to open the gifts in our stockings. We all headed into the living room and gathered around the Christmas tree and Mom would begin handing out gifts. When we were done, we'd play with the stuff we got then went to get dressed. A couple hours later my dad's parents would come over and we exchanged gifts. After they left, we went to my grandma's on my mom's side. She had very little money but the gifts she gave us always came from the heart. It was always a full but exciting day.

 

When I had kids of my own, I've had to wake them up every Christmas morning! We still kind of do the same thing...hubby goes to get his coffee while the kids would open the gifts in their stockings. Later in the morning we go to my dad's house, where my 2 sisters & their families and us meet up to exchange gifts.

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We open multiple times. Christmas eve is with all the family/friends so we open those gifts. Then Christmas morning it's Santa presents and then we open our presents for each other. Once we've opened gifts we make breakfast then we eat and clean up.

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We usually open gifts Christmas morning.  This year, however, I volunteered to work 12 hours Christmas Eve and 12 hours Christmas Day.  I work at a local 911 center (small center) and most of my co-workers have small children.  I have two grown kids and a 12 year old.  I also get paid overtime for working holidays...lol.

Anyway, so I am not sure when we will open gifts this year.  I will be working 7 a.m-7 p.m.  My mom passed away last August and last year we went Christmas morning to my dad's to open all of our gifts so he wouldn't have to be alone on Christmas.  We usually do Christmas with my in-laws Christmas night.  I really don't want my dad to be alone Christmas day though, so I may see if my husband and the kids (at least my daughter) will go over there that morning and eat breakfast with him or have lunch with him.  It just depends if any of his friends/family invites him over for Christmas.

One of our sons also got married earlier this year so I'm not sure what their plans are.  So, things are still up in the air right now.  I know we will still have our kids (who live at home) to open a gift Christmas Eve night as is tradition, but other than that not sure this year.

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Growing up, we always had somewhere to go on Christmas Day so Mama said we didn't have time to play with our new toys. Therefore, we would go drive around and look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve and while we were gone, Santa would come. I continued that with my own kids.  Santa came to my daughter in law's house while she slept, and they opened presents on Christmas morning. What that means for me is, I got to keep my traditions even after the grands came along :).  They come over to my house on Christmas Eve and we open presents, then Santa comes to their house that night and they open in the morning.

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When I was a kid we always did presents first thing Christmas morning, usually around 6:30am. We always did breakfast after gifts but that has changed now that we are all adults and not living under one roof. These days everyone meets at my parents around 8:30, we have breakfast and do our tiny gift exchange and then play games and watch Christmas movies. My husband’s family does a huge traditional polish dinner on Christmas Eve followed by gifts with the extended family and then they head to church. For them Christmas morning was reserved for Santa presents and gifts with immediate family. We alternate years so it’s nice to get the best of both worlds. Edited by budgetsRsexy
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Our kids exchange their gifts they bought each other on Christmas Eve and they get their Christmas PJs. The next morning the kids cannot come down stairs until we have come done, started coffee and I set out a platter of homemade breads and cookies. We open gifts, clean up and wait for my dad and his wife to come over for a late breakfast. After breakfast we change gifts with them. We also exchange gifts with other family that come over for dinner later that day.

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On christmas eve they get 1 gift to tide them through the day, another gift at bedtime which is always jammies and then we open on christmas morning. This year my husband and I have our grandkids so they willl open on christmas morning as usual but our youngest daughter is in the navy and will come home the 29th so we will open presents with my children when she gets home. The grandkids are young (3,6,8 and 9) and my step daughters from my forst husband who is deceased. Then my current husband has 3 children we will exchange with on christmas eve. My children normally spend the night with us but with my daughter in the Navy we decided it would be fun to have a sleep over and do christmas with her when she arrives.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We do my side of the family at noon on Christmas Eve. My girls get their stockings Christmas eve night. We open here at the house Christmas morning and then go to inlaws and eat at noon and then pass out the massive amount of gifts after the kitchen is cleaned up. Come home after a few hrs of gabbing and then back to inlaws to eat left overs...lol

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