62 replies to this topic

[jarerice]

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

[llist]

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.

[pastasalad]

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...

[DramaQueenLucy]

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.

[dmmiller]

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)

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

[DramaQueenLucy]

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

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

[delphernina]

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!

[christib327]

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.

[teebee]

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

[lennon2004]

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

[sm1kla]

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).

[Melissa]

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

[ChristmasShopping]

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!

[lilac100]

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.

[shopping mom]

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!

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

[queenki]

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.

[doublehsmom]

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!

[stacya]

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...

[droolbug2]

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).

[JazzMama]

Here's our "list": (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

[gr8girls]

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.

[love a deal]

Christmas morning

[Christy Garner]

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.

[wyntyrose]

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.

[Jennifer0530]

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.

[nedsw33]

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.

[jdrd90]

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.

[guilliam]

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

[jbdinos]

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.

[nedsw33]

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