does your family open christmas gifts on christmas eve or christmas day?

#1 12-25-2006, 10:00 AM

the long standing tradition in our family has been candlelight christmas eve svcs at 9 pm at church , lasagna dinner and 1 present before services. The one present is usually the matching PJs we all wear and take pictures of in the morning. Then the next day ,christmas day, is the big turkey dinner get up early for presents.

These last few yrs has been revised since we have to travel to family on christmas day since my stubborn borther and his wife refuse to travel with twins. So we ( me and my 7 yr old) go to my mom and dads ,spend the night, open all gifts on christmas eve and have our own christmas dinner after church and get up early and travel to the selfish brothers house and do more presents from each other down there and feast all day long on the traditional ham and turkey feast!

Though i do agree as well as my parents that christmas presents should be open the morning of christmas. Though to keep family harmony we re arrange for the selfish and stubbornish of other family members!

lol Though, i agree with who said do you open your birthday presents on your birthday eve....NO ! on the day of!

winnieb · #2 12-25-2006, 10:06 AM

Things changed for us this year with the ex-husband thing going on. The kids were at his house this weekend, Santa came on the night of the 23rd over there and they opened the presents on the 24th.
The kids cam home last night at 11pm, and Santa came here last night. As soon as the boys wake up this morning we will open presents. Since they got home at 11 last night they are still asleep-- so I am getting some quiet time all to myself before the present madness begins!

AGDee · #3 12-25-2006, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winnieb

Things changed for us this year with the ex-husband thing going on. The kids were at his house this weekend, Santa came on the night of the 23rd over there and they opened the presents on the 24th.
The kids cam home last night at 11pm, and Santa came here last night. As soon as the boys wake up this morning we will open presents. Since they got home at 11 last night they are still asleep-- so I am getting some quiet time all to myself before the present madness begins!

We do the reverse. The kids were here the night of the 23rd and opened their presents here yesterday morning. Then we headed to my mom's for Christmas with her. After that, I dropped them off at their dad's house and they opened presents with him. I like it this way because Christmas morning is peaceful for me after a few very busy days (We had Christmas with my dad on the 23rd). This afternoon, my brother and I are heading to my mom's for a quiet Christmas dinner, which I should start cooking soon.

Scandia · #4 12-25-2006, 11:29 AM

When I was a little girl, we would open them on Christmas Day.

Nowadays, we do not exchange presents anymore. It is better that way.

AlexMack · #5 12-25-2006, 11:41 AM

My parents had this rule which was awful as a kid but makes a lot of sense now that we're grown.
Everyone had to be up, showered and dressed, and no one could open presents before my dad was ready. And holy shit he takes forever! He still does take forever, but it's less important when you're grown up.
At least I had my stocking to placate me. Every year, we got two things-chocolate coins and a book.

Happy christmas to all!

carnation · #6 12-25-2006, 02:10 PM

Our schedule:

Christmas Eve-church at 6, ride around to look at the lights, come back to a clam chowder diner

Christmas morning about 8 (the kids aren't allowed in the living room sooner because my husband and I have been up until 3 playing Santa Claus for all 13 plus a son-in-law)-the kids come in to get their Santa Claus stuff

Christmas afternoon-we go to my mother-in-law's to open presents there

Christmas night-we gather around the tree and open all our presents to each other. Stretching out Christmas works better for us with the kids being all different ages.

SoCalGirl · #7 12-25-2006, 02:50 PM

It's always been Christmas Eve for my family. My dad explained, when I was little, that Santa hits the west coast while everyone's at church and the east coast while everyone's asleep. He claimed that's how his parents explained it to him. Though, when we moved back east for a while we still opened on the 24th.

I never really understood waiting till morning. Jesus was born at NIGHT. So either he was born it the wee hours or late in the evening on the 24th. So you're either opening the presents late or early it you wait till Christmas morning.