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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsDid you open your gifts of Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? Mine Christmas morning.


Ocelot II
(123,441 posts)Otherwise, when would Santa Claus have a chance to deliver the presents?
debm55
(43,388 posts)
woodsprite
(12,352 posts)The rest, plus Santas gifts, were opened Christmas morning. The rule was we had to wait on the stairs until everyone was ready to go into the living room. Later we went to kids could go down but only open their stockings until the adults got downstairs.
And did you all take turns opening, go round robin, or everyone opens them all at once?
debm55
(43,388 posts)
Aristus
(69,286 posts)When we were little kids, we just jumped in and ripped open our gifts. But as we got older, we all took turns opening our gifts, so we could share the enjoyment of finding out what everyone got.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
chowder66
(10,193 posts)EYESORE 9001
(27,864 posts)My parents reasoned that we would play with new toys until bedtime, then sleep until a reasonable hour on Christmas morning.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
FakeNoose
(36,807 posts)... and that's when we exchanged gifts with relatives. I'm from a large family and now my siblings are spread out all over the country. so it's hard to do the Christmas Eve family parties anymore. But back when we were kids (in the 50's, 60's and early 70's), that's what we did.
On Christmas morning we kiddies got up early to see what Santa left us under the Christmas tree. Those were our gifts from our parents.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
wcmagumba
(3,635 posts)in the middle of the night after Santa had visited...so we got our gifts from family and from Santa at the same time, maybe 3 AM or so...weird but that's how it was at our place...Cheers
debm55
(43,388 posts)
wcmagumba
(3,635 posts)funny, but scary for us kiddies at the time, pretending to sleep...
redstatebluegirl
(12,587 posts)It has been an item of contention for over thirty years with my spouse. Bless his heart he wants to open presents Christmas Eve, never happened. Happy wife, happy life!
debm55
(43,388 posts)
TexasBushwhacker
(20,855 posts)Christmas Eve we went to my aunt & uncle on my mother's side of the family.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
House of Roberts
(5,881 posts)Mom didn't wrap our 'Santa' gifts, just set them out in front of the tree, after we were asleep for sure.
One year, when I was seven or younger, my mom got me this three level parking garage/gas station thing which was made with painted sheet metal. It had a number of small cars with it, as well as little gas pumps and other accessories. She started trying to assemble the blasted thing after I went to bed, and couldn't do it. She had to call my Uncle Ivan, her brother, who was a car mechanic, to come over and help her get it together. Together, they were able to line up all the little metal tabs into the slots and bend them so it held together like it was meant to. Nowadays that kind of toy wouldn't be sold because some of the edges were sharp and most of the small items would be swallowable. I don't recall having any trouble playing with it though.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
malthaussen
(18,007 posts)debm55
(43,388 posts)up to the top floor, "fixed" and came down the slide.
Diamond_Dog
(36,180 posts)My father thought it was weird for a girl to want a toy gas station.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
electric_blue68
(20,097 posts)Lincoln logs, Tinker toys, legos, wooden toy trains. Waaay back in the late '50s, early '60s these were boys' toys as far I could tell . Later years you'd see some ads w girls playing, too.
Luckily my parents had no problems w this! 🩷👍
My girlie things were some fashion trending clothes I wanted, and jewelry!
debm55
(43,388 posts)
electric_blue68
(20,097 posts)XanaDUer2
(15,490 posts)Midnight as an adult
debm55
(43,388 posts)Mass. then to my Grandmothers house, Hard for a little kid to wait.
XanaDUer2
(15,490 posts)Always nice to see the decorated church
debm55
(43,388 posts)turned off and candles were light and held by the folks.
pandr32
(12,683 posts)The night before was spent excitedly and ended with a reading of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
malthaussen
(18,007 posts)Because he got to open his birthday presents on Christmas Eve, a whiny little brat who shall go unnamed insisted he should get to open his then, too. So the family adopted the practice of opening one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas Day.
-- Mal
debm55
(43,388 posts)
Kaleva
(38,973 posts)With one or two cheap toys
debm55
(43,388 posts)
lkinwi
(1,528 posts)Gifts from Santa were Christmas morning.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
Different Drummer
(9,032 posts)rsdsharp
(10,528 posts)and we always had to eat a banana and drink a glass of milk. That started when my older brother who passed away a week ago today 🥲 was about 2. Mom was afraid hed be too exited later to eat breakfast. That became a tradition I followed into adulthood. Sadly, I can no longer eat bananas.
debm55
(43,388 posts)the gifts.
rsdsharp
(10,528 posts)electric_blue68
(20,097 posts)rsdsharp
(10,528 posts)justaprogressive
(2,958 posts)Christmas Eve...Mom would Santa our stockings on the foot of our beds at 4AM...thanks mom!
debm55
(43,388 posts)
catbyte
(36,482 posts)one final gift Christmas night when we got home from a long day.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
rurallib
(63,488 posts)we had to stay up to go to midnight mass
debm55
(43,388 posts)
rurallib
(63,488 posts)marked50
(1,476 posts)Once I discovered where the presents were hidden before they were wrapped then Christmas Surprise was never the same.
debm55
(43,388 posts)into the living room.
electric_blue68
(20,097 posts)We'd hold up what we opened.
We often then went to one of several Aunt's, Uncle's & cousins houses; usually
one of the two that lived in Northern NJ. Our 1 set of relatives in NYC rarely held extended family Xmas.
Had a lot of fun!
debm55
(43,388 posts)
liberal N proud
(61,081 posts)Kids gifts were always Christmas Morning
Santa on Christmas morning
debm55
(43,388 posts)
Mark.b2
(528 posts)then come home to my moms Minnesota wild rice cream soup and open gifts. Wed stay up until the wee hours of the morning. Christmas Day was sleeping in late and pretty much staying in pjs all day playing with our toys while my mom was taking down the tree. Such great memories!
Ive kept the same traditions with my family to this day.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
We traditionally have a gathering of the extended family on Christmas Eve, and gifts are exchanged among us. This is done to allow families with small children to have Christmas morning after Santa has brought presents for the kids in their own homes.
And, on Christmas morning we exchange gifts among immediate family members.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
lark
(24,642 posts)We have lots of treats that we snack on and have some "elevated" coffee as well. The house is all decorated, all the candles lit, and Christmas songs are playing. It's a good time for all, usually.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
Emile
(32,928 posts)The grandkids open their presents (from Mom and Dad) on Christmas morning.
debm55
(43,388 posts)
Luciferous
(6,382 posts)I let my kids pick one they could open on Christmas Eve.
Rebl2
(15,762 posts)we got to open one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas Day.