Does anyone open presents Christmas Eve??

[RockaFowler]

My husband's family likes to open the gifts the night before. Mainly because his sister usually has to work (waitress at a Disney area restaurant). Now being Jewish, I don't mind. Especially this year. Christmas & Chanukkah are on the same day.

[crispini]

1. Yeah, that's what they do in Europe.

So my Dad's second family does that. I really, really hated it when I moved in with them as a kid -- of course, kids hate change. I still think it's kind of stupid. I mean, how on earth can Santa come on Christmas Eve while everyone is still awake? Have some logic! ;)

[johnnie]

2. My family does

We all meet at my parents and open gifts. I don't remember the last time I opened gifts on Christmas morning.

[ghostsofgiants]

3. My family was always allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve

[William Bloode]

22. Thats what we have always done.

Let the kids open one to ease the tension, and let the rest wait till Christmas morning.

[LSK]

4. we do!

[KitchenWitch]

5. Yes we do, every other year

My son is with me Christmas eve one year, Christmas Day the next year.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Everyone here gets pjs or new flannel sheets on Xmas Eve

:-)

[TK421]

7. We open just one gift on Christmas Eve, then everyone goes to

midnight mass, except for me ( I always have a good excuse )

[RockaFowler]

8. We used to do that

When you are a kid, it's the excitement of opening all of the gifts on Christmas Day. That one gift the night before is the "tease" as my dad puts it!

[TK421]

12. Of course, this came to a screeching halt when we decided to do

polyannas instead (since my family is so massive) it became a financial impossibility to buy for everyone else...I do miss it,though

[flamingyouth]

9. My family does

:hi:

[skippysmom]

10. We do

We open each other's presents on Festivus (today!), presents with my parents Christmas Eve, presents with my in laws Christmas Day, and sometimes with my husband's grandparents Boxing Day.

Yikes.

[bbernardini]

11. I never did, but my wife's family opens one present on Christmas Eve.

What can I say, they're a bunch of freaks. (Kidding! No, really, I'm kidding, honestly!)

[Dangerously Amused]

13. We do.

We open the family's gifts to each other on Christmas Eve, then if there are kids Santa still comes overnight and the kids get a few more presents to open on Christmas morning.

[Cathyclysmic]

14. The beast man's family does....

We always opened one present on Christmas eve(after Mass) and then the rest of the presents Christmas morning.

[SW FL Dem]

15. My family always did

Because my Dad was Swedish. When we were young, we got one big Santa gift and our stocking on Christmas morning but the rest of the gifts were opened Christmas Eve. Since my hubby is Jewish, we follow my family tradition. The good thing is now that the kid has given up his belief in Santa, we open everything at night and get to sleep in Christmas morning.

[scarlet_owl]

16. We do at my dad's house.

On Christmas day we go to my sister's to have Christmas with mom.

[LeftyMom]

17. We usually opened presents from Mom Christmas eve

and Dad's presents Christmas day. It's funny how divorce effects family traditions sometimes.

[rbnyc]

18. We used to open them at midnight.

Now we stay up and wait until my new sister-in-law and those who choose to go with her come back from midnight mass.

:scared:

Yes, we stay up, with the kids, all night and into the wee hours of the morning.

It makes no fucking sense.

Again, I will suggest opening them before mass or IN THE MORNING!

We'll see.

:crazy:

[eeyore]

19. My family always has...

The tradition came from my Austrian grandfather's family. It never made any sense as a kid, because Santa would come once to bring presents on Christmas Eve, then again while we were sleeping for stockings.

Christmas Eve has always been much of a bigger deal for my family, and still is for me to this day. We have a nice, long crab leg dinner (again the Austrian influence), then clean up most of the dishes, make coffee, and have dessert while opening presents. It's nice to light a fire, pour some wine for the adults, light the tree, and spend the evening enjoying each other's company.

Christmas morning the stockings magically appear, then the extended family comes over, and we have a late afternoon meal with them.

To each their own I guess. Family traditions can be mysterious.

:toast:

[jane_pippin]

20. Sort of. My family goes to my Aunt's house for dinner and we exchange

gifts with them. They open all of their stuff Christmas eve and whatever they give us we open, whatever we give them they open. I think the little kids still open stuff on Christmas Day too because Santa has to show up overnight yet.
But my immediate family opens stuff from each other on Christmas Day, and then we eat a big fat delicious dinner and sometimes my aunt comes over for that at our house (and to bring delicious leftovers from the night before).

Oooh, now I'm all excited for the next two days!

[The-Cynic]

21. I usaully find some presents

left among the tree or on the couch, depends on whether or not the dog was let out before I went to evening services, but other than that I tend not to open them, just kick them under my wifes side of the bed.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. We did when I was a kid, due to the influence of my mother's

German relatives.

In fact, when I was little, I didn't see the point of Christmas Day. because the best part was over, as far as I was concerned.

But now that two sisters-in-law from Christmas Day families have joined us, we open presents on Christmas Day.

[transeo]

24. We always have

Gifts on Xmas eve and when we were kids we'd get stockings Xmas morning. Now it's just gifts on Xmas eve. I love it because I can then spend Xmas day cocktailing and cooking fabulous food with my friends who don't have accepting family.