How do you "do" Christmas?

[GreyhoundsRUs]

This was our first year with DD actively engaged (she was < 2 months last year). There were no presents under the tree until Christmas morning. I brought her downstairs after she woke up. We let her help the dog open presents, hand us our gifts, and then we let her go at her own pace. She would sometimes stop and play for a bit, but then she'd find another present to open. Lunch was eaten while assembling her car. It was super low-key and relaxing. We liked letting her set the pace - since it's all about her anyway

[SuzySunshine]

We put gifts out the morning of Christmas Eve to open that night. We also let the kids set the pace when we are at our home but its in no means slow!

We opened our gifts from/to the 4 of us on Christmas Eve. We went to mass, came home put dinner in the oven and while it was cooking we opened. They each got 4 presents and I think it took them about 15 minutes!

Christmas morning we gave them strict instructions that they couldn't go down stairs without us, they woke us up at 6am which is about 30-60 minutes earlier then normal. Santa had placed their two stockings on separate ends of the couch with their gifts because they wouldn't fit in the stockings, I think it took them about 2 minutes to open them.

When we're with the grandparents we let them set the rules because its their home/gifts. When my family did Christmas here my parents passed out all of the gifts so each kid had a stack and then they ask that they take turns, but they're old enough to do that now.

[peggyfromwastate]

We do gifts from family that is mailed to us whenever we feel like it. This year we did no gifts Christmas Eve. We rarely do any gifts then, as it's usually a hectic day of travel or dh working.

No one goes downstairs on Christmas morning until we tell them they can. They open the Santa gifts first thing, which means waiting for the teen to appear.

After that we let them eat breakfast, exchange secret Santa (sibling gifts), and then depending on dhs schedule we will open all the presents usually before dinner.

It's a long, stressful day tbh. All the setting up of presents, unwrapping the packaging stuff, explaining new games, keeping everyone's stuff apart... It's just exhausting!

[McPants]

We do Swedish Christmas whenever we are in Sweden (very rarely) and Irish Christmas when in the UK (generally the case).

[SoonerTexan]

What are the traditions associated with the two?

[Ladybug]

It's changed each year with the kids ages. I still can't put presents under the tree until Christmas morning because toddlers will open them. St. Nick brings one gift (wrapped) and we talk abou the historical saint and why we honor his generosity as a refelction of God' generosity with in giving us his Son. The one St. Nick gift has worked well because some families have everything come from Santa, and then kids have asked why there are any poor people in the world.

My biggest issues are housekeeping. I've learned to prebake gingerbread waffles and heat them in the oven the morning of Christmas so I don't have to cook. We have whipped cream and fresh fruit. An easy early snack is good to keep hungry kids calm while opening presents. Dont' let them eat only the chocolate santas in their stocking, FYI. Ugly.

I hate the messes and chaoas. This year we designated jobs to each kid (trash collector, ribbon collector, clean up breakfast dishes, set dinner table). Otherwise I end of running around all day and dreading holidays. Regardless, I still ended up doing most things so it's a work in progress. I'm glad the holiday is over right now.

Oh, and 10:00 Mass is too early with kids. Julia showed up with a security tag still on her Christmas dress , Isabel had no tights on and "accidently" wore her sister's shoes. I completely forgot to buy an outfit for Jude. Completely. Next year I'm laying out clothes the week before, and I'm waiting until the high noon Mass.

Behold Julia's Dress and security tag that we noticed while walking out the door. I played oblivious. No one mentioned it. Maybe they weren't surprise...

[McPants]

What are the traditions associated with the two?

This is a reasonably detailed introduction to Swedish Christmas traditions. The main difference from U.S. customs is that the main celebrations and Christmas dinner, gift exchanges, etc, all take place on Christmas Eve. The Christmas cuisine is quite distinctive too.

Wikipedia has a brief description of the Irish Christmas traditions. They're pretty similar to those of the UK and U.S.

[alison]

Like the Swedes, the major stuff happens on Christmas Eve for us. The tree gets taken down on January 6 (Allerheiligen--All Kings Day, I believe it's called), and we return to our regular programming.

[Phoebe]

We bring the gifts down on Christmas Eve night. Santa fills stockings. On Christmas morning, the kids can go look at their stockings so we can sleep longer. We eat breakfast, usually cinnamon rolls. Afterward we open the rest of the gifts. One person opens one then gets one for another person. That goes well for a short time then we just start handing them out. It can get kind of crazy. I don't like the free-for-all gift opening. Then the kids don't read tags and we don't know who got what. My daughter just told me tonight she knows about Santa because of friends talking. I'm bummed.

[alison]

You see, I don't get why people open their presents on Christmas Day--do it on Christmas Eve and everyone sleeps in on the 25th!

[SoonerTexan]

It's changing for us as we grow our own family. Growing up it was one gift Christmas Eve, usually midnight mass, and opening presents on Christmas morning. We took our 2 week old to midnight mass last year! The girls always insist we go slowly and open one gift at a time. I hate the free for all. New traditions include a good breakfast and mimosas. My family is more fun a little buzzed, haha. This year we celebrated early and had Brinner with my family, mostly to justify the mimosas. No Santa as the youngest is 15 and Santa died long ago anyways--my mom wasn't very good at it. None of us missed it and I will likely minimize Santa and break the news early with our kids. We will do St Nicholas Day though.

DHs family opens a lot of gifts Christmas eve and Santa gifts in the morning. Cookies are made Christmas Eve. Everyone has an embroidered stocking, even N and I, with goodies inside. Gifts are opened as people wake up, but I'm converting them to my way, haha. Turns out MIL LIKES to watch people open the gifts she has painstakingly bought and wrapped. She appreciated me making sure she was around when N and I opened ours.

The first two years of our marriage DH's and my family spent it together. I doubt that will last, but it is nice. We will combine traditions and form our own as we have more kids

[GreyhoundsRUs]

You see, I don't get why people open their presents on Christmas Day--do it on Christmas Eve and everyone sleeps in on the 25th!

This is how we always did it "post-Santa". DH is very very against it ("Do you open your birthday presents the night before?")

[alison]

In Germany there's actually a Second Christmas Day, the 26th, so the 25th is just one of the three days of Christmas! Not nearly as big celebration-wise as the 24th.

[Gwendolyn]

We do all gifts Christmas morning. All our family is elsewhere so we open the shipping boxes Christmas Eve and put the wrapped presents under the tree. This year I tried tamales (Mexican/Southwest thing) and we'll make it a tradition. I've got to work on my masa big time. After dinner we make my great grandma's gingerbread cookies and write letters to Santa and read Twas the Night Before Christmas. In the morning the kids are allowed to go down and get at thier stockings and Santa gifts. DH's family doesn't wrap Santa gifts and I'm all for it. It lets us sleep in a bit and keeps the monkeys occupied. We get breakfast (coffee) going (this year I did a pull-apart with tube biscuits that was so easy and yummy). We've always done a free for all, but it's a little intense and a bit exhausting. I'm thinking of ways to shift the momentum without imposing suddenly new rules next year.

[ides]

I start putting presents under the tree about a week before Christmas. I don't wrap Santa gifts, just put them in and under the stocking Christmas eve after O is sleeping. Dh and I also have stockings with gifts inside. In the morning we go through Santa stuff first then open gifts one at a time. I manicly collect the trash into bags I have off to the side as presents are opened. After we have breakfast. Usually waffles or pancakes. We then spend the day eating yummy stuff, watching movies and playing. I usually make a pizza for dinner. We leave the tree up until new years day then pack it away.