Do you open one present on Christmas Eve?

lilles

My husband wants to start this tradition this year with our 2 and 4 year olds. I don't want to do it because I feel it takes away from the specialness of opening gifts on Christmas. My family never did this and no gifts were ever put under the Christmas tree before Christmas day. His family opened one present on Christmas eve but he never mentioned he wanted to do this until now. So what are your traditions?

74dragonfly

We get pajamas on Christmas eve. I'm not a fan of opening one. Once the presents come out in want to open them all.

brightning

No presents under our tree until a Christmas Day. When I was a kid, we did the extended family party on Christmas Eve. Now, our tradition is to put on PJs and drive through neighborhood looking at the lights. When we get home, we put out a snack for Santa and go to bed.

MsAlyss

When I was younger my family never did this, but DH's family always did new pajamas on Christmas Eve and he wants to keep that up.  So I compromised and Elf of the Shelf is bringing pj's before he leaves to go back to the North Pole.

 

KathrynMD

We did one present on Christmas Eve and still do.

When I was little, we never had presents from Santa under the tree until Christmas morning - so the Christmas Eve present was almost always a present from Mom and Dad (and my parents each opened one present too). 

 

Spin313

We don't do it with the kids but, when I was growing up, my family did one gift on Christmas Eve. I always liked it.

We do Christmas Eve at my mom's house and she always has something for the kids to open.

LoveEeyore

I did growing up.  DH forbids it (LOL) because by the time I was in high school, one turned into two, into one more, into open them all so we can sleep in.  

 

monlyn9

We do Christmas Eve with my parents and sister so we exchange gifts with them. The kids open one present from us as well, but it is their new Christmas pjs that they will wear to bed that night.

Quiksilver620

After DD goes to bed on Christmas Eve, DH and I exchange our gifts for each other so on Christmas morning it's all about DD

shellybird101

Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve, when we were at church.  My family farmed so it was hard to do the Christmas morning rush.  So we would all get into the car, Mom or Dad would "forget something" run back in throw the presents under the tree, eat the cookies and then we would leave for church.  I guess we never noticed our parents coming back to the car chewing something! HEHE

We do not open presents early with DD cause she opens presents earlier that day with her cousins and family but we do, do St. Nick!

juliane2004

We open one which is a pre-washed pair of pjs per kid.

NicoleWI

We celebrate w/ my mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve, so we have a whole round of gifts. Then Santa at home the next morning. Gifts w/ DH's family a few days later.

Stackeye210

We only have a few presents under the tree when it's Christmas Eve.  We let DD open one, which is her yearly ornament. 

June2007

Yes! We do PJs for everyone. They are wrapped and under the tree(pre-washed) and then we wear them. 

We did this in my family as kids.  My dad argued about it every year but we always did it and I loved it. We didn't do pjs but my parents always has a certain present for that night for each of us. 

penguingrrl

We open pajamas Christmas Eve. Santa drops that one gift off early and you're supposed to remember what your wrapping paper looked like so on Christmas morning you know which presents are yours (in my mom's house and now mine Santa gets each kid different paper instead of dealing with labels for each gift). We do pjs so that when we're taking pictures on Christmas morning the kids aren't in ratty, stained pjs lol!

penguingrrl

Oh, and other than Santa having dropped the pjs off early nothing goes under our tree until after the kids are asleep Christmas Eve.

VTbride05

We did this as kids but I don't do it now.

We don't get our kids a lot so I want to save it all for Christmas day. Plus my son won't wear pjs so that idea is out

Littlejen22

We did when I was a kid but I think it started when I no longer believed. It was always my big gift and usually involved my Dad spending a long time putting it together, they never put anything together before opening it. My Mom come to my house Christmas Eve and gives my kids gifts to them then instead of when we see my brother on Christmas Day, part of me thinks it takes away from Christmas Day but I like giving my Mom her gift when my brother is not there. Now you are making me secondguess this and question if she should give just one gift or no gifts at night instead of the two or three they usually get.

MaxandRuby

We do but it was the only compromise we could agree to. Growing up, my family opened all presents on Christmas Eve and then opened Santa gifts and the stockings on Christmas Day morning.  DH's family opened everything on Christmas Day. I just couldn't accept completely ignoring the tradition I grew up with so 1 present on Christmas Eve is now the tradition. For the past 2yr, the present that is opened is a pair of pajamas that they were that night.

Worcbride

We did it as kids;  havent done it yet with our kids (who are also 2 & 4);  I feel they're just too young to do that yet plus we're doing the 24 Nights of Christmas with the children's books--that they understand better

jnksmom

We have Christmas with my parents/family on Christmas Eve so they get plenty of gifts on Christmas Eve. They don't get any from us until Christmas morning. However, they only get one gift unwrapped left under the tree from Santa on Christmas morning. Everything else is already wrapped and under the tree. 

When I was growing up, we always opened our gifts from my mom & dad and my grandma(mom's mom) on Christmas Eve. Then Santa brought one gift and filled our stockings on Christmas morning. Then we had Christmas with my dad's family Christmas Day in the afternoon. 

WestCoastMommy

We always opened all our gifts on Christmas Eve when I was little. My mom did it this way because they always hosted Christmas day at our house with 35 people and wanted us kids to have enough time to open and enjoy our gifts verses rushing to get it done and picked up and dressed before guests arrived. We did stocking on Xmas morning though.

My kids are doing Xmas morning and only opening gifts they bought for each other xmas eve. They are younger and believe in Santa so it works out better. I LOVED opening gifts the night before but there is just no reason for us too now.