Every Christmas Eve I would beg my parents to let us kids open one teeny tiny present after dinner, but every year my mom answered me with a firm NO. Once, in my early 20s, I even offered to buy us all presents we could open early and she still said no! As I grew into an adult and met more people from different backgrounds I've heard many wonderful stories of new Christmas PJs , a special holiday outfit or a coveted book set out under the tree on Christmas Eve.
I'm still deciding if I'm going to be like my mom so I'd like to hear from you. Does your family open any presents on Christmas Eve?
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Growing up, we actually started opening presents sometimes as long as a week before Christmas! My sister and I would each open one present a night, maybe a couple on Christmas Eve, and then the remaining on Christmas Day. My mother thought that if we opened everything on Christmas day, we wouldn't really be able to appreciate each gift, so she started stretching it out. Now I've started doing the same with our kids, though we usually only start a couple of days in advance.
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In both my husband's family and my family growing up we were always allowed to open 1 present each on Christmas Eve. We both have fond memories of doing that as kids, and have continued the tradition with our own kids!
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This is what we did in my family as well, and what we now do with our kids! They really look forward to that one gift they can open early, which becomes somehow extra special to them for being singled out in this way.
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I love that your husband and you had the same tradition and now you're carrying it on to your kids!
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When I was a kid, we often opened one present on Christmas Eve. Now with my kids, we have more than one family holiday to attend, meaning multiple days of opening gifts. It's almost like Christmas never ends!
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My husband and I let the kids open their gifts to each other on Christmas Eve this year. This was the first year we've done and it was OK. The kids got really excited from it and my little one kept asking to open "just one more" until he fell asleep. Maybe we'll try again when he's a few years older and we can reason with him a bit more.
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My birthday happens to be Christmas Eve, so that day was always VERY separate from Christmas Day. In other words, I got to open a ton of presents on Christmas Eve, but everybody else had to wait until the next day ;)
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As a child, we ALWAYS opened on Christmas morning and those a great memories. Now, we see my side on Christmas Eve and my husband's on Christmas Day so we open presents on both days.
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That's great. Then kids must love having two days of daily time and presents!
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We open pjs only on Christmas Eve so we can wear them. And sometimes we have one gift that is time sensitive like if it would be good to use for our big Christmas Eve party. Otherwise, I’m Team Christmas Day!
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We do this too! Every year my mom would put the PJs wrapped under our pillow so we opened them right before bed and put them on for the night. Can't wait to continue this tradition with my daughter! :)
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We always opened presents from family (secret santa between my 7 siblings and myself) on Christmas Eve and Santa on Christmas day. Now that I have kids, they open presents from Mom and Dad on Christmas Eve and Santa on Christmas Day.
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Option 5: We open gifts Christmas Eve with my in-laws and Christmas Day with my family.
