I was talking to Jess tonight about wrapping presents and wanting to take pictures of them (the wrapping job, that is). She said she couldn’t because of "S-A-N-T-A". At first I thought she was meaning Hailey, little busy munchkin who is into everything, but then I realized she meant that the gifts are hidden until Christmas morning, as in… Santa brings them all.
We both laughed at the fact that we’d never really thought about how other people do the "Santa Thing". See, when I was younger, we always had presents under the tree. We knew they were from our parents. We counted them and jiggled them and imagined with anticipation what might be inside (and groaned a little when we "heard" clothes haha!). Santa, in our house, brought our stockings and one present beside the stocking. At least this is what I remember (mom… correct me if I’m wrong?). We do the same for Porter. Our tree is filled with gifts underneath, from us to other family members, from us to Porter, etc etc. Christmas Eve, Santa will come fill our stockings with goodies and bring Porter a larger, unwrapped toy.
I remember this was similar with some of my close friends (although I never remember actually discussing it with them… I just remember when we were in 4th or 5th grade, Maria once ripped holes in all her presents, trying to "sneak a peek" and told her mom she had been vacuuming and accidentally ripped them… therefore… I know in her family the presents were there before Christmas morning). Jess said that among her group of friends and family that Santa traditionally brought ALL the presents. I wondered if maybe this was a regional thing?
I thought this was all quite fascinating. So… how does it go in your household (and furthermore… how was it when you were a kid?) Does Santa bring ALL the gifts? Does he just bring a few? Does he only fill the stockings? Does he wrap presents or not? Or, do you do something totally different? I can’t wait to hear!
nicolebarczak.com 
we opened 2 presents (pj’s) on xmas eve- and the one from our sibling to each other.
xmas morning Santa brought stockings and a big present that went next to our stocking. That’s it.
We have most of our presents to each other out under the tree ahead of time (and we also open new pj’s on Christmas eve). Christmas morning there magically appear a few more gifts from us (to add to that Oooooh effect!) and a handful from Santa plus of course the stocking.
When Savannah was a baby we bought this mondo roll of wrapping paper from Costco with Santa all over it. This thing is HUGE. We wrap all of the presents from Santa in this same paper every year (and I think it really will last us for the next 15 years or so!), so everyone knows just by glancing, which gifts are from the big man. It’s like his “signature” throughout the years. We also leave out one special gift from Santa unwrapped, just with a big bow and a simple square of that same wrapping paper to make a tag on the gift. Examples of those unwrapped gifts would be a scooter or a play tent or table and chairs set… you know, the things you would have to put together.
Growing up, I think we had all the presents from us kids to each other and our parents, as well as all our gifts for our other friends and/or extended family under the tree before Christmas. But nothing from our parents for us kids. It all came out overnight, along with the santa presents, for the big overflow effect of presents in the morning.
Santa gifts were always opened first, there were our stockings and then usually one or two presents sitting besides them. We’d get things that were small enough to fit in our stockings obviously, fun little stuff, and we always got new underwear in our stockings (actually we still do – my husband even has a stocking at my parents’ house now and gets boxers). 🙂 Then we would open our presents to each other. We always had all of our gifts to each other under the tree. But I think sometimes my mom wouldn’t put them all out though beforehand, just so we wouldn’t be too nosy. And my parents would often do one large gift that they’d hide and then bring out at the end.
We’ll see what happens with our family, I don’t think we’re even going to get Max any gifts this year because he’s going to get SO much from the grandparents, it’s insane, and he’s still too little to understand anyway. I love your idea about the four gifts for Porter.
when matt and i were shopping this year for tucker’s presents from the big man himself – i asked matt what ones would be from us. he told me they are all from santa. i thought it was kind of weird. see – in my family, all the gifts were under the tree beforehand and then santa came and filled up our stockings and left a bigger special gift which was wrapped.
so, for tucker we will wait until christmas morning to put out all his gifts. i think we will leave one big gift unwrapped, then wrap everything else. we will still have presents for other family/friends under our tree before then though.
Growing up we had our family gifts under the tree as they were bought, and Santa gifts were wrapped in special solid metallic wrapping paper every year and also had things from Santa in our stocking. We have continued the special wrapping paper with Lukas now as well and I’ve opted to use a bright red solid paper for Santa gifts. And then also put small items in the stockings. I haven’t decided on what other family traditions I want to add in, as far as certain gifts to give each year such as pj’s. I guess I’ll learn some ideas from here!! 🙂
We place wrapped gifts under the tree a few weeks before Christmas. Now that Emily is older, I am double wrapping her presents with 2 kinds of paper, since I am onto the games that kids(**read I**)play when they are @ home alone by peeking-she would surely be busted & could never re-wrap her presents.
As for Santa, he doesn’t get credit for the good stuff, ha! Santa brings a few practical items & a few small fun items & all are wrapped it the same santa paper that I have used since Emily was really little. It is a HUGE roll that says To: You From: Santa. Santa even brings Mom & Dad a new book & cd every year.
Our stockings as with our kids are left in their bedrooms and no gifts are under the tree until Christmas morning. My parents did the same thing and I loved it because waking up and seeing under the tree loaded up was so exciting although as i write this it sounds greedy but I loved it. Santa gifts are wrapped in different paper then the others. Ryan loves it because he can read the cards now. Presents that we bought to other realatives go under the tree before Christmas but thats it. I can’t wait!!!
Okay, so I’m in the minority here, huh? We never had gifts from our parents…everything was from Santa. It’s funny becaue I can’t really remember the “magic” of Santa. I remember opeing gifts from him, but it wasn’t any more special or anything because it came from him, if that makes sense. I was more excited about making cookies for the guy than getting gifts from him…so weird!!!
I’ve been wanting to re-evalute the Santa gifts thing, and I think I may make some changes this year and do kinda like you guys…just a few gifts from Santa wrapped in a different paper next to the stockings, I really like that idea!
As kids, Santa always brought our stockings and a few of the bigger gifts. But, there was alwys stuff under our tree from my parents already. That is what we will continue to do.
I think that Jess’ idea is pretty neat though. How magical to have everything under the tree Christmas morning.
Growing up and still today with my own children. We opened up gifts on Christmas Eve from everyone else and then Santa filled our stockings and a gift(s) from him on CHristmas morning 🙂
Well, we had ALL of our presents under the tree Christmas morning. None were set out before that, so it was always such a surprise on Christmas when “Santa” came with ALL of our presents on Christmas Eve!! Along with our stockings!
I think maybe Santa was a little behind around our house though, maybe a last minute kinda Santa..Hehe!!
I think we will keep the same tradition with Donnie, I like all the anticipation for Christmas morning!!
Growing up, we had gifts under the tree before xmas from our parents. We got to open one on xmas eve. Santa brought gifts too and filled our stockings for xmas morning. Almost everything was wrapped except for the really big things. We’ll continue this tradition with Thomas 🙂
My parents had gifts wrapped for us under the tree all through december
then on chritmas eve santa came and filled out stocked and left gifts in the middle of the living room.
They were wrapped in the tackiest paper with the tackiest bows… My own mother was a meticulous (sp?) wrapper… all the gifts under the tree were works of art… therefore Santa has to be real because MY mother would have DIED before using that AWFUL paper santa did hehehehe
this is exactly what we do
Growing up, we had all our presents from Santa laid out on the couch with our stockings. My brothers & I each had our own couch cushion that Santa would leave our gifts on. Under the tree were presents from siblings, parents, grandparents, etc…
I think we will do much the same now that Gavin is here, although while he is still little we will probably wrap most of his presents with the exception of his big gift so that he has more to unwrap.
santa brings the stockings. 1 large gift (may or may not be wrapped) and 1 smaller snata wrapped gift. the rest is from us.