When do the gifts go under the tree?

[Mimm]

The Hive asks every question so I'm sure this one has been asked as well, but I hvaen't seen it this year so here goes.

 

The only gifts under my tree are the Christmas Eve pajamas for my kids. Sometimes I'll put a few other random things for other people not living in the house before Christmas but mostly the gifts go under the tree Christmas Eve night after the kids go to bed. We don't even do Santa so it has nothing to do with that. The gifts are stashed in my room and my kids know it (my room isn't that big, they've seen some of them). It has to do with the wow factor of getting up Christmas morning and seeing all the gifts around the tree.

 

But it's come to my attention that not everyone does that. Maybe only Santa gifts go out the night before Christmas? My friend posted a selfie of her and her child and the tree was in the back ground and there were lots of gifts under it. It looked festive and fun, of course.

 

Just curious when people generally put gifts under the tree. :)

[HomeAgain]

Christmas eve, after bedtime.  With a small child in the house it's much better this way!

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Just curious when people generally put gifts under the tree. :)

 

We don't put anything under the tree until after the kids have gone to sleep on Christmas Eve. My main reason is also the wow factor (even though we don't do Santa anymore), but it's also because I have an impulsive kid who won't be able to stop herself from poking and prodding and touching and shaking, and nothing would stay nice until Christmas anyway, and often she'd be able to guess what things are. It's better to hang onto the surprise and wow factor here. 

 

I don't even wrap them until Christmas Eve. If I do, I feel like I'll lose track of what's what and who things are going to. I've wrapped early in the past and somehow ended up with misplaced gifts every time, so I need to be able to look in the boxes and check things off the list all at once as I wrap, and then put everything right under the tree. I might start the night before, but that's it. The whole thing is too much of a whirlwind!

[Garga]

I prefer to have them under the tree early (we don't do Santa), but we have cats. And cats are too curious not to try to open all the presents early.

 

Good kitties!

[mlktwins]

Gifts for family other than my kids, under the tree when wrapped.  Gifts for my kids, after they go to bed on Christmas Eve.  They nose around trying to guess if the presents are out early.  With Legos, all they have to do is pick up the box and listen to know what it is :-).

[LarlaB]

For the first year I'm putting everything under the tree as I wrap it- so currently about 85% of our gifts are there. DS9 had a hard time with it at first but has learned to ignore it

 

Typically it would have been Christmas Eve...and that's when stockings will be done too.

 

My close is the storage area for gifts and I'm tired of tripping over everything 😜

[UCF612]

We put them out once wrapped, whenever that happens to be. I might save a few of our wrapped gifts just to up the wow factor on Christmas morning but usually (unwrapped) Santa gifts are what appear on Christmas morning. I imagine Santa won't be around much longer here so I might change what I do once he's out of the picture.

[The Girls' Mom]

We put them under it as we get the gifts and wrap them.  The girls help me wrap because they love seeing all the gifts piled up under the tree.

When the girls were small and we still did Santa, Santa gifts were not put under the tree until late Christmas Eve night.  We never wrapped Santa gifts either.  

[Sherry in OH]

Christmas eve after the children are in bed.  I often fall asleep before the children do, so this year it might be very early Christmas morning. 

 

Many years, I don't wrap gifts until Christmas eve.  Plus, we have a cat.  We haven't even put up our tree yet.   

[alisoncooks]

Mine are already there. I put them under the tree as I buy them and wrap them.

 

Gifts from Santa arrive when Santa arrives, of course (so very late, when no one is awake on Christmas Eve).

[displace]

Christmas Eve after kids are asleep. I like the surprise factor.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Christmas Eve after kids are asleep.

 

Although one kid already got his gifts.  He ruined my fun.  Although he is also my kid that would wake us up at 4 am because he was too excited.  So he won't be doing that!

 

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by SparklyUnicorn

[regentrude]

Christmas Eve, to be opened immediately thereafter.

[Mimm]

We don't put anything under the tree until after the kids have gone to sleep on Christmas Eve. My main reason is also the wow factor (even though we don't do Santa anymore), but it's also because I have an impulsive kid who won't be able to stop herself from poking and prodding and touching and shaking, and nothing would stay nice until Christmas anyway, and often she'd be able to guess what things are. It's better to hang onto the surprise and wow factor here. 

 

I don't even wrap them until Christmas Eve. If I do, I feel like I'll lose track of what's what and who things are going to. I've wrapped early in the past and somehow ended up with misplaced gifts every time, so I need to be able to look in the boxes and check things off the list all at once as I wrap, and then put everything right under the tree. I might start the night before, but that's it. The whole thing is too much of a whirlwind!

 

Oh I could never wait till Christmas Eve to wrap things though I have friends who do! I guess I have too much going on on Christmas Eve and too many gifts. Not just for my kids (who get 4-6 things from me) but stocking stuffers, and gifts for family. I'm from a large family. Plus my mother lives a few states away so she buys her gifts online and sends them directly to me so she doesn't have to pay shipping to her, then wrap them, then pay shipping to me. This is a favor I do for her each year. It helps that I don't mind wrapping. :) But I definitely do it well ahead of time. I'm almost done with my own wrapping and maybe a third of the way through my mom's.

[Night Elf]

I wasn't consistent with it when the kids were growing up. Some years I would want the tree area to look full and would put out all but unwrapped Santa gifts. Some years I wanted the wow factor of walking into the living room on the morning. I can see it being good both ways.

[historically accurate]

I put them under the tree as I wrap. Everything that has arrived (with the exception of Santa gifts) is under there now. Kids are forbidden to touch; they can breathe on them, but no touching. Cat thinks they are all his, and he sleeps on all of them.

[RioSamba]

We always have some gifts ready (and some that arrive from out of town family) before we have a tree, so those gifts accumulate on the piano. Once we have a tree decorated I arrange all the presents underneath it. The children arrange their Christmas Village on the piano once it's clear. Santa shows up late Christmas Eve. He fills the stockings and leaves his wrapped presents right underneath the stockings.

[jewellsmommy]

I prefer to have them under the tree early (we don't do Santa), but we have cats. And cats are too curious not to try to open all the presents early.

 

Good kitties!

 

 

I'm like you. I would like to put them under the tree earlier, but with 3 cats in the house it would be a big risk. I have one cat that must get into every bag or box he sees.. Another one that chews/bites plastic and paper, and a third (the 20 pounder) that would sit on boxes and crush or mishape them.  :lol:  They are quite the destructive trio. Plus we have to keep the bag cat out of the tree. He has bent several of the branches of our tree and caused whole sections to go dark. We have resorted to spraying him with a water bottle. So, we would be watering the presents daily. Sigh.... But I do love my cats. :D

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Oh I could never wait till Christmas Eve to wrap things though I have friends who do! I guess I have too much going on on Christmas Eve and too many gifts. Not just for my kids (who get 4-6 things from me) but stocking stuffers, and gifts for family. I'm from a large family. Plus my mother lives a few states away so she buys her gifts online and sends them directly to me so she doesn't have to pay shipping to her, then wrap them, then pay shipping to me. This is a favor I do for her each year. It helps that I don't mind wrapping. :) But I definitely do it well ahead of time. I'm almost done with my own wrapping and maybe a third of the way through my mom's.

 

 

Yeah, we buy a lot for extended family members, but most things don't require wrapping anymore (young kid gifts get shipped and all the teens get gift cards), so mainly my wrapping is for my own kids. We do host a small Christmas Eve gathering here, but it doesn't really interfere with my wrapping, thank goodness! When the kids were little and there were more toys/small things, it was more overwhelming. Now that they're older, I have time to host, wrap, and still make Quiver's cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning :D

Edited December 13, 2016 by ILiveInFlipFlops

[xixstar]

As we get them wrapped. Which means - Christmas Eve after they're go to bed. ;)

 

Maybe someday I will do it earlier.

[jjeepa]

Christmas Eve after kids are asleep. I like the surprise factor.

 

This is me too!  We do the 4 gifts thing - "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read" - so it wouldn't be that tough to figure out what each gift is from the list they give me in those 4 categories.  They give me a few options in each category, but still...I like having some surprises  :001_smile:   

[TheReader]

We have a child with a December birthday, so while we put the tree up/decorate the day after Thanksgiving, we don't put wrapped gifts  under the tree until after his bday, to give some separation to the holiday. 

 

Once his birthday passes, then I begin wrapping the gifts to be wrapped (both for our immediate family, and the extended family we'll see in person) and those go under the tree as soon as I have them wrapped. Plus the kids buy for each other, and like to wrap those and put them out asap.

 

Santa still stops at our house, and he leaves his gifts on Christmas Eve, unwrapped, with that person's stocking in front of their "pile" to designate which gift(s) are for which child.

 

This way there's still a wow factor, and we get the fun anticipation of seeing what's wrapped, etc. Makes for a festive, fun tree without detracting, especially since really a bulk of what ends up down below the tree are our gifts to those outside the family (6 nieces/nephews, 2 sets of grandparents, etc.); it's always fun to see and realize that what's wrapped is going to be given away (or a lot of what's wrapped), and the kids knowing what's in their brothers' gifts (because it's the ones they picked out/bought for each other), etc. We all love it this way. :) 

[Selkie]

Not until the wee hours of Christmas morning.  Those presents wouldn't stand a chance with all the nosy, obnoxious animals in this house.  :001_smile:

[purpleowl]

Gifts go under the tree as soon as they're wrapped. It makes me happy to see them there looking nice, plus then I don't have to find hiding places for things for very long. I keep a list of gifts I'm giving, marking when each is ordered, received, and wrapped.

 

The kids like to pretend about Santa, so he brings one unwrapped gift for each child. Those (gifts, not children) are put under the tree after they (children, not gifts) are asleep on Christmas Eve.

 

I'm amazed by those who wrap everything Christmas Eve. I invariably run out of tape or boxes or something when I'm wrapping gifts - it seems like it would be very stressful to do that Christmas Eve!

[Ellie]

We had cats, so  (cat owners already know what I'm going to say) no gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve.

[Spryte]

For the moment, they go under the tree as they are wrapped. Santa gifts arrive during the Big Night.

 

When we don't do Santa, I imagine it will be similar, I'll just add a few extras instead of Santa.

 

Or maybe we'lol be that family, you know, the one that always does Santa. :D

[AmandaVT]

As soon as they are wrapped. Santa brings one gift, in the wee hours of Christmas morning and that one is unwrapped and left on the couch with stockings. 

[Wheres Toto]

This is the first year my kids don't believe in Santa so I've been musing on what to do.

 

I think I'm leaning toward waiting until Christmas Eve after they are asleep because:

 

1)  They just stopped believing and the excitement of seeing the gifts may make it hard for them to resist the temptation of peeking.

2)  We have a dog that would probably try to eat a few things (not food items, he likes plastic)

 

Right now the gifts are unwrapped in a bin sitting next to the tree.   Our tree is between two benches (we removed our table and put the tree there) and the bin and a bunch of boxes are sitting on the benches.  I have a large box and a copper bin that I think I'm going to put them in, still on the bench, once they are wrapped for Christmas morning.  That way they are away from the dog.

 

I generally don't label all the kids gifts.  I use different wrapping paper for each of them so I know who gets what but they can't tell if they see them ahead of time.

[MinivanMom]

As soon as they're wrapped. Usually that means Thanksgiving weekend, but this year I've only wrapped a few presents so far.

[SKL]

The gifts for my kids go under the tree after they go to bed on Christmas Eve.

 

There can be gifts under the tree before that, if anybody has gotten an early start on wrapping stuff for the grown-ups or people outside of the household.

[medawyn]

Christmas gifts that arrive at our house from grandparents/friends/relatives go directly under the tree.  (Unless I have to wrap them first - it depends on how early grandparents get around to shopping).  We open family gifts Christmas afternoon or evening.

 

Santa gifts and stockings go out on Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed.  We actually open Santa gifts in another location than around the tree, so there is the fun of finding them and the "wow" factor of that.  This year Santa is delivering to the playroom, because he splurged on a play kitchen he hopes gets many, many years of use.  Last year Santa delivered to mommy and daddy's room, because mommy was pregnant and tired.  He's very understanding that way  :lol:

 

As of now, the kids don't get gifts from mom and dad on Christmas.  We give them books for the 12 days of Christmas, so those will show up on the bookshelf, wrapped, after Christmas until Epiphany.  I don't know what will change when they get older.   I just got a package of gifts from my mom addressed to me from Santa, and I'm 35, so I'm pretty sure Santa will deliver to our house for a long time, too.

[medawyn]

For the moment, they go under the tree as they are wrapped. Santa gifts arrive during the Big Night.

 

When we don't do Santa, I imagine it will be similar, I'll just add a few extras instead of Santa.

 

Or maybe we'lol be that family, you know, the one that always does Santa. :D

 

I'm 35, and Santa still visits me!  At my mom's house and my dad's house to boot.  My dad always said that people who don't believe in Santa don't get presents, so I still believe  :D

[Spryte]

I'm 35, and Santa still visits me! At my mom's house and my dad's house to boot. My dad always said that people who don't believe in Santa don't get presents, so I still believe :D

I like your dad!

[Rebel Yell]

As we get them wrapped. Which means - Christmas Eve after they're go to bed. ;)

 

Maybe someday I will do it earlier.

Yep, same here.

It's kinda become an unintentional tradition here. And while we enjoyed the Santa story the kids never Believed, so there was no reason other than laziness, busyness, and procrastination- both wrapping AND shopping. Good gosh, Walmart is an AWESOME place to be on Christmas Eve!

 

On the plus side, it has helped me get over my anger issues regarding DH's giftwrapping technique. O.o Well, I drink, he wraps. It's the only night of the year that I have more than one drink.

 

It is necessary.

 

I am a perfectionist and also gifted in wrapping paper conservation, getting maximum wrappings per roll. He is a crazy artist who just gets the job done. We now buy cheap paper and gift bags.

 

But if I had my act more together, gifts would go under the tree, wrapped, the day they are bought/delivered.

[QueenCat]

As they get wrapped. Most are opened Christmas Eve. When we still did Santa, his gifts were there, unwrapped Christmas morning, plus stockings. Now, Christmas morning is just the stockings. Everything else is Christmas Eve.

[JustEm]

The kid's gifts go under the tree when they are sleeping Christmas Eve. But to get that present under the tree feeling for a week or so all gifts that they get for each other, the gifts dh and I exchange, and gifts going to family on Christmas Eve are put under once they're wrapped, which will be tonight!

[MEmama]

We put them out randomly and secretly. So some nights we'll put one out to be discovered in the morning, or DS will hide one for me under the tree while I'm out so it's there when I get home. It's especially fun now that he does it too. We all love to play tree elf. :)

 

We do hold back a lot of gifts until Christmas Eve, but the little surprises in the week or two leading up is fun.

[Seeking Squirrels]

They slowly accumulate over the month of December. The kids are quick to make something for someone else so they can get it wrapped and have a couple gifts under the tree. They also wrap theirs to us and to each other as soon as we have them in house. DH and I sometimes wrap a few early on, sometimes we wait until everything is in and then have a wrap party. Usually most are out by a week before. Santa gifts go out Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed, of course. Sometimes we save a gift or two from us to go out at the same time. We like having them out ahead of time. It builds up the anticipation and they like to make guesses. 

[Guest]

 

 

Or maybe we'lol be that family, you know, the one that always does Santa. :D

We're that family. :)

 

I'm hoping my 27yo will be home for Christmas so I hung up her stocking for her.

 

I thought the current cat was particularly naughty (he's my 24yo's cat) but I guess not. Our family presents go under the tree as they're wrapped. The punishment for peeking is that you have to convince the giver that you didn't peek. They usually do it once.

 

Santa doesn't wrap presents. They magically appear on Christmas morning.

Edited December 13, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

 

I just got a package of gifts from my mom addressed to me from Santa, .

Do you live in the US? The post office won't let me do that here. I always planned on sending them two boxes, one with my return address on it that contained socks, underwear, and maybe a single meaningful book (see my giftmas thread, lol) and another, bigger one containing all the good stuff with a return address of "Santa Claus, the North Pole".

 

I thought 9/11 ruined all that. Please clue me in!

[theelfqueen]

Our standard has been -- after the children go to bed on Christmas Eve/New Years Eve (depending which we're celebrating that year).

 

This stems mostly from the Christmas Eve when I was young -- when my baby brother slipped away from the family gathering into the living room, I think he was about three, and opened presents from under the tree at random until he found one he wanted.

[ktgrok]

We put them out once wrapped, whenever that happens to be. I might save a few of our wrapped gifts just to up the wow factor on Christmas morning but usually (unwrapped) Santa gifts are what appear on Christmas morning. I imagine Santa won't be around much longer here so I might change what I do once he's out of the picture.

 

This. In fact, all but one present is now under the tree (need to wrap one more). As soon as it is wrapped, it goes under the tree. So I can't lose it :)

 

The kids have been good about not messing with them. 

 

Christmas eve I'll fill the stockings, and here that means filling, plus overfilling. Generally there is a whole stack of stocking stuff that doesn't fit. Plus one unwrapped Santa gift. So those things are the "wow" factor here. 

 

One year I didn't have something for my teen to be a "wow" thing to have unwrapped. So I bought cases of ramen (he loves the stuff for in between meals) and stacked them up...they were almost as tall as I am, lol. Big visual impact for very little money. He loved it :)

[ktgrok]

We put them out once wrapped, whenever that happens to be. I might save a few of our wrapped gifts just to up the wow factor on Christmas morning but usually (unwrapped) Santa gifts are what appear on Christmas morning. I imagine Santa won't be around much longer here so I might change what I do once he's out of the picture.

 

This. In fact, all but one present is now under the tree (need to wrap one more). As soon as it is wrapped, it goes under the tree. So I can't lose it :)

 

The kids have been good about not messing with them. 

 

Christmas eve I'll fill the stockings, and here that means filling, plus overfilling. Generally there is a whole stack of stocking stuff that doesn't fit. Plus one unwrapped Santa gift. So those things are the "wow" factor here. 

 

One year I didn't have something for my teen to be a "wow" thing to have unwrapped. So I bought cases of ramen (he loves the stuff for in between meals) and stacked them up...they were almost as tall as I am, lol. Big visual impact for very little money. He loved it :)

[Spryte]

 

We're that family. :)

 

I'm hoping my 27yo will be home for Christmas so I hung up her stocking for her.

 

I thought the current cat was particularly naughty (he's my 24yo's cat) but I guess not. Our family presents go under the tree as they're wrapped. The punishment for peeking is that you have to convince the giver that you didn't peek. They usually do it once.

 

Santa doesn't wrap presents. They magically appear on Christmas morning.

Yay!

 

We have a stocking up for 25 yr old, but we've got littles at home, too, so it makes sense. I hope we keep doing it when they're all grown up.

 

I never want to say goodbye to Santa and stockings. :)

[KrissiK]

DH and I have a little tradition where on Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed we listen to Christmas music or watch a movie and wrap all the presents. If we put the presents under the tree before then..... well, that would just be asking for trouble.

Edited December 13, 2016 by KrissiK

[carriede]

With little ones, everyone puts their gifts to be given under the tree at bed time on Christmas Eve. Then Santa comes in the very early morning.

 

Ideally, I'd like to put the family gifts out as they're purchased and wrapped. We'll see what it looks like 5 years from now!

[carriede]

Yay!

 

We have a stocking up for 25 yr old, but we've got littles at home, too, so it makes sense. I hope we keep doing it when they're all grown up.

 

I never want to say goodbye to Santa and stockings. :)

Both my and DH's parents still "do" Santa. I plan to too!

[gardenmom5]

when they were little - after they went to bed on christmas eve.

 

now - as they're wrapped.

[6packofun]

Secret Sibling gifts go under about a week before Christmas (we open these on Christmas Eve) and everything else is put out Christmas Eve after everyone is asleep.  They don't want presents out before Christmas morning!  lol

[Loowit]

I always put them under the tree as I wrap them.  The kids have always been surprisingly good at leaving them alone.  If they hadn't been I would have waited.  Santa gifts arrive Christmas eve night and are unwrapped.  I don't think any of mine believe in Santa anymore, although my 13 year old claims to still believe, but I plan to do Santa gifts until some undetermined time when they are grownups.  My parents stopped when we got married and moved out of the house, which is the same as DH's parents.