Where are you from and what does Santa bring?

[PinkyU]

We live in Scotland and Santa brings everything that arrives on Christmas Day, family/friends who bring gifts before or after are from them. I don’t know another Scottish person who does it differently.

I see often on here that Santa only brings one gift, stocking gifts or few but not everything etc.

I wonder if it’s a cultural thing within the UK (or wider)?

So where are you and what does the big man in the red suit bring?

[TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits]

To add, Santa does the stocking too.

I know lots of people now do just the stocking and a couple of small presents from Santa, but I've known no different than what I did as a child.

[TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits]

I'm from Essex and Father Christmas brings everything. Always has.
Presents come on Christmas Eve night once DD is in bed.

I'll keep that going for as long as I can because nothing beats the Christmas Eve excitement of him coming, and the Christmas Day morning face of amazement, innocence and awe. It's just the best thing ever.

[Heartofglass12345]

@chocolateoranges33 sorry to tell you but Santa and Father Christmas are the same person

[Rachellow]

Originally Northern Ireland Santa brought stocking and about half the big presents. Other half were labelled from parents

[chocolateoranges33]

South coast- father Christmas (not Santa) brings all the stocking presents. Everything under the tree is from us. All presents from others are from whoever gave them.

Seems much better this way as it explains why some children get more than others etc as they're from parents rather than father Christmas.

[Cherryrainbow]

Grew up in England but now live in Wales.

We have never put labels on the presents so if my kids thinks it's from santa/us I'm happy to go with the flow especially when they're young. I'm happy if they're happy and grateful x

[SmallProvincial]

London/SE Father Christmas brings the stocking only.

But the stocking is a big deal (carefully planned, lots of little things DD will never have seen in the shops before, gifts probably totally £60-80). When I was a child we did the same, but FC did most his shopping at Neal Street East, which closed down a long time ago.

[Flev]

From the south of England here and santa just filled stockings. My husband (Midlands) had santa bringing all the presents except the ones from other family anf friends. As a child he always wondered why his parents never bought him a Christmas present, and much prefers the way my family did things so that's what we are doing with DD.

[Heartofglass12345]

When I was little I think we assumed everything was from Santa, but I remember my mum telling me that she bought things and sent them to Santa to wrap and deliver lol.
We tell our kids that their stocking is from Santa and the big presents are from us, my husband didn't want Santa getting all the glory
I don't think kids care that much who things are from to be honest lol

[XiCi]

I can't believe people take the gifts from grandparents etc and say they are from Santa. That just seems awful to me on so many different levels.

[XiCi]

I'm in NW England and dd writes a letter to Father Christmas with a list of presents she wants and these come in a sack delivered by Father Christmas and everything else comes from us. Then she has presents from grandparents, aunties, uncles etc.

For people where Santa brings everything, do the children think their parents don’t get them a present?
Yes they do. My sister told my niece everything was from Santa and every year I remember her telling us that her mum and dad don't get her anything. She seemed really sad about it especially when she could see that her cousins got nice gifts from their parents

[Beakerandbungle]

North east and Santa brought everything - including presents from wider family ( we didn’t know from wider family - no one had much money so think collectively decided to bulk the Santa gifts).

I do it slightly differently now

[HaaaaaveyoumetTed]

I'm from Northwest England and have family across the NW. For my immediate family, Santa brought stockings and the main present. My nana used to say that she had to send her presents to Santa to deliver to us on Christmas Eve, other family had Santa deliver everything. In DHs immediate family Santa only brought stockings but in the wider family he brought everything. DH is from the midlands.

[Moomarre]

SW England. Father Christmas brings the stocking and one (sometimes two) presents. Stocking presents are not wrapped, the present from him is wrapped but usually left with the stocking rather than under the tree.

Stocking presents are usually unpackaged (which is very useful for buying stuff secondhand). I know what people consider to be a stocking also varies wildly and we do put a lot in ours. This year for example 5 year old has some playmobil figures, a kristoff doll, a small bag, poppit keyring, mini rainbowcorn, toy car, sticker book, small art set, sunglasses as well as the staples such as sweets, chocolate coins, a tree decoration and a polystyrene glider.

[Survivingmy3yearold]

South West here. Father Christmas fills stockings and puts one gift under the tree, which the kids write and ask for. When I was a child we never had stockings but he left bigger presents under the tree. We encourage our DDs to ask for a reasonably small and not too expensive present as Father Christmas would struggle if every child asked for iPads and games consoles. We do other presents under the tree and then they have other gifts from family

[Thecomfortador]

From West Midlands, father Christmas brought stocking gifts and often something else, such as a beanbag or desk. Always unwrapped. Everything else was wrapped and from parents / family.

My dad never had a stocking and was from quite a poor background - as was my partner who also never had a stocking. It all comes from my mum's side who were better off working class. Although by my mum's admission, she spent more on stockings than her dad and mum, and her dad used to complain that they spent more / went further than his parents did. At one point it was probably some fruit and nuts in a sock.

[Kendodd]

England. FC only brings stockings.
I started out when children were very little FC brings everything. This changed after thinking about it a bit. If FC brings everything how do you explain why he brings some children loads and others hardly anything.
Now family buys most gifts.

[starrynight21]

I'm in Australia. Santa brings one gift - you can ask him for this gift . Everything else comes from the person who gives it - parents, grandparents, other family and friends. Santa doesn't take the credit for every gift ! I'm happy with this - some family members take a lot of care with gifts, and some make financial sacrifices to give nice things. Saying that Santa brought everything would be unfair imho.

[hidingfromthemouse]

From wales and when we were little santa brought everything. We haven't quite work out what we'll say as our LO gets older but it will either be one present, mummy and daddy have to send money or something like that. We've opted to do this though as we'd hate for any children to feel like they weren't good enough as other children got more/bigger/better presents etc.

[TheFairPrincess]

Sorry, I mean it just feels more magical for me personally that way, as it's what I grew up with.

We did stockings in the hallway outside the DCs bedroom last year but this year I'm being brave and putting them on the end of the beds :)

[TheFairPrincess]

I'm from South East England , parents are from Stafford. When I was a child FC brought everything in big sacks left by the bed then we had family presents under the tree.

I tried last year to do "Santa only brings the stocking" and even with the compromise of really big stretchy hand knitted stockings it just didn't feel right, so in the end we have stuck with Father Christmas brings everything from us. It's just more magical that way! Obviously family presents are still from family and are also put under the tree.

[whattodo2019]

South a west.Father Christmas bring the stockings.
As the children write to FC as well, he brings one gift (not necessarily expensive) but the gift they asked FC for. This is out next to the fireplace.

[SSOYS]

Big gifts should not be from Santa, it was never designed to be like that and its very much something that arrived from our generation parents trying to go above and beyond in a keeping up with the Jones competition without thinking of the effects on other people... its pure selfishness

Nope. My dad (working class Londoner now in his 70s) used to get everything from Santa and so did everyone he knew- this was in the 50s. In contrast, we were given small stocking gifts from Santa then family presents under the tree, and that’s how we do it with our kids. Just because you don’t like something, it doesn’t mean that it’s new or selfish. You’re literally on a thread of people demonstrating all the ways we all do it differently.

[Sleepyteach]

Live in the midlands and in our house Santa delivered everything but only my stocking (socks, choc coins, bath bombs hair clips kind of stuff) and one medium sized toy type gift was from him. For DD it’s just the stocking that’s from the big man.

[sageandbasil]

FWIW- I absolutely loved seeing all the presents Santa brought it made it so magical but I'm a lot of aware of people not having the same amount to spend etc so it's trying to find the balance