Father Christmas/Santa present traditions

[Nomorebounty]

Generally interested in how other families give presents from Father Christmas after speaking to friends.

When we had DCs neither DH or I wanted to give up our own family traditions so we ended up mashing them together. So now our DCs have ended up with; a little stocking with sweets and knick knacks on the end of their beds to open when they first wake up and their present sack downstairs in front of the fireplace with their main bits, both from Father Christmas and then their presents from us under the tree.

How do your DC's get their presents on Christmas morning?

Xxx

Same as you really, little stocking with bits and bobs nothing expensive then Father Christmas gifts in the living room. We tell/told our children that we send money to the big guy and he buys and delivers everything and that’s why other children get more or less expensive gifts from him.

I will just tell you in case you don't know that there is a Christmas board on here and some MNetters choose to hide the entire board because talk of Christmas can be upsetting for some.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas

We have stockings downstairs by the fireplace from Father Christmas because Dh had a stocking in his rooms and used to wake up at 2-3am to open stuff. My parents did everything from Father Christmas. We wanted our children to know that we bought the presents under the tree and that aunts and uncles etc bought other presents so they knew who to thank. The stocking is just token items, same things year in year out with additional small gifts.

Stockings from Santa.
All main presents from proper people.
Otherwise it all gets too complicated imo.

Stocking from Father Christmas, presents from actual humans!

I’m not having the big fella in red get the credit for all my hard work and spending!!

Stocking is from Father Christmas, they are hung on the handles of the French doors by the Christmas tree. I don’t want people up at 4am.

one Christmas morning when ds1 was 2 he saw his stocking, went in to shock and threw up due to sheer excitement. He was shaking and chattering away, I’ve never seen anything like it. I think it was the fluffy vulture sticking out the top.

only stockings are from Father Christmas.

we then do something you want, need, wear, read. Means I don’t go overboard.

Hmmmm I am regretting letting DH get his way. I grew up believing Santa brought me my big present, say a bike and parents bought me everything else. This was gd as it explained why some kids get more than others etc and that some families can’t afford everything.
I got sucked into agreeing that Santa brought everything (not including family gifts) as my dh convinced me it was more magical. Now I’m back tracking as the kids get older and saying that sometimes I pick stuff out and send it to Santa to deliver with all their presents 🤣 I mean I didn’t think this through originally letting the big guy get all the credit. Also I kept thinking my kids are gonny be like why don’t u buy us presents but I buy everyone else 🙈

Stocking from Santa and one main present they asked him for. All the rest from us, family and friends.

Same as this, stocking and one big one under the tree in different paper to everything else.

Stockings in bedroom, all presents in the living room under the tree. Only one present from Father Christmas, the rest are from us, family and friends.

We send money to Father Christmas and he brings the presents. He usually gets all children 1 small thing but all children can still tell him what they want so he can pay the elves to make it in the workshop with the money we sent 🤣🤣

Same. There was something lovely about the stocking appearing while you were asleep, and the pretence that Father Christmas dropped it off (and the growing realization that he didn't...). Keeping up the pretence all day would have been a bit silly.

Growing up in 90s, all the presents were from Santa, including the stocking. When family members brought gifts in bits and bobs on Xmas visits it was from them. But in terms of waking up on Xmas morning and getting gifts, those were all from Santa. I'll be doing the same with my little boy, there was so much magic to my childhood Xmas and I still love Xmas.

We do stocking and one present from Santa, the rest from me and DH or family. The one present from Santa isn’t necessarily the biggest or most expensive, just one they’ve definitely asked him for and we know they really want. Our girls are 3 and 5.

I’ve also explained to our 5 year old that everyone does Santa differently, so some children get all their presents from Santa, some families don’t have Santa visit at all. We all have a different deal with him and she seems to accept it

Stockings only from Father Christmas here. Everyone else gets the credit for their gifts. Stockings are low key gifts like socks, smellies, bubbles, sweets, trinkets etc.

Two of dad's socks on the bed from father Christmas, stuffed with a fair bit of bath stuff, little toys, sweets, stationary, any crap that takes my fancy. Last year he brought a mop which ds2 wrote on a post-it request list attached to his bed. Hooray for The Range which was open until 6pm on Xmas eve (and inexplicably sold a very cheap mop with Christmas pictures on it, what are the odds). I don't think ds2 actually expected a mop to appear on Christmas morning 🤣.
Make sure you have a matching pair of socks for a quick swap in the dead of night l. He usually leaves some sort of tent / cardboard house downstairs as well. Kids are getting towards not believing now although I think they'll play along as long as it means they get their stockings.

DD gets a stocking with small items and a 'Santa bag' with things like a book, game, toy, pyjamas, pants and socks, bath stuff, new felt tips etc etc. All go in her room from 'Santa' to open in bed on Christmas morning. Also include an orange, chocolate coins and nuts in the toe of the stocking which is a tradition my parents did for us.

Main presents are under the tree and opened after breakfast. We also do the 'big' or 'main' present from us rather than Santa, for the same reasons as PPs have outlined

Mine are adults now, but still love a stocking!

What we do when home:

1. Stocking is very full. They get things they need in it. So new underwear, toothbrush, even school uniform at times. They get a few things like chocolates and a book and maybe something to do/wear that's just a treat though. I asked them as they got older if they wanted to continue that or go to smaller, but just fun, and they preferred to get things they needed. A lot of the stuff (even now) may well be second hand. So it looks really full, but isn't very expensive.
2. They always get a tangerine, chocolate coins and a chocolate orange (plain).
3. They get the stocking at the bottom of their bed, and then come down (we've always said not before 8am) together to open it. It's normally closer to 9am now they're older.
4. When we come down, we have free for all opening, which means dd2 has opened everything and wept over her favourites by the time dd1 is on present #3. Sometimes dd1 doesn't finish before it's time for church.
5. After lunch we open presents from each other/anyone there/main presents and thank each other
6. Next day we open presents from other people
7. We also have "tree" presents which are one small present (like a new pen) for every day until they go back to school. Ideally these hang on the tree, but as they've got older that's been harder.

When we're away:

1. We take 2-3 presents for a small stocking Christmas morning and only presents for other people.
2. When we get back, we "tell" Father Christmas we're back and he delivers the presents that night.
3. The next day we do our own Christmas day as above.

Edited to add:
@Thecomfortador I think they'll play along as long as it means they get their stockings.
We've always had the rule that if they say out loud that FC isn't real, that "he" stops delivering. Obviously if he is real he won't deliver to unbelievers, so that works both in stopping them from saying it and in that for younger ones that makes sense.
Dd2 was desperate to tell ds when she first knew and he was still tiny, so we stated that rule. They all know perfectly well, and have done for years (well, the youngest is now 18!) but they keep to it.

Ok so we're not that unusual then 😅 nice to hear everyone's traditions 🎄🎅❤️

And apologies @DarkTreesWhisper didnt realise there was a quiet place to post!

Stockings of sweets by the fireplace downstairs are from Santa here… kids think all the presents are from Santa but that mum and dad tell him what to get. That’s what they’ve thought and we have t corrected them tbh. But they know if there is a larger or more expensive present it’s from us. They also know that family members buy them gifts too

All of the presents are from Santa in our house so far. They are incredibly young so it might change by the time they are old enough to remember but we like it that way so far.

@Nomorebounty I absolutely love Christmas but was around when the specific Christmas board was suggested due to anniversaries falling around that time at it upsetting people talking about Christmas all year round. Just wanted to signpost you there as lots of people are not aware it exists.