how do you decide who's way to do Christmas?

[mendipgirl]

DH had stockings from FC and then the big presents later on from parents. I has a pillowcase from FC and can't remember presents from parents as well (the case was enough ).

How do you decide whose way you do christmas, I will probably go with DHs way...because I am fairly chilled. But i used to love coming down to a pillowcase full of presents whereas a stocking feels a bit meh...

We've done a bit of both to be honest. So if we've done it his way for one thing, then its been mine for another. As it happens we've chosen all the options which means everyone ends up with more presents, including me and DH, so everyones a winner!

you think you've got it bad - my DH believes that on xmas eve everyone should go for a long walk and when they get back, ta da - santa has been and they open all the presents

when with his family we do that (and it feels so wrong) but otherwise its xmas day

i would suggest stockings from santa and a pillowcase from parents

Santa leaves a stocking by the bed in this house so we open them together before coming downstairs where Santa has left some more presents and delivered presents from relatives etc.

ooh, I like the idea of stocking from santa and pillowcase from parents!! Nice one Everybody.

Also, my parents never let Santa get the glory! We always understood that our parents were the ones treating us to such lovely presents (except for the one from santa of course!!!)

Same thing for me Mendip. DH got a stocking, I had a pillowcase. We have compromised by doing stockings 9but I bought them and they're fecking MASSIVE) and then we do small 'tree presents' later in the day so the DCs know not everything comes from Father Christmas!

We're doing something new. Our new house has a gorgeous huge fireplace and I've bought us each a stocking and a chunky stocking holder. We'll put out mince pies, carrot and whisky on Christmas eve and then come down to stockings on Christmas morning.

It's the DSS's first Christmas with us and they're getting their usual stocking back at their mum's (explanation: Santa left their usual stocking where they live but brought an extra one for where they're waking up) so really we could do what we wanted and DP picks his battles likes my idea. The stockings for our house will mostly be sweets and little things. Their mum keeps her family traditions with the stockings she had as a child.

Mine get a stocking from Santa which is left by the fire but which generally overflows around the fireplace and contains one bigger gift from Santa.

They then get a big parcel from us (mum and dad).

I have noticed that our stockings contain fewer parcels than most but bigger items iykwim. I was raised with very few relatives so I think my parents gave us a bit more to compensate for the lack of grandparents and aunties etc. and therefore lack of gifts under the tree. I just continued this tradition without realising that my dcs got more under the tree. I have reduced it a bit every year but can't bring myself to do a massive cut back incase my dcs think Santa thinks they have been naughty

Dh would have had just a few things in his stocking but is from a massive family and would have had a lot more under the tree.

We also have the gift opening dilemma. I was brought up with taking turns and paying attention to the gift opener - one at a time.

Dh's was a paper ripping frenzy, all at once, often after Mass on Christmas Eve.

As a child I always had a pillowcase from FC, and so naturally I do that with my DC too.

Don't know what DH did.

To me, a stocking is a bit meh as you say - I loved waking up to the huge pillowcase, although it always contained lots of 'essential' items that I now realise I would have been given anyway (pants, socks vests etc) and so I do that with my DC. In fact, out of the 20 items they get, 13 are in fact essentials, only 3 are things they ask for and the rest are little things (under a couple of pounds) or are things I think they should have (books etc)

We have a 'early xmas present' on xmas eve (along with new pjs) then xmas morning is stockings with a pile of stuff under the tree,stockings contain a dvd/cd,pens/pencils etc daft things like socks/ badges/pocket games....under the tree stuff is where the moneys 'spent' and we also have a tree gift that neither I nor dh know about?? its a 'nannas in heaven' present -usually a game that all 3 can share or something for the 3 of them(this started because neither of us have a mum and we didnt want our dc to not have presents of nannas) the youngest ds gets a 'santa' gift usually found a few days later (in the sales) and its a musical tree ornament or a wooden toy like a yoyo or a tiny snowglobe.also every year santa snags his suit at our house or loses a gold button and someone finds it ......(have to say ds1 aged 18 and ds2 aged 16 are a little old for this but we still do it .

It isnt mine or dhs way its a way weve built over the years .......

DHs way in that we had lots of "silly pretence" about Santa, mind you the girls faces at the tooth marks in the carrots were ahhh!

We had stockings as kids, but my mum made them and they were at least as big as a pillowcase, and had one bigish present from FC, then a big present from my parents. [spoilt]

No idea what DH did, he's not that fussed so we do it my way.

Well you just do it the right way don't you

Which is obviously stocking/pillowcase/sack delivered by FC, presents under the tree from mum and dad and whoever else is on the tag.

How we decide between traditions is dependent on who puts the work in: I cook Christmas dinner so what I say goes; I go out and buy 99% of the toys/gifts for the stocking so how/when stockings are delivered is up to me; I buy/make the Christmas decorations so my taste prevails.

DH gets to take the DC to choose the tree

What the TheQueenOfDeDead says.

She (maybe he) who does the donkey work gets to decide.

We have to blend between Danish and (my) English traditions, and it actually varies depending on where we are and who is visiting.

Generally it involves presents from the Danish side of the family on Christmas eve. We have our main Christmas meal then if PIL are visiting. Then stocking from Santa with small gifts Christmas morning which can be opened as soon as children are awake (I say opened but Santa doesn't actually wrap gifts in my family). Gifts under the tree are opened after breakfast.

I actually think I'd struggle more to sort out Christmas in the OP's situation, it seems easier to me to blend two totally different Christmas experiences. I don't think I could ever be happy with a present opening frenzy en masse.

We have my Flemish Saint Nicolas traditions and DH's Santa ones. We made our own mix.