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Christmas

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Original poster

Do you put presents under the tree before Christmas eve?

55 replies

OvO · 21/09/2013 16:43

I remember presents being put under the tree a week or more before and all the fun of squishing/shaking them.

But I've always waited and put everything out once my boys are in bed on Christmas eve. Presents sent from family/friends get put under the tree whenever they arrive though.

I'd like to put EVERYTHING out early because I'm a wrapping saddo Blush and make all the parcels all pretty and would like to enjoy the nice chismassy scene. But my children are evil not to be trusted! I think they'd peek.

Do you put yours out early and do your DC snoop? A shake is allowed but no sneaky peeling of cellotape!

OP posts:
cece · 21/09/2013 16:44

Only those that friends and family give us. The ones from FC arrive on Christmas Eve whilst we are all asleep.

trixymalixy · 21/09/2013 16:45

I only put out the presents from friends and family. Presents from Santa and mummy and daddy only get put out when the kids are in bed.

MikeLitoris · 21/09/2013 16:46

Other peoples yes. Our own no.

There is nothing like seeing the dc face when they open the door and see a present mountain.

FixItUpChappie · 21/09/2013 16:46

No - because my children are also not to be trusted Grin

LauraChant · 21/09/2013 16:47

I put presents out as we wrap them, unless it is something obvious like a bike!

Yama · 21/09/2013 16:49

Same as others - presents from friends and family yes. From Santa no.

Meglet · 21/09/2013 16:49

Only a couple of small ones to make it look festive. Mine can't really be trusted not to tear them open.

dancemom · 21/09/2013 16:50

Gifts go under the tree as soon as the tree goes up - it looks so bare without gifts! This is why I take my tree and decorations down right after Boxing Day too!

Gifts from Mr Claus only appear on Christmas Eve though Grin

Anthracite · 21/09/2013 16:52

I put them under the tree as soon as they arrive or are wrapped.

We don't do the Farher Christmas nonsense though.

Original poster
OvO · 21/09/2013 16:56

That's fighting talk, Anthracite! Grin

I'm still all a dither about what to do. They will be 6 and 9 by Christmas - I'm thinking that's smack bang in the middle of sneaky peekers age.

OP posts:
kiwidreamer · 21/09/2013 17:06

we do present mountain on Christmas morning too, again DC would be peekaholics I fear plus the delight and awe on Christmas morning is magic :) I put down a tree skirt thingy so the tree doesn't look so tragic with no presents underneath!!

PinkSippyCup · 21/09/2013 17:10

Me and DH was differ on this subject!

Growing up I can still remember waking up on Christmas morning and the magic of seeing all those gifts under the tree! Smile

I really don't understand why you would want to torture children by making them stare at presents they aren't allowed to touch for two weeks!

nickelbabe · 21/09/2013 17:11

no, because the tree is by the very large glass window (which goes right to the floor)
so we can't risk it.
Which is a shame, because in my old house, the living room was upstairs, which meant we could pile them underneath the tree and no one would ever know.

PinkSippyCup · 21/09/2013 17:11

Always differ*

nickelbabe · 21/09/2013 17:12

doh! everyone who's going "not presents from Santa" well, duh! how on earth can you put something under the tree that's still with Santa ? Hmm

Original poster
OvO · 21/09/2013 17:14

But Pink, it was delicious torture. Grin I loved seeing them out early and trying to guess. But you might be right, I think my boys would just see it as the regular kind of torture!

OP posts:
PenguinBear · 21/09/2013 17:17

I put presenta for them under the tree from me an dp as well as family and friends. Oldest is now 14 and they've never peaked on pain of death.
Father Christmas obviously doesn't come till we're all in bed Wink

Bunbaker · 21/09/2013 17:20

No because burglars can look into the house and see if there is anything worth nicking.

I put all presents out on Christmas Eve after DD has gone to bed.

When she was 3 OH and I spent one late Christmas Eve building a doll's house. It was late when we got to bed that night!

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 21/09/2013 17:30

Only any given in advance from extended family etc, ours goes on a small table in a corner alcove and very little space under, also in full view of the window, so a potential burglar magnet. Everything else gets piled round the hearth on Christmas Eve.

fuzzpig · 21/09/2013 17:45

Nope. All done on xmas eve, partly due to risk of premature opening (DCs 4/6) but also as our living room is so tiny it would take up too much playing space and also risk getting tatty as they build their train track round the tree or something.

I also love the ritual around it. ALL existing toys are cleared away to upstairs before the big day. DH and I spend time late at night arranging the presents, last year this was accompanied by lots of Baileys having set up the Playmobil (from Santa, not wrapped)

fuzzpig · 21/09/2013 17:51

The xmas after we first got our cat when I was a child, I wanted to get a present for him so we bought one of those treat stocking things from the supermarket.

I wrapped it and put it under the tree with a few other presents that were already there... Big mistake! I had forgotten how good cats are at smelling catnip. Shredded paper everywhere.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 21/09/2013 18:51

No.
Christmas Eve after the DC have (finally) gone to bed and before we put the wrapping paper across the door to burst through.

We wrap DS presents in one paper DD presents in another so no need for tags.

They don't tend to get presents now from family, usually money (they are 11 and nearly 14) and I think my family would be clueless what to buy them. (They are the only GC in my side of the family)

Even though my DC are teen/pretten they still 'go along with' the whole idea for my benefit

Hunfriend · 21/09/2013 18:55

How do the presents arrive early if Father Christmas brings them on Christmas Eve Confused [Grin].
Mine are teenagers and presents always arrive on Christmas eve as do stockings .

hellymelly · 21/09/2013 19:04

Mine will be 6 and 9 at Christmas too, but I don't think they will peek yet. However everything from us is put under the tree late at night on Christmas eve same as others above. Presents from extended family and friends put under as they arrive.

2kidsintow · 21/09/2013 19:11

Presents that go under the tree before Christmas eve fall into a couple of categories.

Presents that we have been given by friends before the day and
Presents that we have bought and wrapped that will be taken to family at Christmas.

The DD's and Dh's gifts appear as if by magic on Christmas eve or Christmas morning.