How does Father Christmas feature in your Christmas? [ambiguous thread title to get people looking at yet another Christmas question]

[hunkermunker]

What I mean is, I know people who say that Father Christmas brings all their child's presents.

Don't they wonder why their parents didn't get anything for them?

FC concept is fun and all, but i dont want to lie to my children, so they know its just a story really. we all play along, but im not putting effort in to convincing them something is true when i know they will discover the truth at some point anyway. it may well be harmless, but what if they have trust issues with me after they find out? and what if theyre really upset? and some kids get themselves all in a state wondering if FC thinks theyve been 'good enough' to get what they want...

minefield IYAM. best avoided.

When I was little everything my Mum and Dad bought came from Santa presents from other relatives came with their names on (or sometimes Santa depending what they wanted to do) neither me or any of my 6 brothers and sisters questioned it and I will be doing the exact same thing with DS.

Also presents were never out before Xmas day, Mum always had them all hidden away and laid them out in piles in the living room once we were all in bed.
It was the best bit about it, Mum would make us all have some breakfast then line up in age order outside the living room door and let us in. When the door opened it was amazing the room was filled like a cave of treasures and you had no idea what type of parcels you had because they had never been seen.

at not having presents gathering under the tree before Christmas Eve.

How do you feel them, prod them, poke them, shake and rattle them to try and guess what they are if they're not there? The anticipation of Christmas and seeing all the presents there and trying to resist the temptation of opening them is part of Christmas.

Grown ups presents go under the tree. Lots for me to prod and poke

No honestly when I was little the excitment of not knowing what was going to be in the living room was brilliant.

If I had seen presents there then it would have spoiled all the magic, I hated Xmas at my Dads and stepmums for this very reason.

It probably was more magical for us because their were 7 children so the room was piled high with presents, but I will certainly carry on the tradition here.

Stockings from FC, all other pressies from the people who gave them.

I do know of someone who rips all the tags of the presents given to her children so as not to spoil the story for their kids. Weird... Mind yoi - a good way of getting out of thankyou letters....

Reading all these posts - I just wonder if kids ever get together and compare notes....

Stocking presents only from Father Vhristmas. Everything else from us and reletives.

when i was little this is our it all worked:

1. fc was in charge of all the toy factories and wrapping paper factories in the world. that is why he was able to bring the same presents that are sold in the shops and the same wrapping paper and tags mummy and daddy use. there was a factory at the north pole where only elves worked and not normal people like in the other factories.

1. the fc that you visited was not really fc it was someone who worked for fc (who was a normal person not an elf)

1. fc only brings presents to fill a small stocking and sometimes a few under the tree

1. fc can talk telepathically to mummys and daddys.

1. when fc brings the presents on xmas eve, he wakes up mummy & daddy as he is leaving so they can put them in your stocking or under the tree.

1. fc can walk through walls and doors and make himself invisible if he needs to.he can also freeze time.

1. when you are naughty fc takes one of your presents away but you get it back if you are good again.

1. sometimes fc isn't hungry or thirsty so mummy or daddy can eat the things we left for him.

ds is only 5 months so haven't had to use any of this yet. when he is old enough i will tell him exactly the same. the only thing i will do differently is on fc's presents use computerised labels so he won't recognise the handwriting!!

like the idea of fairy dust but how do you do footprints unless it is snowing which let's face it is quite rare on xmas eve/day.

FC brings stocking presents and then their main present that they asked Santa for at local Bazaar grotto. Then everything else under tree is from mum and dad.
They know that mum and dad have to give Santa the money for their present to buy them so can?t ask for just anything (ie no elephants, DD1 and no real unicorm DD2!!!!)