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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Silly foreigner is breaking her head over when to put presents under the tree.

36 replies

belgianmama · 10/12/2006 16:58

This must seem like a silly question for you, but as a Belgian who was never visited by father christmas I would like to know when people put presents under the tree here in England. At home we just did it as we bought them, but I'm not sure how things work over here. My tree looks so bare at the moment and I would love to put something under it, but on the other hand if I do it Father Christmas will be out of a job. I'm soooo confused...

OP posts:
7swansaswimmingup · 10/12/2006 16:59

i put some under my tree today so it doesnt look as bare, luckily the 2year old had a look, got excited then left them alone, looks much better with pressies under it

TinsellyRhino · 10/12/2006 16:59

presents are never under the tree till xmas morning in our house

once the kids go to bed we put the pressies under the tree ready for the morning

flutturkey · 10/12/2006 17:01

A lot of people put pressies under the tree and then save a few back (you know the ones from Santa) to add Christmas morning.

I personally don't put a single present out until bed time on Christmas eve so the suprise is even bigger.

GlennCloseAsCruellaDeVille · 10/12/2006 17:02

whenever you want in the run up to Christmas ie as and when recieved or bought and wrapped depending on the proepnsity of kids to peep or sulk over size likely of it being what they want etc

leaves opportunity for tricks of not putting one out for the loud mouthed one

or wrapping a tiny box and leaving the proper present in friends garaghe etc

Mercy · 10/12/2006 17:02

Same as TR - just before we go to bed on Christmas Eve.

Any earlier would be impossible!

janeite · 10/12/2006 17:03

We put presents for friends who'll we be seeing before Christmas, and from people at school, work etc under the tree. Everything else stays hidden away until Christmas morning, when it goes into pillowcases!

GlennCloseAsCruellaDeVille · 10/12/2006 17:03

in our house wrapped presents are from mum and dad, rellies etc and father christmas is a separate thing entirely and delivers to the end of the bed during christmas eve

under trees presents are shared out before or after Christmas lunch

belgo · 10/12/2006 17:04

Now that I have children, I never put presents under the tree until Christmas morning when they're allowed to open them - it's just too much temptation to expect them to resist!

Belgianmama Did you still celebrate Sinter Klaas? We had a great time this year, and we'll be going back to England soon to celebrate Christmas

busybusymum · 10/12/2006 17:17

Our pressies to the DC get put under tree on christmas eve after kids in bed. Any that are handed directly to DC by friends or family are put under tree as given. If friends and family give the kids pressies to me I put them under the tree on christmas eve!

jampots · 10/12/2006 17:19

i put the wrapped gifts for others under our tree. Then farm them out just before xmas hopefully to be replaced by presents for others - Father Christmas presents go under the tree after teh children have gone to bed on xmas eve though.

Original poster
belgianmama · 10/12/2006 20:38

Belgo, yes I did celebrate Sinterklaas, but I can't get my 2 as excited about it as I am. I suppose Father Christmas is all around them. I keep asking relatives and friends to send me over some books about Sinterklaas, but no one seems to ever remember .
It does seem like I'll have to leave my tree a bit bare until x-mas eve, that's what most of you seem to do. Doesn't it confuse the little ones when there are presents from you to other people and from Santa?

OP posts:
belgo · 10/12/2006 20:42

I never got confused as a child , I was just pleased with my presents!

Skribble · 10/12/2006 20:48

In our family, Santa fills up the stocking and leaves it at the end of the bed, might leave a few downstairs but these are labeled differently.

Presents under tree are from relations and us. Some go there over the week before Christmas but we put ours out once the kids are in bed on Christmas eve. partly so it is more of a surprise and so there is less temptation to peek.

Some peoples santa brings the big present but most people I know santa brings little bits and bobs. Most kids hand up a sock of some kind for santa to fill on there bed. Not really under the tree.

Original poster
belgianmama · 10/12/2006 20:57

Thank you Skribble for the x-mas stocking idea. I might do it that way, saves me worries about confusing the lo's and gives me the satisfaction of having some pretty pressies under the tree.
Something else happened to me with x-mas presents when I just moved here as well. At home it is polite to open your present in front of the person that gave it to you, so when I got my first ever English xmas present off a colleague I opened it there and then. Her reaction was one of shock as I seemed impatient and immature to her . I've never done that one again

OP posts:
Miaou · 10/12/2006 21:13

belgianmama, I was always brought up to open presents in front of the giver, and was quite taken aback when I gave a friend a birthday present and she just put it on one side! (To me it's like saying "well if I don't like it I'm not good at pretending I do" - which is rude in itself imo!).

Skribble · 10/12/2006 21:14

Traditions vary so much, yes Christmas pressys are taken home to open on the day unless givers says go on open it now .

Hanging up your stocking is pretty commen in the UK I would say, traditionaly it would be a sock, we always hung up on of dads big red rugby socks.
Nowadays the shop bought stockings are popular as are pillow cases tied like sacks or bought plastic santa sacks. Depends on how much you want to attribute to Santa.

My kids put up Daddys kilt socks, but I liked one Mumsnetters idea of a plain white pillow case which the kids draw a picture on each year in permanant ink. Some people (including me) think pillow cases seem a bit greedy but I like like the idea of having all the pictures from over the years.

mumeeee · 10/12/2006 21:15

Christmas eve in our house.

SherlockLGJ · 10/12/2006 21:15

Belgian Mama

Where do you live, roughly, not suggesting you are sleeping rough...just what part of the country ??

cece · 10/12/2006 21:17

All presents are delivered by father christmas on christmas eve while we are all asleep.

He leaves a stocking by their beds. The rest of presents are put under the tree. Some from FC and some from family and friends

His helpers collect them from our hosue prior to Christmas so he can delvier them don't you know!

FredBassett · 10/12/2006 21:19

Christmas Eve here too, it does look a bit bare under the tree but I'd worry about them getting stolen, there's always a story at christmas isn't there? Maybe I should wrap some empty boxes up

Original poster
belgianmama · 10/12/2006 22:11

Sherlock, I live in the Midlands.
Miaou, I had the same with b'day presents as well. I think it's so cruel how the mums always make their lo's wait until they get home/have their real birthday when they get the present at the party. Just this weekend we were at a party where the lo just kept trying to open the present, tearing little pieces of. Poor thing was just dying to know what he got. I just let mine open them as they get them like I was brought up to do.
Part of the joy of giving presents is seeing the receiver's reaction to the present, especially if the receiver is a child. It's just lovely to see their little faces
I think I will put presents under the tree now and let Father Chrismas fill the stockings. I like the pillow case idea as well, but I don't think dh will like it though.
Thank you very much for all your reactions. It's amazing how different things can be just across the Channel [fgring]

OP posts:
SherlockLGJ · 10/12/2006 22:12

Phew..........................

Safe for another day, one of the new mums at school is Belgian, but we are in Surrey.

Skribble · 10/12/2006 22:34

Presents for kids at parties, sorry but we take them home to open, been to too many where other kids end up playing with them and bits get lost, the kids argue over them etc.

DeckTheHallsWithFRAUsOfHolly · 10/12/2006 22:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bctmum · 10/12/2006 22:54

Just had a lovely time with Saint Nicolas here! Hoep you enjoy Father Christmas BMama