Why do people wait until Christmas Eve night to do the wrapping?

[00100001]

So many people talk about having to get excited kids to sleep so they can do the wrapping.

Why leave it til then?

I’ve never done it tbh. Loving it now the kids are older though. One of them is getting a laptop so that’s all his budget gone, just the one thing to wrap. The other two have already said they want cash so a quick cash transfer on Christmas Day and we’re sorted. All I need to do is the traditional Christmas stockings and something for DH. Nice and easy.

I try to wrap as I go a bit but I know what people are saying about ripped wrapping paper.

I have some of those big clip and clock boxes that I put inside wheely bin liners to try to protect the wrapping a bit but the little stocking bits are already wrapped up now.

When we were kids I remember Mum and Dad making it really special I try to do the same - my Dad told me years after the event he used to stash all the gifts in his office then pile them into the car on Christmas Eve - he used to have a wonderful Secretary who helped him wrap them all up before they came home!

For those who wrap in advance, is the wrapping equally split in your house?

I know if I wrapped in advance, my DH would find a way to weasel out of doing his share. Whereas there's no arguing with a pile of unwrapped gifts on Christmas Eve.

I made that mistake once, never again, as I buy gifts I wrap them.

Always used to do this, daughter in bed, husband and I would go to our bedroom and wrap, well more him than me I’m shit at it, and then put them under the tree so it looked like Santa had come in the night.

Because I never got out of the habits of my student years and still often do things the night before they're due! 😂

I'm getting better now and in recent years have even been known to finish the wrapping on Christmas Eve morning! 😂😂

My DH said it was traditional but, after some nightmare Christmas Eves, now I try and spread it through December as much as possible. Still seem to be finishing off at midnight on Christmas Eve ever year though.

The trouble is the kids presents. I haven’t bought them all before the end of term and can’t wrap unless they are out or asleep. They stay up later than me now. Maybe the answer is early morning wrapping or early shopping I guess. Perhaps this year will be different….

I guess people wrap Christmas Eve for all sorts of reasons 🤷🏼‍♀️
Some people might not have many presents to wrap or might do their shopping Christmas Eve, or it might be their family tradition. My friend wraps Christmas Eve because she's unorganised. She stored her dc gifts at my house last year so I ended up helping her wrap on Christmas Eve. It was quite nice really, we had Christmas music on and ate dessert and wrapped.
I tend to do mine quite close to Christmas because I keep adding to the dc haul.

@Gliderx
I do most of the buying and wrapping as DH job is not as flexible as mine and I get more time off.
He makes up for it in others ways so I don't mind.
I also adore Christmas whereas he's rather more ambivalent about it.

Dds are usually wrapped 23rd. We’ve wrapped them early before and forgotten what we bought. Dh and I have a few drinks and crack on wrapping between the two of us. Dh is actually really good at wrapping.

@BSideBaby

Also, Christmas stockings: for some reason 'Father Christmas' had the bright idea of putting a satsuma in the toe which of course has become family tradition. Sadly, doing this any time before Christmas eve is not the best idea as the fruit invariably gets squashed. If I could go back in I'd use a Chocolate Orange instead.

I wrap all the stocking presents and keep them in bags in a box, ready to be filled on Christmas Eve.

The whole waiting until Christmas Eve is another stress that's just (mostly) unnecessary.

Surely people aren't leaving it until then to get their kids 'main' gifts?? Like say they wanted a Switch/Bike/latest must have toy and you'd agreed that is what they'd get. You'd genuinely risk leaving it until the day before to get one?

Waiting until Christmas Eve to do the shopping*

Only ever did it once, never again. I started mine last week which is quite late for me. Problem I have this year is new house and lack of hiding places. Right now a lot is hidden in plain sight but once it’s wrapped it will be more noticeable. Example I have 3 oodies hung in my wardrobe under my DHs shirts, if I wrap them I don’t have any where to hide them 😬

Ive decided to use reusable gift sacks this Christmas, as my children are older, they've asked for fewer (more expensive) gifts. I hate wrapping and would hide all the presents away until Christmas eve, and wrap until 2am! Never again!

Coz a lot of people dont get paid/can do any shopping til the very last minute [shrugs]
I'll be wrapping after I've finished working on xmas eve.

This.

I do this and hate it.

But I work and the children are with us most weekends. Presents are bought and then stashed somewhere from view and it isn't that easy to find time and space to do it. I don't have tons of free time when the kids aren't here

By Xmas eve it's a needs must situ.

Tape dispensers completely changed how much I hate wrapping. Points in paper ripping are fair points. Not thought of that

I only wrap my DC’s present on Christmas Eve.

It’s part of our tradition. DH does food prep and I sit at the kitchen table wrapping (different paper for each DC) and they go straight in the sack. At this point I usually hit the Sherry

When dd was little DH and I always enjoyed wrapping presents when she was in bed on Christmas eve- it was fun- sneaking about finding where we had hidden them, trying to be quiet, etc. it was a nice time together! We made it a little ritual- always had a nice festive drink to add to the fun!

I have to do it before now as dd is 16 and won't go to bed early any more .

I wrap mine a few days before Christmas. Gets me in the Christmas spirit. Seems too clinical, almost, to wrap my presents weeks or even months before Christmas.

I had an arrangement with another parent that we would take a day each of looking after the boys while the other one did whatever they needed to do- buying, wrapping, baking.... It was a Godsend to be honest. We are both teachers so couldn't do it while the children were at school.

@00100001

The whole waiting until Christmas Eve is another stress that's just (mostly) unnecessary.

Surely people aren't leaving it until then to get their kids 'main' gifts?? Like say they wanted a Switch/Bike/latest must have toy and you'd agreed that is what they'd get. You'd genuinely risk leaving it until the day before to get one?

I never ‘agree’ to something beforehand as Father Christmas chooses what to get from the list! But no, I wouldn’t buy the main gift on Christmas Eve. But I don’t wrap until I’ve bought everything. I like wrapping on Christmas Eve. Don’t find it stressful at all!

Because as a single working mum it's the only chance I get to do it.

How the hell do you know in January what someone will want in December unless you're buying generic, meaningless presents?

My MIL and aunt and parents and children and so on are the same people in December as they are in January. I shop in charity shops or little independent places throughout the year and pick up things as I see them. I'm pretty sure my Dad won't stop being a big reader and MIL won't stop like European politics and quirky jewellery and DD won't suddenly go off feminism. I find it eminently easy to buy thoughtful, meaningful gifts throughout the year because I know my recipients. I suppose our house must be different because we don't tell other people what to buy for us, we all know each other pretty well and it works. My brother went on holiday in July and sent a gleeful text saying he'd found me the perfect Christmas present. Another year, he might spot something in November. But he's known me for 40yrs so early buying doesn't mean generic.

I don't wrap on the 24th because I like to read and eat mince pies and enjoy the quiet. I wrap one afternoon in December whilst watching a Christmas film. DH takes the children out somewhere while I do it which works because he gets some decent time just with them and I love wrapping. Before then, presents are stored in bags under my bed labelled by recipient and purpose if necessary (eg DD stocking). It's generally a lovely afternoon, most stuff goes straight under the tree and the children come back tired and happy to see parcels under the tree.