How do you celebrate Christmas with children if you and your partner come from different countries? (And celebrate on different days / different people bring the presents)

[Opus17]

Morning everyone,
This was something I never had to think about before! I'm British, husband is German (although I know lots of EU countries and other countries celebrate Christmas differently). In Germany, they celebrate Christmas on the 24th in the evening, you have a nice meal then a bell rings in the house to indicate that Christkind has brought all your presents. This happens in the evening (husband said between 6-8pm for him usually).
We alternative Christmases at his family's in Germany and mine in Scotland.

But now we have DS, I'm not sure how we're going to do it and would like to ask opinions! He's only 16 months now but next year he'll be understanding more. How do you do it? Tell him Santa brings presents after sleep in Scotland but Christkind brings presents before sleep in Germany? Will he ruin Christmas for other children by saying different people deliver at different times? (We live in Germany if that's relevant). Or should we stay consistent with one or the other?

Just wondering if you also are also in the same situation and what you do. Thanks all!

DH couldn't be arsed to sort anything to do with Christmas so we do it my way! Plus my Dc were always horrors in the evening so a late meal did not appeal.
Do you also need to explain away St. Nicklaus?

My dh is Dutch.

They do all gifts on SinterKlaas - 5th December, and none on 25th.

We just split our gifts across both.

We basically made our own tradition round it.

So on 5th, Siterklaas always brought sweets, clothing (pjs, onsie dressing gown) a book and one small toy.
My SIL made dh a complete Sint costume, so Sint appeared in person every 5th and it was a big thing.

She also sends a parcel every year with chocolate letters and kruidnotjes.

Then on 25th we had stockings in the morning and presents under the tree.

While we have always done Father Christmas (we didn't use Santa to keep the 2 names separate) most presents underthe tree have names on and they know they are from us. Stockings were from Father Christmas.

Kids loved it. We didn't double up, their presents were split over the 2 times.

You could do similar to Christmas Eve boxes on 24th, and then santa on 25th.
In terms of meals, I would go with what works. We often have a quiet family meal on 24th anyway, so easy to make this more special. You can decide year by year when you do your big meal.

for my German friend, advent gifts are a real thing, don't know if that is just her though.

I would just do as the Germans do when in Germany and as the Scots do in Scotland.

If he ever asks the question, "they are both the same person, one has an English name and one a German name, and they do presents that way because Santa cant get round all the countries in time after midnight"

I'm French and my husband is British. Our traditions aren't wildly apart, but on my side we do place more importance on Christmas Eve, and we eat very little meat so our foods of choice are very different there. We are also not religious, whereas my in-laws are catholic (but don't force it on anyone else).

Pre-Covid we alternated between the UK and France for the festive season. It is fairer to each side of the family and gives our kids a chance to experience both ways of celebrating. Last year we celebrated just the 4 of us, we had a lovely buffet on Christmas Eve, presents first thing on the 25th, then a tradutional Christmas lunch. It was lovely. This year we might do the same here (I am too ill to travel), and go back to France next year.

We also have German background, but live in the U.K.

We do Nikolaus on 6th, but very traditionally - nuts, apple and German chocolate only.

We do stockings from Father Christmas - mix of small gifts, including more chocolate.

Everything else is from the giver under the tree. We have a special evening meal if we are with my parents on Christmas Eve, and open presents from/to them then, and the rest on Christmas Day.
If we are with DH family we don't open any presents on Christmas Eve.

Dc have always accepted we do it differently to others, and are totally unconfused by it, it's just what we do.
They like getting extra bits from Nikolaus, and they aren't the only ones in their classes that do. Because it is still school time then, they do compare the next morning - but again accept that some people get lots more in their boots but they will get bits in their stockings in a couple of weeks.

We are in Spain-Catalunya. On 24th we have the Caga Tio, the smiley log that poos out gifts. He's Catalan. Ours poos sweets and the odd gift like a Christmas dvd, small game (this year Trionimoes), fidget toy etc.

On 25th it's FC, with stockings and tree gifts. Then on the night of 5th January we go and see the three kings parade and catch sweets. Then home for dinner and one gift, that we keep from the general Christmas stash, usually around the €20 mark (Funko Pop, for example).

DD also has a December birthday, so it's a very long drawn out month of gifts!

When we had Christmas at my dad's in the UK, we did Caga Tio before we left, then Christmas was as usual. DD is 11 and quite used to our traditions. She realised fantasy people were just that at an early age as 'some people believe in FC, or the King's...' etc. But is still a giggly mass of energy all December

Ii particularly like the three Kings as the Christmas season lasts longer. Schools go back on 8th January - next year Monday 11th? Something like that.

Just do all of it - we do things from all different cultures even the ones that are in our religion but not common to our countries culture.

We do:
Advent (Christian)
St. Nick Feast (Christian)
Xmas eve box (technically Icelandic I believe but our family has done it since the 60s so I grew up with it)
Christmas day (as standard in UK/USA etc... so our culture)
St Nick stockings (Christian)
Santa Sacks (UK/USA... so our culture)
12 days (Christian)
Nollaig (Irish - which is my culture)
Epiphany (Christian)
Magi (Latino Christian)
Befana (Italian Christian)
Wassail (British - also our culture)

I even considered getting a Gonk this year (Norwegian) as they seem to suddenly be everywhere.

There's no reason you can't do multiple things, it's good for kids to learn and experience it all.

As for the 'Santa' issue assuming you are teaching him Christkind and Santa are one in the same (to us Santa and St. Nick are completely different people so we don't worry they do different things) then tell him the world is big and Santa/Christkind can't do everything in 1 night so he delivers earlier to Germany than he does in Scotland.

I am Polish living in the Uk. We made our own tradition. There is meal with just the 3 of us and presents on 24th from us and family and Santa comes at night with his gift and we have xmas lunch with Dh famiily on 25th

Well you see Father Christmas is very clever and he understands that there are many different cultures and faiths and adjusts accordingly. My husbands side don’t celebrate Christmas and Father Christmas understands so doesn’t visit. However I have been brought up to celebrate and so he visits us. Btw the equivalent of Christmas for my husband is new year / the children get presents (traditionally clothes) and there is big family meal. News year day is visiting day. Our children love it.

My DC's dad is Dutch. They leave their shoes out on 5th December for Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas). He brings Dutch treats like peppernoten, schuimpjes, speculaas and stroopwaffels (spice biscuits, sweets and waffles). Also maybe a chocolate letter or chocolate Sint. Sinterklaas is different to FC as he is tall and wears a bishop hat.

Then on Christmas day they get a stocking from FC and presents under the tree from family and friends.

My parents live in Spain and they always send/bring a book from the 3 Kings for Epiphany (6th Jan). They also get chocolate 3 Kings figures or chocolate coins.