Christmas celebrated on Christmas Eve (gifts and all) is way better than gifts in the morning, amirite?

What about opening presents on Christmas itself necessitates getting up early?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Children mostly.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

The habit of excited kids that barely slept trying to drag people out of bed early and then that becoming a habit even when everybody is old enough that they'd rather just get an extra hour of sleep.

by Additional_Umpire 2 days ago

This is completely normal in Germany. Propably in other EU countries as well.

by Kovacekrandall 2 days ago

its standard in all Slavic countries, as far as i know

by Anonymous 2 days ago

i think thats mostly Russia and countries closer to it

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Since when is Russia and Ukraine many?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

This is the way we (my family, German immigrants to Canada) do/did Christmas.

by Giovanny71 2 days ago

Grew up in Brazil and that's the case for my family.

by Walkerilene 2 days ago

I've got work Christmas Eve.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Me too. But I'm only going in for a few hours because I'll be finding some very last minute gifts 😅

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I hearby declare Dec 25 is now Christmas Eve! Enjoy!

by shaunkohler 2 days ago

I will be working Christmas morning. We are celebrating the night before. At least it's double pay

by Anonymous 2 days ago

But Santa doesn't come until Christmas Eve ;)

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Well that's why it's so late when he makes it to the US

by Xernser 2 days ago

I'll try to hurry this time (I'm my family's Santa)

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Yeah this is what we do in Finland and the other Nordic countries. I've always found the Anglo-American tradition of morning presents bizarre - where's the anticipation in that? It would feel like a big womp-womp

by Anonymous 2 days ago

In Canada and the US (and maybe others, but I only know these two for sure), the anticipation is all about Santa, and Santa comes after we go to bed on Christmas Eve. There's the family presents waiting under the tree (and in my house we got to open one after midnight Mass) but Santa's presents wouldn't be there until morning anyway.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

This was normal growing up. We always celebrated on Xmas Eve with a big dinner, fun with relatives and family. Then open our gifts and enjoy them until we were ready for bed. Some of us, especially in the 80s when someone got a Nintendo or Sega, we'd be up all night. Great memories really. Getting up in the morning to open gifts is ok, but not as fun.

by Miserable-Pudding951 2 days ago

It's the only way for a bigger family, IMO. Nothing pressing in the morning of the 24th, anticipation mounts, people tend to be more festive in evenings anyways. We do our specialty meal and then smaller-scale household gift exchange, and enjoy ourselves that evening. Then, Christmas day is the big traditional meal at noon-ish. Cooking starts early. The little kids do their "Santa" gifts then sent off to play. Once the meal is in the oven and cooking, then everyone cleans up, gets the kids cleaned up...and company begins to arrive. Then, after the big meal, it's a group effort to do all the meal clean-up. Then, afterward, is the larger extended family gift exchange or games. It's a two day affair because it has to be. You can't cram that all into one day because of the work/meals involved.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

If your group is adults and older kids then xmas eve. If there's young children involved then xmas morning. It's not fair to rob children of the xmas morning memories of santa etc.

by No_Advice 2 days ago

Back home all the kids stay up until midnight to open presents. While the adults drink and stuff until sunrise, we stayed up until 3-4 am playing with our presents and hanging out. Is so much more fun than opening presents the morning of the 25th.

by NumberHumble8682 2 days ago

I live in central Europe. Our make believe arrives after dinner is eaten and rings a bell. Nobody is robbed of anything, except early morning

by CombinationNo 2 days ago

We celebrate with my parents and in-laws on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is just for me, my husband, and kids. No one gets up early Christmas Day. We just have breakfast and wait for everyone. No one minds since they got gifts the night before, too. And the one that would mind (the youngest) gets up the latest.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

This is my last year doing Xmas the traditional, wake up early Xmas morning to open gifts / celebrate. I soon will have a wife and step-daughter from Colombia here and they do things very different

by Holiday_Grand1938 2 days ago

Just do all this on Christmas...Night?

by elyssatreutel 1 day ago

Lol, I'm sorry but what? What you've described is literally Christmas Day (minus the markets). Who's forcing you to get up early? I assume you may say kids but surely they'll also be up early on Christmas Eve.

by brigitte91 1 day ago

I like waking up early throughout the year, the bonus at Christmas is you then have the whole day to enjoy the gifts and can still do all the things you described

by wuckertwestley 1 day ago

Living in a country where this is the norm, I don't even agree with this being unpopular.

by Ok_Measurement 1 day ago

It's just not the traditional Christmas tradition across the world. First time I've heard of it being done this way

by Larsonvaughn 1 day ago

I don't disagree but I have always had to work on Christmas Eve. Christmas is the only legal holiday in the U.S.

by Carrolljakayla 1 day ago

Plenty of countries celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Explain why you can't do what you do on Christmas Eve on Christmas Day

by Anonymous 1 day ago

This what we do in LATAM, most everything is done on the 24th including family time with extended relatives. 25 is a sancocho/hungover day

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Not really unpopular, virtually all of Germany operates on this.

by bernhardalberth 1 day ago

It's what my family has done... all my life. Christmas Eve is our Christmas. When everyone was younger and more able we'd stay up to midnight. Then as we got older... it started to slip to like 8 pm lol.

by Playful-Flight 1 day ago

I get up when I want to on Christmas day.

by Objective_Still 1 day ago

We liked it as kids because we could just play with our toys all day after opening them

by Lazy_Ninja 1 day ago

Yeah my family always uses the actual Xmas day to rest and recover from the festivities and alcohol

by Maggiowalton 1 day ago

At our house we started a tradition of the main Christmas tree and presents on Christmas morning, but a second, tiny Christmas eve tree with small packages as an "appetizer." Sometimes those smaller gifts are a hint at what's to come. We also do the stalkings later in the evening. We stay up late watching movies (usually wrapped in said appetizer tree).

by Anonymous 1 day ago

This is normal in Hispanic culture

by Anonymous 1 day ago

solo los gringos celebran el 25

by Mac83 1 day ago

We give eachother presents at midnight,. I would hate morning tradition.

by Fast_Refrigerator 1 day ago

In France we open them during christmas eve (at least all the people I know).

by Anonymous 1 day ago

We celebrate equally noth days. Open gifts, drink, and stuff our faces the whole time.

by Senior-Secretary 1 day ago

Nah getting up early and having a picnic and a swim at the beach is great. Then you are nice and relaxed to go open pressies before a Barbie and beers in the garden

by Anonymous 1 day ago

What a lovely, Australian Christmas!

by Anonymous 1 day ago