Do you open stockings on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

By mrbee Nov 12, 2014

Growing up, we always opened up stockings first thing on Christmas morning... and then opened up the gifts shortly after.

I've been reading about how lots of families open up the stockings on Christmas Eve though, and that sounds like double the fun! I'm thinking about maybe switching it up so that we open stockings the day before Christmas. But I'm not sure how Santa could have filled up the stockings, if he doesn't come until later that night. Did your parents explain it as, Santa makes two trips?

Anyway, wondering if you guys open stockings on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

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oliviaoblivia
pineapple / 12793 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We did gifts on Christmas eve and stockings on Christmas morning. A little instant gratification and a little delayed.
Smurfette
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We aren't home on Christmas Eve (big family gathering at my parents, so she gets plenty of presents then). We do stockings after presents on Christmas Day.
mrs scrapbook
apricot / 375 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Christmas Day...for the Santa reasons you described, I assume. But I never knew the reason, we just always did them on Christmas morning.

Although there was always a debate if we did them first or last! And right now, I can't remember if we ended up opening them before or after presents!

ETA: We see my extended family on Christmas Eve and do all our presents to/from them then, so we definitely had enough to open that night! Christmas morning was for Santa, stockings and immediate family!
mrbee
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts

Nov 12, 2014

@oliviaoblivia: Ooh that's a neat idea... the family gifts on Christmas Eve, and Santa's presents and stockings on Christmas Day! Genius!!
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We always did stockings first thing Christmas morning and then gifts after breakfast. No gifts on Christmas Eve!
Mamaof2
squash / 13208 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Yeah if you "do" Santa that wont work.

We do 1 gift on Christmas Eve (the sibling gift) and then stockings 1st thing in the morning followed by gifts.

Growing up we weren't allowed to wake our parents till 7 on Christmas day but we could get our stockings - So the 4 of us would go downstairs and get our stockings and all pile into 1 bed and open them - it was sooo much fun!!!
ValentineMommy
pomelo / 5791 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We always were at my grandparents Christmas Eve so we got family presents then. Gifts and stocking were Christmas morning.

We are going to do a Christmas box (with new pjs, christmas movie, and snacks...maybe a small gift) on Christmas Eve from us, then stocking and gifts on Christmas (from Santa).
mrsjyw
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts

Nov 12, 2014

DH and I usually did stockings on Christmas Eve. We'll probably do that with DS this year. And save gifts for Christmas morning.
MamaG
pomelo / 5298 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Neither. We (meaning ME) celebrate stockings with St. Nick's Day in early December. I was raised in Wisconsin and this is our tradition. My DH thinks I'm pretty much crazy

http://www.stnicksday.com/
youboots
honeydew / 7622 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We did/do them in the morning. You may enjoy adding St Nicholas day, similar to stockings but earlier in the month as another tradation http://eclecticallyvintage.com/2013/11/a-fun-christmas-tradition-st-nicholas-day/

My parents would fill wooden clogs with speciality German candy. My Moms family is Swedish and we lived overseas for several years and this is one of the things they brought back to the states. I will do this with our kid (s)
aegie
clementine / 806 posts

Nov 12, 2014

we do stockings on christmas eve and gifts on christmas day
Mrs. Sunshine
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Christmas day!
coopsmama
cantaloupe / 6059 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We do both stockings and gifts on Christmas day! Christmas Eve for us is for caroling, sweets, movies, and family time.
Mrs. Lemon-Lime
wonderful pea / 17279 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Christmas Day!

ETA: Santa didn't bring stocking stuffers only wrapped presents under the tree.
tinyperson
pomegranate / 3858 posts

Nov 12, 2014

On Christmas morning, we got up and opened stockings, then had our breakfast, then opened up presents. It made the fun last all morning
looch
wonderful pear / 26210 posts

Nov 12, 2014

My parents didn't do stockings, so not at all, lol.

We'll probably open them on Christmas morning, we are not home on Christmas Eve.
My Only Sunshine
persimmon / 1129 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Growing up we weren't allowed to open our stockings until after Christmas dinner. So it extended the excitement, but in the opposite direction as people who open gifts on Christmas Eve.

As a kid I thought it was complete torture to have to look at that stocking all day without opening the presents, but it was actually really nice to have something to still look forward to instead of the weird letdown that can happen after Christmas morning.

Of course, even though I thought it was torture as a kid, we're continuing the tradition in our family. Stockings, hot chocolate, and a Christmas movie after dinner!
fairy
persimmon / 1343 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Growing up, we were able to open gifts from siblings/mom on Christmas Eve after dinner (mom always gave PJs to wear that night) but stockings and santa gifts were for Christmas morning.

Luna doesn't care about gift timing yet lol so we are sticking with Christmas morning for everything for now
LuLu Mom
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Opens stockings on Christmas morning along with the presents Santa brings. We open most other gifts Christmas Eve night with family.
Mrs.KMM
grapefruit / 4355 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Stockings were always the first things opened on Christmas morning. Then we started working on presents.

We did always get to open 1 present from my mom and dad on Christmas Eve right before bedtime though.
sorrycharlie
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts

Nov 12, 2014

my husband and I always did our gifts and stockings to one another on Christmas Eve, because Christmas Day was hectic going to family.

however, Santa leaves the stockings, so we'll start doing ours Christmas morning with DDs!
NeekieRose
persimmon / 1386 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Only present we got to open Christmas Eve was pjs. Same thing every year. Stockings and our "big gift" were from Santa, so they weren't filled until Santa came overnight.
Andrea
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts

Nov 12, 2014

My parents did not do stockings.

I was just thinking about this since I'm filling the kids' stockings this year for the first time. I think we'll open them on the eve if we have time! We haven't been doing Santa yet ...
Dandelion
watermelon / 14206 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Christmas Day. Santa is too busy to make 2 trips to my house.

Plus, we do Christmas Eve and my MIL's house, and they will get plenty of gratification there to hold them over until morning.
Mrs. High Heels
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Stockings on Christmas Eve, and Presents on Christmas Day!
Mommy Finger
pomegranate / 3272 posts

Nov 12, 2014

@MamaG: Exactly!!!! Stockings are for St. Nicholas Day, which is on Dec 6th.
loveisstrange
pineapple / 12526 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Christmas morning, after the presents.
HeartAbandoned
clementine / 933 posts

Nov 12, 2014

First thing Christmas morning! Santa couldn't fill the stockings before then

We also had a family celebration with gifts on Christmas Eve, so there were plenty of presents to go around. The rule was that we had to wait until it got dark outside before we could start opening the presents, though!
mediagirl
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Christmas morning, first thing. Santa would leave our stockings outside our doors so whenever we woke up, we could go get them, empty them and then wait for the clock to hit 6:30 to go wake mom and dad and show them our goods.

Gifts after stockings.

Sibling gift the night before Christmas.
Jess1483
nectarine / 2641 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We did one gift Christmas Eve, but stockings were filled overnight. And obviously Santa's gifts weren't there to open Christmas Eve.
birdofafeather
pineapple / 12053 posts

Nov 12, 2014

we open one gift on christmas eve, stockings once everyone was up and we ate breakfast (i think we did it before breakfast when we were really little) and then gifts after that.
NCSUchick27
clementine / 995 posts

Nov 12, 2014

My family opens stockings first thing on Christmas morning then we open the rest of the presents afterwards.

DH's family opens presents on Christmas Eve and stockings on Christmas morning.
Zbug
persimmon / 1355 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We always did stockings first and then gifts on christmas morning. We now travel every christmas though, so we are going to need a new plan.
loki
pear / 1787 posts

Nov 12, 2014

we did santa sacks (massive stockings) christmas morning before all our tree presents.
buuuut my parents invented "elves" for us. mine was binky & my brother's was elmer. they visited us when we were at church christmas eve so we would always open our elf gifts before bed... they usually brought us pajamas etc. they were basically scoping out the house for santa. we were spoiled. my kids definitely won't be getting as much as we did but i do love the elf tradition because it was so unique to our family!
photojane
cantaloupe / 6164 posts

Nov 12, 2014

We did stockings first thing in the morning, then went to breakfast at Grandma's. We did all of the presents when we got home. We were always allowed to open one gift + our Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve though.
jetsa
grapefruit / 4663 posts

Nov 12, 2014

@MamaG: @MUI831: In our family, you leave your shoes out for Saint Nick.

We did/do stockings before presents on Christmas morning.
MrsKMM
apricot / 263 posts

Nov 12, 2014

Christmas day!
erinpye
pomegranate / 3706 posts

Nov 12, 2014

First thing on Christmas morning because Santa filled them!
LindsayInNY
bananas / 9229 posts

Nov 12, 2014

@MamaG: Wooo, yes!!!!

I grew up doing St. Nick too, so the morning of December 6 our stockings are filled. As a kid, there was usually an ornament, something wearable like holiday socks or jewelry and candy. DH does stockings for Christmas. Sooo I'm not quite sure how we're going to explain two stockings to LOs! We're going to have to find a way to distinguish St. Nick from Santa somehow. I do want to make it a tradition where St. Nick brings something wearable (maybe pajamas?) along with some other annual gifts.

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