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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,017
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

The stocking discussion made me remember coming into the living room on Christmas morning to find our stockings and our gifts from Santa that were placed unwrapped under the tree. We were allowed to play with anything unwrapped until my parents arose to join us to unwrap other presents.

So, the question is...were gifts from Santa unwrapped or wrapped when you were a child and did you carry on the tradition from your childhood with your own family or change it up?

Contributor
Posts: 23
Registered: ‎03-17-2010

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

When I grew up the gifts from my parents were opened Christmas Eve and then everything else on Christmas morning was from Santa.

My kids grew up with three gifts from Santa. They were wrapped in Santa paper and I always had a friend write their name tags. The rest of the gifts were from us. These were all opened Christmas morning.

On Christmas Eve my kids would give their gifts to each other. This way they could appreciate the gifts from their siblings. When we did it Christmas morning I felt it got lost in all the other gifts.

Contributor
Posts: 70
Registered: ‎05-24-2010

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

When I was a child all of our presents from Santa were unwrapped. I carried on this tradition with my own children. The presents hubby received as a child from Santa were all wrapped. We had a good laugh one year when we were discussing this subject. He said that one Christmas he realized that all the gifts from Santa and all the others were all wrapped in the same Christmas paper. That was funny!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,126
Registered: ‎06-20-2010

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

Some of our Santa gifts were wrapped and others weren't. I remember getting bicycles that were unwrapped and a large doll house.

I always wrap Santa gifts. One year I didn't, and I felt it was too overwhelming for them. When they're wrapped, they can open one at a time and enjoy the process.

Super Contributor
Posts: 1,342
Registered: ‎10-13-2011

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

Santa wrapped all our gifts in Santa paper, so we carried on the tradition for our children. Unwrapping gifts and the anticipation is part of the excitement for children.

We had our children open their gifts from each other, (and one from Rudolph) on Christmas night after all the other excitement was over. We also kept back one Christmas gift from ourselves that we would spring on the kids Christmas night. This took place after supper on Christmas night. That way they still had something to look forward to after all the other gifts were opened, all the company was gone, and they had put their pajamas on. After the final gift opening, we all sat down to watch a Christmas movie. The children got to take turns picking out the movie.

Some people do drugs. I do shoes....Celine Dion
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,966
Registered: ‎05-13-2012

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

Wrapped!!! I never heard of unwrapped gifts under the tree until we had friends in SC that did that.

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 96
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

I guess it's because I enjoy anticipation that I love to have all the gifts wrapped. I always bought special paper not like anything else under the tree because Santa had different stuff at the North Pole! It seems that when the kids see everything at once, they don't really notice all the individual gifts--of course this comes from someone who always bought too many gifts!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,126
Registered: ‎06-20-2010

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

I always used different ""Santa"" paper. I printed off gift stickers so they couldn't tell that it was my writing. They always got a gift from Mrs. Claus and Rudolph too. Mrs. Claus always gave the gift of beauty - LOL

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,017
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

We changed up our childhood tradition, too, and wrapped the childrens' gifts from Santa, but always in special paper not used for any other gifts. We used to keep them hidden in the car trunk until Christmas Eve when they would be placed under the tree once the children were sleeping.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 7,869
Registered: ‎12-17-2012

Re: Gifts from Santa -- Wrapped or Unwrapped?

In childhood, all of the Christmas gifts were wrapped (Santa's and parents) When I had children, I wrapped all the gifts as well. If they ever questioned having the same wrap, I told them that Santa must have run out and needed to use ours! Smiley Wink