Santa protocol

Growing up I always found the biggest gift was from the parents. Santa, now he was there to fill the stocking and toss a few toys under the tree. Think how overloaded the sleigh would be if Santa had to throw a train set, or big red wagon or some other large item into that space...and besides how would he get those bicycles down the chimney? ...guess it may vary from one house to another though.

We always gave the big gifts in Santa's name.

I grew up in a Sturgisesque house.

We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve morning and maybe my parents did it this way so that we would be occupied and out of their hair.

Mr. B grew up as a blythe. He believes the big gift always comes from Santa.

This is the first year it has ever come up in our household and we are both a bit puzzled at the others ideas!

I carried on my parent's tradition that all parental gifts came from Santa.

I was shocked to find that the First Mr. Noddy's tradition was that all gifts...parents, aunts, uncles, etc., came from Santa.

I don't see how that could work, noddy.

Edgar--

I did some investigating and found that one of the First Mr. Noddy's aunts was very well off and gave wonderful presents. My First Mother-in-Law didn't want to be upstaged.

Eventually the First Mr. Noddy was told that "Aunt S____ "talked" to Santa about whatever the present was.

__________________

Another matter of great importance: Are gifts from Santa wrapped or unwrapped?

I'm of the wrapped school, myself, but Christmas is a highly individual occasion.

Hm, I was raised that all gifts came from "Santa" (actually we have Christ child) and presents from the grandparents, relatives and so on, were given to them by "Santa" for me.

I have the same tradition with my child.

When the kids were Mo's age, we would take them to see Santa at Mr B's work. Santa happened to own the company and would make a point of asking Mr B what special gift K and M were looking for that particular year. When Santa arrived at the workplace, dressed up in full costume, he'd stroll around the company handing out the company gift to the staff and speak to each child who had come to see him (including his own, hehe). When he came up to the girls he might say, "Hello K, I bet you're looking for a doll stroller this year,. Hello M, I think you want some new play cookware." The girls were THRILLED that Santa knew what they wanted. It was a *miracle* because they hadn't even sent him a letter, or anything!!!

Well, of course, the special gift that Santa proclaimed was from Santa - wrapped in unique paper that only Santa gifts were wrapped in. The tradition of the special gift, wrapped in unique Santa paper (which remained hidden in the back of my closet ) was continued until very recently. The gift card was written in my sloppy right hand (I'm left-handed), in a different colored ink than the rest of the gift cards. Overboard? yup, but it was fun

From my upbringing, Santa filled our stockings with candy, a small game or puzzle, and fruit and nuts. The gifts came from those who gave them.

Wow!

This is all over the map.

I was thinking that with the first Mr. Noddy's deal you at least saved the problem of thank you cards. What an odd tradition.

CJane's plays on that a bit.

CJane - the presents came from Jesus? Is that a German tradition or a family thing?

That is pretty dang cool, J_B. What a great boss. I don't think your playing up on it was overboard at all.

I can't believe I've never considered this stuff in this light before.

Or considered how to make a tradition.

And NOW I have to not only figure out what, when but wrapped or not!

We don't go crazy buying for Christmas. We get one special thing for Mo and then some goofy stuff. He gets stuff from both my family, Mr. B's family and his bio-family so if we over did it it would be very overdone.

His birthday is less than a month after Christmas.

He will still play with the sticks and rocks before any other toy.

But I still want to figure out this tradition dealy.

Yes boomer, it is a German tradition that christ child in form
of an angel comes down and brings the presents on the eve of the 24th. We also decorate the tree on the 24th, and children
mostly don't see the tree until it's time for the presents.

It always was a special moment when we got to see the
lit up tree with all the presents underneath, but before we
could open the gifts, my mother made us sing Christmas
songs, and it was pure torture.

Ironically, today, these are my fondest memories of Christmas at home.

My parents put out one big unwrapped present for each kid from Santa. Bikes, sleds, a dollhouse, etc. Sometimes Santa also left smaller unwrapped gifts for us, especially when he had brought a share present, like the air hockey table. Since he was magic, we gave no thought as to how he got all that on the sleigh!

Everything was from Santa when I was growing up: stocking stuffers (one year we got smart and left out panty hose), all the presents, and a note from Santa.
Aunts, uncles, cousins, Gramps etc. all did their own thing. My Gramps always signed presents as Santa but some others put their own names.

My parents really went nuts at X-mas. I have good memories. Christmas Eve was for drinking hot chocolate, playing outside as a family, listening to music, and enjoying our tree. My brother and I would listen to the radio hoping to hear about where Santa was flying in the world (I don't know if they still have that?).

I have friends with different traditons, and some with no traditions growing up. For me, X-mas = Feeling loved. It's family, food, and magic. Any tradition that makes someone happy is good to me.

Our plan was for us to give the big present and Santa to do the fillers. Then Yaya smoked us by asking Santa for a dollhouse.

So this year, Santa will bring a big gift and do the stockings.



One thing T and I have discussed is how Yaya will react when she finds out that Santa is actually us. We don't want her worrying about losing presents, so we plan on Santa not being the primary source of gifts.



And what is up with Santa, anyway? It's a secret/myth/hoax perpetrated by the entire culture.

Boomer--

You're making the traditions that Mo will tell his kids.

As long as the theme is love, you won't go wrong.

Enjoy.

For us its always been a mix. Clothes were always from the parents. The rest of the presents were divided between the parents and santa. Until we got older our presents were always opened Christmas morning. When we got to be in our mid-late teens then we could open one on x-mas eve.
My little guy is going to make out like a bandit this year. Christmas will come for him twice. once on the 25th and once when I get home on leave. Santa will be giving him a variety of things. so will mommy and daddy.
The little stinker already found one of his presents. It was going to be a santa present but my wife is telling him that we were given it to hold by santa, and if he's bold santa will take it back.
Ya gotta love the neat x-mas threats.

awwww, I hope you'll be with your family soon ralpheb,
and I am sure, for your wife and the little guy there would
be no better present than having you join them for
christmas.

The big stuff comes from Santa, and are opened Christmas morning. The family and friends things are opened on Christmas eve.

As soon as we were independent readers we were each allowed to open one book on Christmas Eve to read in bed. I practically had to sign a pledge in my heart's blood that I wouldn't plead, "Let me read just one more chapter."

In our home, my mom gave alot of gifts, and gifts that came from other people were labled as such.

Santa's gift was usually (looking back on it now) , what mom didnt want me to think she could or would afford.
Santa one year gave me alittle black and white TV that I wanted.
Mom always told me she could not afford such things because of bills..