Should Christmas Gifts be Opened Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?

While many Christmas traditions are essentially the same, at least in the United States, every family seems to have their own rituals or traditions about when to open their gifts. For some it may be Christmas morning, perhaps for others it is Christmas Eve, but which one is the correct time to celebrate Christmas?

Some people wait until Christmas Day to distribute and open presents, while others are used to opening their gifts on Christmas Eve, this is a common tradition that is celebrated in the majority of South America. Specifically, it is a tradition that people from Chile celebrate. There is a lot of dancing, eating and parties, while the children eagerly wait for midnight so that Santa arrives and they can open their gifts. This is done usually by singing by a window a special song that brings Santa to their home.

“Viejito Pascuero acuerdate de mi,
Me porto bien en casa,
También en el Jardín.”

The song translates to “Old Saint Nick don’t forget me, I am good at home, and also in the garden.” It’s a song that most kids sing to make Santa appear and drop off the presents.

Although this is a tradition in one country compared to the many others, there are traditions where it is normal to pick a few presents to open Christmas eve and the rest on Christmas Day, or even New Year’s Eve. Or some people exchange gifts on a separate day entirely.

There are way more people who open gifts in the morning but is that really the best way? I feel that The best way to do Christmas is if you open all the gifts that are not from Santa on Christmas Eve. Leaving the Stockings, as well as Santa’s gifts, to be opened in the morning.

I strongly believe that this tradition is better because Christmas Eve is when your family is together having a good time and eating so why not just top off the night with opening heartwarming gifts and leaving the presents from Santa to be opened the following morning.

For every kid it is the anticipation that drives them out of bed in the morning, it’s the not knowing at what time Santa passed by and the setting up traps to sneak a peek, however, as time goes by and those children then become young adults, the truth is known and that little bit of magic and innocence is lost. It is at that moment, during each individual’s transition to adulthood, that the gifts become less anticipated and the memories and heartfelt moments are what counts the most.