One big pile, biggest stuff further in. Santa fills stockings (hanging on mantle), and some unwrapped toys--though we do have a Santa bag with dds name on it, which provides an extra 30 seconds of delay on knowing what Santa brought. Our family room where tree and presents are is visible from the upstairs hallway.

Presents under the tree are wrapped in a variety of papers since we receive gifts from out of town relatives and wrap based on what paper is left on various rolls.

My family of origin always opened wrapped presents on Christmas eve and then had only unwrapped Santa presents and stockings on Christmas morning (probably so we'd get out the door to church in a timely manner).

What about you Op?
We read a bible story, open up stockings and then gifts. I coordinate my gift wrapping with my tree colors. Gifts are placed under the tree in a way to look pretty. I have a few trees. Gifts for the immediate family are under the main tree. DH digs under that tree on Christmas. Other family members gifts are under another tree and will be bagged up to be handed out at a Christmas party later in the week.

Anonymous wrote:For people with traditions (esp.less than usual) were these traditions in your family growing up or expedience as parents.

Such as : One big Santa Gift
Filled stockings at foot of bed
No wrapped santa gifts (on TV santa wraps all gifts except for maybe dolly in stocking)
?

Yes fool

For people with traditions (esp.less than usual) were these traditions in your family growing up or expedience as parents.

Such as : One big Santa Gift
Filled stockings at foot of bed
No wrapped santa gifts (on TV santa wraps all gifts except for maybe dolly in stocking)
?

Our traditions are definitely ones that have been handed down . . . stockings on the mantle, filled on Christmas Eve, and gifts from Santa are unwrapped and handed out one by one. I actually thank my parents every Christmas for the tradition of leaving Santa's gifts unwrapped!

Stockings are left by the fireplace. Each kid gets a few wrapped gifts under the tree, the rest are left by Santa in big bags and gifts are handed out individually by his elf (my DH) after other presents are unwrapped.

I just want to say that I was Dec 2025 years old before I understood that a lump of coal in your stocking didn't mean that you were a bad child.

It meant that you were a poor child and that lump of coal could possibly heat your family that day and that was the gift they could give you that year. A lump of coal they had collected for you that they could burn on Christmas day and make everyone warm.

Stockings not at foot of bed. No bed posts or footboard, lol
Stockings on hangers in living room.

For people with traditions (esp.less than usual) were these traditions in your family growing up or expedience as parents.

Such as : One big Santa Gift
Filled stockings at foot of bed
No wrapped santa gifts (on TV santa wraps all gifts except for maybe dolly in stocking)
?

The thing I liked the best about previous Christmas mornings with a larger family presence was that Grandma always took the time to look at gift tags like "TO JOE FROM MARY" and printed them out in large font to tape to the same packages.

Then the youngest kids in the family of preschool age etc. were given the task of being "elves" and learning to read the family names and delivering the presents. They didn't always do it in order and we were always rooting for the kids who were trying so hard to parse out words like Anthony, Nicholas, Belinda etc.

Sometimes they would just abandon packages and go on to another one and Sebastian would get all his gifts last.

That was fun.

When I was growing up, the gifts from my parents and brother were put haphazardly under the tree as they were wrapped. Gifts from Santa were always unwrapped.

I wanted to do the same thing, but my DH insisted we wait until Christmas Eve, after the kids had gone to bed, to put out all the gifts. So that's what we've done for 25 years. When the kids were little, gifts from Santa were wrapped in the same wrapping paper and it always depicted a Santa Claus. We put the gifts out haphazardly. Each kid takes a side of the tree and passes out the gifts from their side of the tree. Our stockings hang on the mantle all season and are filled on Christmas Eve and stay on the mantle.

Everything under the tree placed in a way that makes it look nice from a distance (so, a mix of colors/sizes/shapes, tallest in the back, etc.). Tree presents are all to/from people, like each other and out of state relatives and even wrapped presents for people we will see later in the season are stored there until needed.

Santa presents are in the stocking, obviously sorted by person, mostly unwrapped and if not all wrapped with the same paper (unlike any tree paper). The sticking usually end up on the floor in front of the fireplace.

Youngest (walking) kid present is the "Christmas Elf" and brings everyone their presents, and we open them in rounds. So everyone opens 1, we all admire and appreciate and thank, another handout occurs, everyone opens another, etc.

Anonymous wrote:One pile of gifts. When kids were little different wrapping paper for gift from Santa (he only brought one per kid) now that Santa isn’t a thing anymore no need for different paper but still mark “the gift” as being from Santa even though the kids are in high school and college. Having said this, we’ve never had huge piles of gifts just a few for each kid and stockings.

We still use special Santa paper for the one Santa gift. Santa is prone to silver glittery / sparkly paper. Kids are teens.

Santa only brings one gift at our house. It is the best gift.

Stockings and other gifts pile up throughout through out Dec which helps anticipation build. Just one big pile. Xmas morning we take turns picking one and opening it.

I try to spread out the wrapping paper so everyone has a nice mix of paper.

Tree is empty when we go to bed (decorated but no gifts) and we haul them out in trashbags and arrange haphazardly. There's no leisurely wrapping and placing for me. I wrap when I have a few minutes alone with the bedroom door closed.

One pile of gifts. When kids were little different wrapping paper for gift from Santa (he only brought one per kid) now that Santa isn’t a thing anymore no need for different paper but still mark “the gift” as being from Santa even though the kids are in high school and college. Having said this, we’ve never had huge piles of gifts just a few for each kid and stockings.