[Buff]

Growing up we would exchange presents on Christmas Eve, and then on Christmas Day I would open presents from Santa until I figured out what was up, which was when I was 6 and that stopped. I am an only child so my parents didn't have to wait for other kids to know what was up.

My wife's family would do all presents on Christmas eve.

Now, we take the kids to my parents on Christmas eve and exchange presents with my parents. Then we figure out which day my sister-in-law gets her daughter and we meet on that day (usually Christmas day or boxing day) and we exchange presents. For that we draw names. Also on that day we have a big huge Christmas dinner. 7 adults and 9 kids. One of my wife's sisters (and her family) stay with us that night... sometimes two.

Then just with my wife and kids we figure out which day works to do our own immediate family present exchange.

What we used to do was do the gift opening either on Christmas day or on a day that my sister-in-law got her daughter, but then we would go to my wife's aunt's house for a huge family Christmas dinner on Christmas day with my wife's entire family (aunts, uncles and cousins). There would be anywhere from 30-50 people. Now my wife's aunt is too old and the event it too stressful for her to host so we don't get to do that anymore, but it was awesome.

Then on New Years Day my parents have their huge feast and my grandpa and a couple of aunts (not actual aunts but close enough).

One time we had a New Years Eve party, mostly so friends of ours who had just moved here from Germany had something to do on New Year's Eve. It was such a hit that my wife's sisters assumed it was happening every year from that point on and planned it for us. We ended that after a couple of years because my brother-in-law thinks that we all need to get stupid drunk like we're 18, but then he wakes up the entire house at 7:00am because he can't sleep and nobody should be sleeping if he isn't.

Edit to add: We do a fake tree. I got tired of buying a 7' tree and making it 2.5' after I was finished getting it cut and level.


We're busy over the Christmas season.