Fun thread.
Growing up, we opened gifts before breakfast on Christmas morning, and never the night prior. I was always jealous of those who could.
We had a fireplace, so stockings were hung there and those were opened first. Then gifts from under the tree, then a family dinner at grandparents or hosted at home.
We have no fireplace now, so stockings are placed outside the kids bedroom doors. They're allowed to open those in the morning, but cant go downstairs until we're awake. Mostly because seeing their faces when they first see the presents under the tree is so magical to me.
I've never once had a fake tree. Refuse to do so. A real one, to me, is a huge part of Christmas. I even told my wife prior to marrying her that I'd never own a fake tree. It was a marriage prerequisite. Growing up, it was a mix of my Dad cutting down our own or getting one from a lot. Now, we usually get a permit and cut our own but this year has been busier than most, and it was way too cold to drag the kids out in the bush, so we went to the Loblaws City Market in Sage Hill and bought a Grand Fir. After a few years of Charlie Brown, see-through trees, it's nice to have a fuller looking one. We have 12.5 ceilings in the living room, so this years tree is shorter than the ones we cut on our own, but it still does the trick and the smell is what's most important to me anyway.
Our kids open one present every Christmas Eve. They're old enough now (7 & 5) to know it's the same thing every year (xmas jammies to wear that night). Then, we go 7/11 for Slurpees and then for a drive in the neighborhood next door to check out the lights. It was more fun when the PM lived there so we could drive down his street and play the "Let's see is we can get CSIS to follow us" game.
Christmas moring...Wife gets her coffee and the kids have breakfast. I do neither. Then the presents are opened. We usually attempt to video chat with family out East, but it's too chaotic and never lasts long.
Last year was my first without my father. I left the family after we opened gifts and took a solo drive to Banff to spread some ashes near Bow Falls. Visiting there on Christmas Day will be an ongoing tradition for me. The kids are too young to comprehend the meaning or importance to me, so I'll let them stay home with their new toys until they want to come. I secretly enjoy the alone time anyway to talk to my Dad after the hectic morning.
We have no family in Calgary so what I do miss most of all is having family over, or joining family for a big dinner during that time.
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