Christmas 2019: Why do some people open their presents on Christmas Eve?
CHRISTMAS is only a few hours away and for many, the part they most look forward to is giving presents to their nearest and dearest. But why do some people open their presents on Christmas Eve?
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Christmas Eve is a day with all of its own traditions and for many is just as important as Christmas Day. These might include attending a Midnight Mass, singing Christmas carols or eating a specific food. In some cases, people choose to wrap, give and open all or some of their presents on Christmas Eve.
Why do some people open their presents on Christmas Eve?
Some parents will be familiar with the tactic of allowing an excited child the chance to open up a single present on the day before Christmas.
This can be to give them a taste of what’s to come or to simply appease hyped-up little ones.
Some people open one present on Christmas Eve, and that for many means a new set of pyjamas.
For some families, this has become somewhat of a tradition with cute and kitsch patterns appearing on bright seasonal colours on their nightwear.
This means when they wake on Christmas Day, they feel immediately festive in their Christmas PJs, ready to open presents.
For others, they open one present on Christmas Eve, as a taster for the next day.
This could be in the shape of a Christmas Eve box, small toys for children, sweets, and pyjamas.
A common tradition for some countries sees people open all their presents on Christmas Eve after attending mass.
In some parts of Europe, the presents are brought by a traditional childlike figure known as the Christkind or Christ Child, as opposed to a Father Christmas or Santa Claus-type character.
Countries which mostly open presents on Christmas Eve are:
Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, The Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Quebec, Romania, Uruguay, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic.
This is also the practice among the British Royal Family since it was introduced by Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family still follow this tradition today.
The royal family follows a tradition with German roots, so on Christmas Eve at teatime, everyone opens their presents.
In Germany, children will traditionally open presents right at nightfall when their parents signal them to come into their Christmas tree room using bells.
So Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have to wait one less day to see if Santa got them everything on their list.