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Christmas Eve – When Do You Open Your Presents?

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I have become obsessed with these adorable creatures. I see them everywhere on Scandinavian blogs. In my usual fashion, I had to know what they were. After googling, writing emails and visiting websites, I discovered they are Nisse or Pixies and that this particular design is from a Danish company named Maileg. Thanks to my Danish friend, Dorthe, for helping me out on this one! Until I find a way to order a larger-sized pixie, I ordered the little ornament from Garnet Hill. Half off. Much to my surprise, they overnighted the package and it arrived yesterday.

I love him.

He will be displayed year round.

Who says toys are just for kids?

Today will be filled with baking, helping Heidi out in her shop for a few hours, reading a script and wrapping Don’s presents while he is at work. Yes, he has to work tonight. He’s feeling much better, by the way.

I found a ‘new’ vintage ornament at Heidi’s yesterday.

Beautiful, isn’t it? But there’s something even more special painted on its side.

A bluebird. Such sweetness.

I have a quick question. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning? What’s your family tradition?

I’ll be back with my official Merry Christmas tomorrow morning.

Comments

  1. We’ve always opened on Christmas Eve (my grandparents were Norwegian and this is how my mom was raised)
    Wishing you a very Merry Christmas Claudia!

  2. Merry Christmas,

    while I keep my tradition from home alive, I am from Germany. Also do the reg. american one, open some on Christmas Eve, and then next day a few more.

  3. Merry Christmas Claudia. I am Scandinavian and I love the little Nisse too. You can find them on ebay sometimes, the large ones from Maileg are beautiful but depending on the size a little pricey too. They also have an adorable Christmas Nisse Pig.

    We open our presents on Christmas morning because that is when Santa has left them

    A very Merry Christmas to you and your whole family,

    hugs,
    Sue

  4. Beautiful ornament, Claudia. We have a fun little tradition. On Christmas Eve the kids get to open one present (our choice) and it is always new pjs to be worn to bed that night. Then they look so sweet and fresh for Christmas morning gift opening (after Santa has made his visit in the night) Merry Christmas~ xo Diana

  5. All my life presents were opened Christmas Eve. The tradition was that after dinner on C’mas Eve, we all piled into the car and took a ride to see all the Christmas lights. EVERY year when we returned, there were the presents under the tree. My mom explained that since our last name began with an “A”, and Santa delivered presents alphabetically, we were near the top of the list, so he arrived early. EVERY year my mom was the last to get to the car, always forgetting something in the house; we never suspected a thing! Please let us know the results of the poll tomorrow; I’ betting most people are C’mas Eve openers! Merry, merry, merry Christmas!

  6. Claudia,
    I love your pixie! I have been hooked on Scandinavian design since I discovered Tilda several years ago. In fact I made angel wings from her Christmas book this year.
    I wish you & your family a very safe & happy holiday. Thanks for another year of friendship & inspiration!

  7. LOVE YOUR LITTLE PIXIE DOLL…..I WOULD KEEP HIM OUT ALL YEAR TOO…..
    WE OPEN OUR GIFTS CHRISTMAS MORNING..
    I LOVE CHRISTMAS MORNING….SO MUCH EXCITEMENT……RIZZI

  10. The pixie is a cutie, I can see why you want him. Also, love the ornament… the blue bird is so perfect, especially for you.

    As for opening presents, for everyone by the hubby and me, it’s Christmas Day when the kids and grandkids gather. But lately, hubby and I have been ordering our gifts early (no surpises) and there doesn’t like there’s much reason to wrap them. Besides, I wanted to start playing with my new camera right away!!

  11. Hi Claudia,
    It all depends on how tired we are.
    Sometimes we open them on Christmas eve and other times Christmas morning.

    When our son was little we would let him open one present on Christmas eve and then Santa came in the morning.

    hugs
    Sissie

  12. We open one on Christmas Eve after my daughter, who is an adult now but traditions linger on, but after she finds the pickle she gets one of my choosing. Then the others are opened Christmas morning with coffee! One year we opened all our gifts on Christmas Eve when I was little, and it was disappointing to wake up Christmas morning and have no gifts to open. Merry Christmas to you and Don.

  14. Love your pixie! I never saw an ornament like that that was painted on the side. Cool!
    My hubby and I don’t exchange gifts. We buy as we need. Of course that is when we can afford to. lol. Little harder right now as Jeff just had his knee scoped and we have to wait for his disability to kick in. But no worries. We have gone through this before. But life is good.
    We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy new year.

  15. As a child we always opened packages on Christmas Eve , and then we woke up early Christmas morning to see what Santa brought . After we were to big for Santa we still opened on Christmas Eve . We had our big meal that night too . Christmas day was kind of a let down then . So now we have a big meal Christmas eve , open gifts on Christmas morning , have a big breakfast and have another big meal that afternoon. So as you can see it is all about the food ! LOL

  16. Love that little elf! We open our gifts on Christmas morning, because Santa comes late on Christmas Eve. Santa Paws comes on Dec. 24, however, so the dogs just opened their gifts this morning. I have recently found your blog, and so enjoy it! Merry Christmas from California.

  17. Sweet little guy and beautiful ornament! Nothing like finding things that just make you smile!

    We open gifts in the morning…nice and early – but after having our first cup of coffee. Baked bread, cheese and bacon pie accompany the morning and then we settle in to relax until back up to make dinner.

    Merry Christmas, Don and Claudia!

    xxoo
    Becky

  18. A gorgeous bluebird and a cute elf, love em!
    Present opening is Christmas morning.

    I’ve been catching up on your past posts … if we’re talking 1-10 on how much effort Christmas is I’d say mine’s a 7. And this year it’s been too much. Our first family Christmas together I was 21 and pregnant. 30 years on I think I deserve a break so I’ve just decided that next Christmas the kids can fend for themselves and we’re shutting up shop. A first Christmas for just the two of us. wish me luck achieving that 1 !

    A very, very Merry Christmas to you and yours Claudia x

  19. …how funny….we left a comment at the same time! right after i left yours i saw you had been to my blog. funny how that works! AND i think of you every single time i watch the big bang show and see jim…he is hilarious!

  20. Hi Claudia, your ornaments are adorable! We are opening a few gifts christmas eve this year because this is the day we will all be together! Thanks for stopping by sweet friend, wishing you and your loved ones the very best Christmas and New Year!!! XO Christie

  21. They are beautiful ornaments. I love the vintage ones the most. We open one gift tonight along with a meal of meat pie and all the trimmings. Then tomorrow morning everyone gathers at our home and will open all the gifts. We have all our immediate family here for the big dinner. It’s all about the food now. Yum! Yum!
    Have a beautiful Christmas, Claudia. Hugs, Deb=^..^=x4

  22. Claudia, I like your santa. It’s special coming from your mom. I just read yesterday’s post…I teared up thinking of your parents not being together first thing Christmas morning. I hope they get to enjoy their time together . Merry Christmas to you and Don. Susie

  23. Merry Christmas, Claudia and Don!

    Your pixie is adorable. I’ve been seeing those everywhere too, and I love them. Toys are for everyone, in my opinion. Just look in my playroom (studio), and you’ll know.

    I think I gasped outloud when I saw the bluebird on the side of that beautiful vintage ornament! Sweet! Sweet! Sweet!

    Hugs,
    Jill

  24. We have always opened ours on Christmas Day. When the boys were little they always got new pjs that they opened on Christmas Eve – they aren’t big on having matching pjs these days though. :)
    Merry Christmas!

  25. For the first many years of our marriage, we opened gifts at my grandmother’s house with all the aunts, uncles and cousins, then we traveled to my husband’s grandmothers to open with her, then to his Mom & Dad’s on Christmas Eve. Sometimes it would be midnight or later when we got back home. We always opened our gifts on Christmas morning, and went to my parent’s house on Christmas afternoon.
    This year, we had Christmas with my mom-in-law on Friday night at the assisted living facility where she lives, we had Christmas with my parents and our children today at lunch, and will have our family Christmas with our children and 2 1/2 year old granddaughter after church and a big lunch tomorrow. My parents plan to come too. We’ve had Christmas all weekend at our house!

  26. Love your little fella…. never too old for toys. I actually have a white, floppy bear on the desk where I blog. It’s name? Divorce Bear. I got him many years ago during a sad time…. He’s much happier now. :-) I’d have toys all over if I could….. but where? Things are very small, here at the cottage……need.to.edit.

    Wishing you and Don a magnificent Christmas…..

    Oh, our tradition? Christmas night…. :-) It’s all that was left after all the others picked their time…. so we went with it many years ago and it stuck.

    Huggies!

    Spencer

  27. I love the little pixie. Adorable.
    I’m 57 and I still love little whimsical things. I found little bird ornaments this year wearing little hats and mufflers. I arrange and rearrange them in little vignettes in my kitchen garden window. As a child, we opened gifts Christmas morning and I continued that with my daughter. Now I live alone and will go to my daughters’ house to watch my little grandaughter open her gifts on Christmas morning. So much fun.
    Your blog is my favorite. I enjoy it very much. Merry Christmas.
    Love, Jude~~~~~~>:<

  29. Definitely Christmas morning…after Santa has left presents for us. I still BELIEVE in Santa and always will.
    Joyous celebrations to you and yours. Holiday Hugs,

  31. Your little pixie is adorable! I’m with you….if something delights you why not keep it out all year no matter what the season! We celebrate Christmas eve with my husbands side of the family. So…we open gifts on Christmas eve. Typically, Christmas day we would have my family visit our home. We would cook a big dinner, have everyone over and exchange gifts. This will be the first year that my husband and I will not cook a big meal, we won’t have family over and we are not exchanging gifts. We are spending a quiet morning togehter (we both got the things we wanted this year) and then later in the day we may visit family or friends or maybe go to the show. It will be a go with the flow kind of day.

    Kim, from Bluebirds and Butterflies will love your vintage ornament with the bluebird painted on the side! I love it too!

    Wishing you and your husband a Merry Christmas and a year filled with blessings and joy.

    Sandy

  32. Merry Christmas Claudia

    We open our gifts on Christmas Eve one after another. There is alway a little introduction to the gift why it is chosen. It’s fun and kind of a competition who gives the most special, funny what ever gift. This year I was second best: I found a knitted christmas tree with little red buttons as baubles for my father because when we were kids he was always teasing us (or was it a threat) that we would have an artificial chistmas tree next year. I has never happend. :-)

  35. We don’t open gifts as we don’t give gifts around Christmas ;)
    In Holland gifts are brought by St.Nicholas on St.Nicholas eve, December 5th. These days more and more people start putting their gifts under the tree and open them Christmas day. But I think 99% of families with small children give gifts at St. Nicholas.

    Have a wonderful day Claudia!

  37. Hi Claudia,
    I have really enjoyed your postings this year! I love your blog because it is real and honest….a true glimpse into your life with Don and the dogs. Your blog entries are like letters written to me from an old friend. I love that about your blog. Thank you for your friendship over the past year. I wish you and Don a very Happy New Year! Of course, I LOVE that vintage ornament with the bluebird on it! Mark and I were just talking last night at dinner that we need to organize our closets and purge. We also have a storage rental unit that we need to clean out. That will probably have to wait until spring. I can relate to your posting on organizing. It is on my list of “things to do” over the next year. We downsized from a larger home so have been holding on to a few things that I will probably have to let go of. Letting go can sometimes be freeing…at least, that is what I am telling myself! Ha! Happy New Year! Love ya, Kim

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