Spin Off re: Does Santa Wrap

[powellrj]

Indiana
Everything was from Santa and everything was wrapped. Stocking stuffers were candy and not wrapped.

 

[MomofKatie]

Grew up in the Midwest. All presents were wrapped, except stockings. We didn't "do" Santa- I don't remember ever believing in him. Never a set number if gifts- but mom was an accountant, and kept a detailed notebook with all prices (including stockings) added up for each person. She made sure we all had the same $$ amount spent on each of us. That could mean my brother got only one expensive gift, while I got 10 inexpensive ones, as long as the totals matched.

As a mother, we do things a little differently. I have an only child, so no comparing how much each kid gets. She gets what she gets- it is always more than I intend, because I keep finding gifts all the way up to Christmas.

Santa always wrapped all of his gifts, and the paper was always different from the gifts from Mom and Dad. Stockings weren't wrapped.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Like I said in the original post, Santa left one big present (usually the most expensive) unwrapped gift under our stockings (filled with unwrapped gifts). I think that's how it was for most of my friends. So, I'm wondering what country/region/state everyone grew up in. Is Santa wrapping regional? Could you answer the questions regarding your childhood:

1. How many gifts did Santa leave?
2. Were they wrapped?
3. Where did you grow up?

One and it was rarely the most expensive gift since my mother didn't have a problem letting us know what the family's finances were even though it took a while for some of us (err me, LOL) to pick up the inference.
Whatever wrapping paper a nabe had leftover; they all swapped for Santa presents.
In the Bronx, NYC, before the post office decided that the "the" was superfluous.

 

[Poohforyou]

Everything gets wrapped in our house. Same was true growing up. Even bikes got wrapped.

Santa presents get special paper and stocking gifts are wrapped in colored/printed tissue paper.

 

[PollyannaMom]

me -
1. Santa brought lots of gifts, even if some of them were quite small or things we needed and would have gotten anyway. (He knew my mom liked the effect of a huge pile of presents under the tree!) He also got credit for the "big" gift money-wise. When you saw a tag from Mom and/or Dad, you knew to slow down and pay attention - because that was going to be a sentimental or especially important gift. He was almost ridiculously "fair" about matching the types of gifts between my brother and I.
2. He always wrapped packages, as far as I remember. I think he sometimes wrapped stocking things, which included toiletries and small fun items.
3. Western NY

DH -
1. Fewer gifts overall (but often big-ticket items). Santa brought one toy, and Mom and Dad got credit for the others, especially the biggest item.
2. Not sure about toys. Stockings were unwrapped, and mostly candy.
3. Eastern MA

So you can see how this led to compromise when Santa tried to figure out DS's traditions! He settled on splitting the glory with Mom & Dad, about 50/50. Ds could ask for three things, and Santa would throw in a few other surprises (especially if he was clued in that a family member was buying one of those big items!) He wrapped easy things and left one or two awkward items unwrapped as conveniences (and photo ops) dictated. Stocking gifts were/are not wrapped, and were/are a mix of the above types.

 

[Meriweather]

Santa brought a big gift and usually a few smaller (I am an only child) and filled the stockings.
No wrapping
CA

for my kids....again a big one. And then maybe some smaller, especially if they went with the big one
No wrapping
WA

 

[Disneylover99]

1. Santa left one big gift and filled the stocking
2. Big gift was unwrapped, stocking was not
3. Grew up in Manitoba

Reading the other thread, it seemed to me that is Canadians were saying one Santa gift and that it was unwrapped. Wonder why that is?

There was no rhyme or reason to what Santa left growing up. Sometimes it was one gift, sometimes it was several gifts. I think it just depended on my mom's mood as she signed the box. Oh, and there were never gift tags growing up. My mom just wrote right on the wrapping paper.

Gifts were always wrapped. Stockings were never wrapped. I grew up in Toronto, but my older sisters grew up in several Provinces. It was the same way for them.

 

[holden]

Santa doesn’t wrap here. He give each of our DDs the same number of gifts, often similar (both get Uggs, for example).

 

[DisneyHardin]

I grew up in central KY (and was a “kid” about 30 years ago). Santa brought all the gifts and they were wrapped including all the little trinkets in our stockings.

 

[firefly_ris]

1. Santa brought several gifts. My parents also gave a lot "from them" too. I am an only child and my parents were/Are pretty well off. I am stable but not as well off as my parents and have 3 children, each kid gets plenty and gets more than 1 gift from Santa but expensive gifts are from us. I spend equally on each child but they get different things.

2. Santa gifts were all wrapped, including inside stocking

3. Baltimore, MD, born in 1983.

 

[AustinTink]

-Santa left one big gift- unwrapped
-Stockings were the clear mesh kind filled with nuts, oranges and a piece or two of candy
- Grew up in South Texas

Santa does not wrap gifts in my house.

 

[Marchand63]

1) Santa always over bought
2) too many to wrap
3) Boston

Stockings were never wrapped but hung on the mantle over fireplace. Candy & small trinkets.

 

[Anne34]

Grew up in Wisconsin. Santa always wrapped. As were all other gifts

For my kids - everything is wrapped even the stocking stuffers. I do use different Santa paper for each kid. Still do it and they’re older now.

 

[dreamer17555]

Growing Up

1. Several. Honestly the funny thing is looking back I can't remember what was from Santa and what wasn't.
2. Yes in paper with Santa faces on it. Stocking gifts were not wrapped
3. Ohio


For My Children:

1. One gift (generally a must want item)
2. Yes unless they are too big (like a bike) or are just better set up (trains). Stocking gifts are half wrapped, half not.
3. North Carolina

 

[NHdisneylover]

My parents both grew up in Texas and I lived there as a young child.

Dh's parents grew up in Iowa and he and his sibligns in Colorado.

Both of our families had the same traditions (wrapped gifts from family under the tree, opened on Christmas Eve, unwrapped gifts set up in display from Santa and seen as soon as we walked into the room Christmas morning and unwrapped gifts from Santa in st6ockings that morning as well).

I've always been very happy that we had the same traditions becuase I love them and I am happy no compromise was needed.

 

[rndmr2]

Gifts were about 50/50 from parents and Santa
Just about everything was wrapped, unless it was a bike or dollhouse type thing. Various types of paper, my Mom would put all of each of our presents from them in a different paper for each of us (4 of us)
Stocking stuffers mostly wrapped.
Army brat but mostly based in Philadelphia growing up (my dad retired when I was in 2nd grade, my sister had graduated HS)

I don't have kids but my dad and I would usually go to my Aunt's and then my sister's on Christmas Eve to help them put things together, etc.
My Aunt didn't wrap any toys (this was for her grandkids at this point), clothes got wrapped. Many of the toys were open and put together/set up.

My sister's family, they wrapped most things unless a big thing like a bike, etc. She would usually be wrapping EVERYTHING at the last minute on Christmas Eve so she was too stressed out to figure out what paper was Santa and what was hers so she would leave some paper and tape out with the Milk and cookies and tell the kids it was "in case Santa needed to wrap something"

--This was all Philadelphia

 

[Wendy31]

My parents both grew up in Texas and I lived there as a young child.

Dh's parents grew up in Iowa and he and his sibligns in Colorado.

Both of our families had the same traditions (wrapped gifts from family under the tree, opened on Christmas Eve, unwrapped gifts set up in display from Santa and seen as soon as we walked into the room Christmas morning and unwrapped gifts from Santa in st6ockings that morning as well).

I've always been very happy that we had the same traditions becuase I love them and I am happy no compromise was needed.

That's both mine & DH's traditions as well - except they unwrapped family gifts on Christmas Eve morning, & we unwrapped family gifts on Christmas Day after we had discovered & looked at everything Santa had brought.

And, yes, it's very nice we had basically the same traditions, & there didn't need to be any kind of compromise.

GROWING UP -

1. Santa brought the "big" gift plus 1 or 2 other gifts & then additional smaller items (books, movies, fuzzy socks, etc) to round out the "display" - if there was a toy, Santa unboxed it & put it together.

2. Santa gifts & stocking items were always unwrapped, & big Santa gift was always the WOW gift - I still remember coming around the corner & seeing my Barbie Townhouse all set up! The presents under the tree were wrapped & were from my mom & dad. The more "boring" type presents (clothes, shoes) were usually from mom & dad, but there was always a special gift or two w/ some sort of sentimental value from mom & dad too.

3. My dad is from Georgia; my mom is from Alabama; & my sister & I grew up in southeast TN. DH's parents are from TN.

OUR KIDS NOW -

1. Santa brings the "big" gift plus 1 or 2 other gifts & then additional smaller items (books, movies, fuzzy socks, etc) to round out the "display" - if there is a toy, Santa unboxes it & puts it together.

2. Santa gifts & stocking items are always unwrapped - with intriguing items peaking out of the top of the stockings, & the big Santa gift is always the WOW gift. The presents under the tree are wrapped & are from DH & me. The more "boring" type presents (clothing, shoes) are usually from us, but I always have a special, sentimental gift for each child plus some sort of fun item as well (toy, game, etc.).

3. DH & I both grew up in southeast TN.

EDITED TO ADD - Growing up, my sister & I always had the same number of gifts - both from Santa & from our parents. And my mom tried very, very hard to spend as close to the same amount on both of us as well - if she didn't spend the exact same amount, the same "value" was there.

And, w/ our kids, we are now the same - the same number of gifts under the tree, in the stockings, & from Santa. And I try very hard to spend the same amount, or the same "value".

Both my mom & my MIL have the same number of gifts per grandchild now as well. And, we grown children (inlaws included) have the same number & same "value" - we receive less than the grandkids, of course!

 

[Praying Colonel]

1. How many gifts did Santa leave? No set number, but usually more than 1
2. Were they wrapped? Of course not!
3. Where did you grow up? The great Commonwealth of Kentucky

 

[design_mom]

Growing up
1. How many gifts did Santa leave? All of them.
2. Were they wrapped? Always.
3. Where did you grow up? Ohio

For my kids
1. How many gifts did Santa leave? 3 from Santa, the rest from mom/dad. That's mainly because we get together with my sister's family on Christmas morning to open gifts (they live right down the street and this way grandma/grandpa can watch all the kids open). I can certainly explain why their mom/dad got them more/less than their cousins, but this way "Santa" treats them the same. We agreed together on 3 gifts per kid from Santa. All the kids are teens now, so the jig is up... but they still get 3 gifts wrapped in Santa paper and "from Santa."
2. Were they wrapped? Always.
3. Where did you grow up? Ohio

 

[ZephyrHawk]

1. How many gifts did Santa leave? - About the same number as I got from my parents. It generally seemed as though the haul was split 50/50.
2. Were they wrapped? - Nope. Artfully arranged around the fireplace.
3. Where did you grow up? - SE Michigan.