The debate returns every year on the appropriate time to give Christmas gifts, particularly to children. A specialist believes that there is indeed a preferred date.
At Christmas, children impatiently wait for gifts. For distribution, there are two teams, those who offer on the evening of December 24 and those who exchange them on the morning of December 25. There are no fixed rules, each family does as they wish. According to a survey Yougov for the Huffpost of 2017, the French are very divided on the issue. 48% prefer to unpack their packages on the evening of the 24th compared to 34% for the morning of the 25th. 7% want gifts before New Year’s Eve and 2% after December 25.
Traditionally, children are supposed to sleep in after Christmas Eve, allowing Santa to drop off presents at midnight. They then open them when they wake up the next morning. The age of the children and their belief in Santa Claus can therefore play a big role in the decision. That being said, giving gifts on the evening of December 24 is very common.
This choice allows the children to be occupied with their new toys: family meals are often very long for them. In addition, it is always possible to make people believe that Santa Claus came earlier than expected. It is also a way to sleep more on the morning of the 25th, avoiding unexpected awakenings by impatient children.
However, according to child psychiatrist Stéphane Clerget, as reported TF1 Infothis choice has disadvantages, particularly on children’s sleep. “For the youngest who open gifts on the 24th, they will have difficulty sleeping. They will want to play. We must accept the idea that they will go to bed late,” explained the specialist.
So, he advises instead to opt for unpacking on the morning of the 25th, pushing the children to go to bed later on the 24th in anticipation of the next day. This option also remains simpler with young children who still believe in Santa Claus. The child psychiatrist also defends this date to exercise children’s patience and let them dream of their gifts.
“The idea of waiting at night is something complicated, but it can develop daydreaming. It’s important. Children no longer dream enough because of screens and video games which bring imagination within reach and block the development of the imagination”, explains the specialist. Making presents in the morning also offers the little pleasure of sharing a breakfast with the family, with the children marveling under the tree.