Christmas Eve Gift!!
Ha! I got you first! You owe me a gift!
And for those that are lost, I’ll explain!
The goal of this game is to be the first to yell “Christmas Eve Gift” to the other person. Then, the person that lost and didn’t yell out “Christmas Eve Gift” owes the person that did yell it a gift. And who doesn’t want an extra gift?!?
Technically, you probably don’t have to yell. I’m sure a normal speaking voice would be fine. In our family, we are so obsessed with winning the game that we tend to yell.
Growing up, our Christmas Eve always started well before the sun came up with mom coming in the room and yelling “Christmas Eve gift!!” and then running out before we could respond. (Which, bonus points).
As we moved out, the phone would ring at about 6 am.
Now this is tricky – you have to time it just right and you have to get that phone up to your mouth super fast because the caller has the advantage here! They can hear when you pick up the phone and they can start yelling as you are bringing the phone up to your mouth. And, at 6 am, I’m really not at my best – I tend to answer “Hello, crap, Christmas Eve Gift” and at that point the caller has usually won the game!
Wait, I’m not done.
If it was dad that called you at 6 am, you aren’t done!
During the drive over to their house, I keep repeating “Christmas Eve Gift, Christmas Eve Gift” and then I walk in the door and get distracted and mom jumps out of the dark bathroom yelling “Christmas Eve Gift!!!”
And that is why my Christmas gifts are always in a bag and never carried in by hand!
This gets repeated over and over until you and every other person you encounter has gone through this!
And some years, you get to be the one making the 6 am phone call!
Not all of your relatives will appreciate this gesture of good will.
Just a heads up there!
This year our family hit a new low record.
6:15 am Dad sent out a group text.
Which I promptly ignored.
Cause there was no way he could prove I had seen it or read it. (And this is the exact reason why I don’t have a “read receipt” on my text messages!)
Then my sister got in the action – but added Mr. T and her Twins to the group!
By now, it’s an hour later and so I figure it’s safe to respond!
And the best part?
We don’t actually get each other gifts.
Winning the competition is the only gift we need!
I’ve never actually met anyone outside of our family that plays this game, so you’ll have to let me know if your family plays this game – but in the meantime…
Christmas Eve Gift!
Did That Just Happen Blog 
Ha, I wrote you 4 years ago about this, I pasted it so you don’t have to scroll. But things have not changed. I do wonder where it came from, I have researched it a little, but to tell the truth, by mid week it has become a non issue again until next year. My son still lives in Australia and I in Jamaica; I got his this year, he just forgot. My roots come from southeast NM where my grandparents homesteaded while it was still Indian Territory, I doubt the Native Americans had such a tradition, ha, but who knows. And my grandparents came from Texas. Yes, there is no grand prize, just the bragging rights as someone said. But before I pass on, I am 77, I would like to know the real origin of Christmas Eve Gift. Love and blessings to all. Steve.
Steve
Well, my Son got me yesterday, because he lives in Australia and I live in Jamaica. We do have a “rules” issue too, ha. I grew up with the Christmas Eve Gift thing my whole life: in person, waking someone up by yelling it, by phone, by text, and now by email, Instagram, or any other social media you can think of. Just a few of us in the family still do it, but it is fun and the fun part, is we know absolutely nothing about what you get if you win or what you give up if you lose. Ha. It is just the spirit of the game to beat each other every Christmas Eve. And, not many people even know about it nowadays. But next year, I got my boy. It is 4PM on the 22nd, that his Christmas Eve begins. I will get him next year. Bless and Merry Christmas.
Reply
December 24, 2018 at 6:53 am
My aunt and cousin do this and started including me a few years ago (I’m 50 so have been at a loss). Apparently my grandma always said it and maybe just my parents didn’t play 🤷♀️, both have passed so I can’t ask them. This year my aunt and cousin sent me memes with Christmas Eve Gift on them and I thought…”this is really a thing “😆.
My family also plays this game. We have played this game my entire life and when I was little, my mom would get me every morning when she woke me up. Now, my family takes the game to the extreme. My whole family is very competitive so we all stay up until 12 to get each other on Christmas Eve. One year, one of my siblings got stuck in the trundle underneath her bed to get someone. Last year, I accidentally locked myself out of my room to get someone and I ended up having to saw a hole in my door just to open the door. I had to sleep on our living room couch on Christmas morning. It took us forever to get a new door because of Covid too.😂 Christmas Eve Gift does not work on the phone for us unless you know you won’t see that person that day. Our rule is that you have to see them to get them. We don’t do actual gifts either, we just have what we call “bragging rights”, which I personally think is better. In the end, we all have a lot of fun with it. I always try to come up with the best possible plans to get my family and we all laugh about the stupid things we did later on. I really am so glad that this is a tradition in my family. I enjoyed seeing how other family’s do this tradition as well. Merry Christmas to you all!
Merry Christmas eve gift!
My mom always said it. It was something from her childhood, but she did explain it. Thanks for the explanation! My mom just passed last week, so this is a fun remembrance of her which I can pass
Down to my children and grandchildren.
My family does this as well. I came here in 2019 trying to find out where we got this from… after a 6am text from my favorite Aunt across the country of “Christmas Eve gift”. She, and this game, are my favorite part of christmas.
Christmas Eve Gift! Our family had this tradition also, along with “Christmas Gift”, “New Year’s Eve Gift”, and “New Year’s Gift.” The difference is that on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, it wasn’t “legal” until 6:00 pm to get anyone. When I was young, everyone lived in one time zone so it wasn’t an issue. As we all began to move away, we now find ourselves in many time zones. We disagreed on the accepted time zone to use but have decided to maintain the “original time zone” where our parents and grandparents were. With current technology, texting has become the new norm. It isn’t as much fun but it is still a family tradition!
Well, my Son got me yesterday, because he lives in Australia and I live in Jamaica. We do have a “rules” issue too, ha. I grew up with the Christmas Eve Gift thing my whole life: in person, waking someone up by yelling it, by phone, by text, and now by email, instagram, or any other social media you can think of. Just a few of us in the family still do it, but it is fun and the fun part, is we know absolutely nothing about what you get if you win or what you give up if you lose. Ha. It is just the spirit of the game to beat each other every Christmas Eve. And, not many people even know about it nowadays. But next year, I got my boy. It is 4PM on the 22nd, that his Christmas Eve begins. I will get him next year. Bless and Merry Christmas.
your family sounds like loads of fun!
We’re a load alright! Fortunately, it’s frequently fun that we’re full of!
Oh I’m late to the party! 😦 This is actually the first time I’ve heard of this game!
Jhanis, I have never met another single person who has ever heard of, much less, played this game! I’m beginning to think that it was my mom that made it up! 🙂
I love the sense of competition that emerges here…it all begins so innocently, doesn’t it? 🙂
It starts all nice and innocent, that’s for sure, but it doesn’t take long before it devolves! LOL
What a fun tradition Kate!! I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas xx
Thanks – and right back at you Diana! 🙂
Awwh Kate this was so adorable and funny! I love such family traditions, something to tie everyone together. So cute.
I wanted to yell, ‘Christmas Eve Gift’ in the comement section but since I’m late to this party I knew I can’t win anymore, lots of people beat me to it lol
Hope you are having the best Christmas ever! Lots of love,
Zee ❤
Merry Christmas Zee!! 🙂 Hope you have a great one!
Have a wonderful time tomorrow, Kate. Somehow I think you will. And thanks for all the merriment on your blog!
Thanks Nancy!
Merry Christmas Eve Gift!!!!!
LOL, Thanks Denise!!
Thank you for this. I thought our family was the only one. Let me tell you the antics!
Ive never even heard of that game before but it sound fun! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Fallon!
LOL this is cute! (I don’t have read receipt on my phone either)
I figure there are times I don’t need someone to know if I’ve read their text!! 🙂
Enjoy all those gifts.
🙂 Thanks Larry!
Love it! Merry Christmas friend!
Merry Christmas!!!
That is fantastic!
We have way too much fun with it, that’s for sure!
Lol, you are funny!
We have fun playing, it is a great way to start the holiday – and it guarantees that no one ever sleeps in! LOL
Merry Christmas Eve Gift!!! Ha, that’s hilarious Kate, what a fun tradition/game. lol Love it! All the best to you and yours in the holiday season and all the year through! To a wonderful 2015! 🙂
Thanks Donna – and all the best to y’all! I look forward to good times with you in 2015!
I never have, but now I want to!
I’m telling you, it’s a pain in the bum and a blast all at the same time! It doesn’t help that we are a highly competitive bunch! It cracks me up because we don’t hold anyone to the extra present – it’s just an excuse to one up each other one day a year! 🙂
Merry Christmas Eve Gift! I think I’m late to the party! I’ve never heard of this before, and think it’s riproariously awesome! I read this to 2 of my girls this morning and the youngest sat with wide eyes (waiting to yell, I think) and then said… “Does that mean we get extra gifts?”. I could tell she was about ready to wake up her still sleeping sister and her Daddy. I said, no…not this year. But, I would get her something special for being so excited.
My gift to you is the feeling of Christmas to last throughout the year!
First off – I LOVE that the youngest was ready to start it right then and there!! That’s totally awesome!
And thank you, that gift is the best gift I think I could ever receive – and I wish it back to you, too! Sending you guys peace, love and joy!
My family has done the Christmas Eve gift game for years. Except our time to start the game is 12.a.m On Christmas Eve. We never exchange gifts it’s just to see who and how we can reach each other. I have been searching for years to find another family that plays this game. It truly is a great way to make memories.
Christmas Eve gift! 🙂 Have a lovely one Kate and Mr. T 😉 Hang on, we’ve said all our Christmas pleasantries already… Then again, it’s a it like the Christmas Eve gift game! 😉
Hahahaha! I’ll wish everyone a Merry Christmas multiple times – it’s one of my favorite things to say! 🙂
Merry Christmas Kate. I hope you have a wonderful time with family and remember the true reason of Christmas. [but don’t expect a gift from this guy ; ) ha ]
LOL! Merry Christmas!
Too funny!
Merry Christmas… Eve… Gift!
LOL! Thanks NotAPunkRocker!! 😉