The most brazen of the incidents saw thieves break into a Golden Square home on Friday while its occupants were asleep, taking with them a swag of wrapped presents from underneath the Christmas tree. 

Bendigo police confirmed they were investigating the theft, which occurred between midnight and 6am.

Rae Purcell, who was home with her 16-year-old son at the time, said she felt violated to wake and discover her front door open, Christmas presents gone and handbag missing. 

Some of the presents were later found unwrapped and dumped in a nearby street alongside her emptied handbag.

An Xbox, Fitbit, silver anklet and $400 in cash remains missing, as do bottles of perfume and cologne.  

"It's just horrible," a shocked Ms Purcell said. 

"Christmas is hard enough financially and emotionally let alone having the feeling of being violated," she said. 

Several other Bendigo residents took to social media this week to lambast those responsible for stealing or vandalising yuletide decorations from outside their homes. 

Victims said it threatened the future of the traditional Christmas activity. 

Ascot woman Andrea Laurie said a string of four candy cane-shaped solar lights were taken from her Howard Street home between 10pm on Wedsnesday and 9am the next day. 

She accused thieves of "taking the fun out of Christmas" and threatening how Australians celebrated the holiday season.  

"It's a tradition, everyone does the drive around looking for Christmas lights and this is something that takes away from that," Ms Laurie said.

Bendigo resident Emily Billing said she stopped decorating her home after the cords on her Christmas lights were cut every year between 2012 and 2015.

It happened at two different addresses, she said. 

"We've actually stopped, it was too much money being wasted," Ms Billing said. 

She estimated the cost of the vandalism at many hundreds of dollars, with some of the damaged objects costing as much as $60 each. 

Lighting up her home for Christmas became a dream of Ms Billing’s in childhood. She and her cousins would spend time visiting homes in their neighbourhood fitted out with festive decorations. 

It was a tradition that brought together her family, she said. 

She could not wait for her five-month-old daughter to be old enough to enjoy looking at the lights. 

But Ms Billing feared the future of the tradition could be in doubt, with fewer people willing to risk becoming the target of Christmas grinches. 

"I'd hate to think we would lose that connection."

Ms Purcell was inundated with offers of help to replace her stolen gifts, a development she said was heartening. She was also relieved offenders did not physically harm her or her family. 

"You think 'oh my god, it could have been worse, we are safe. We could have been hurt',” she said.

"Things can be replaced - lives can't."

Crime statistics released yesterday for the year ending September 30 showed property and deception offences like theft rose 1.45 per cent in the City of Greater Bendigo during the past 12 months.  

While there was also a rise in crimes against the person, all other categories saw a decrease in reports.    

Anyone with information about the Golden Square theft can call Bendigo police station on 5448 1300 or Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000.