Christmas presents opening

jersman

What is the tradition in your house regarding opening the Christmas presents? Do you open them on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning before or after breakfast or mass or dinner?

We always open one present each on Christmas Eve at midnight so officially Christmas Day. We then get up around 08:00 on Christmas morning and watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory whilst having breakfast and then open all our presents and then dinner after.

fussyonion

We've always waited until Christmas morning before opening ours.
As kids, we'd be up at 7:30am and straight to the presents, no breakfast, nothing, then go to Mass at 10:30am.

Now I've grown up in a home of my own with partner and we wake at around 8am on Christmas morning and make tea and then open the gifts.

This year, however, I'd like to eke it out a bit: I hate the feeling when all the presents have been opened and the fun's all gone, so we're planning on having a nice leisurely breakfast and then exchange presents.

Friends of ours don't open theirs til after Christmas dinner and while I like the novelty of that, I don't think I'd like to wait all day for my pressies!
Half of the fun is opening them in the morning and having fun with them during the day.

jersman

My thoughts exactly. Everyone has their tradition but for me it's all about waking up and opening the presents and then watching the younger ones play with them and of course the adults getting involved then. I always have that feeling too of a sense of disappointment when it's the last present!

fussyonion wrote: »

We've always waited until Christmas morning before opening ours.
As kids, we'd be up at 7:30am and straight to the presents, no breakfast, nothing, then go to Mass at 10:30am.

Now I've grown up in a home of my own with partner and we wake at around 8am on Christmas morning and make tea and then open the gifts.

This year, however, I'd like to eke it out a bit: I hate the feeling when all the presents have been opened and the fun's all gone, so we're planning on having a nice leisurely breakfast and then exchange presents.

Friends of ours don't open theirs til after Christmas dinner and while I like the novelty of that, I don't think I'd like to wait all day for my pressies!
Half of the fun is opening them in the morning and having fun with them during the day.

tfak85

We generally open the presents in the middle of the day, while we are having lunch and nibbles. We open one at a time, per person, going around the room from youngest to eldest - it can take hours but it's so lovely, everyone sees what everyone else gets.

Last year I spent Xmas day with my husbands family for the first time, we opened the presents at around the same time but it was a free for all - everyone opened everything at the same time. I didn't like it, I sat and watched everyone else before opening mine on my own!

Each to their own, it's back to my house this year, though I'm working nights so it won't be quite the same...

Zil2011

We open ours in the morning, after the kids see what Santas brought. Open them one by one to prolong the excitement. We also pop a little present under the tree (under €10) for the 6th Jan (little Christmas)

Toto Wolfcastle

We open ours in the morning. I love seeing the sitting room covered in wrapping paper. If we're with the in-laws for Christmas we'll open our presents at home in bed before heading over to them and if we're with my family my husband and I will exchange presents in bed before joining the rest of the family at ridiculous o'clock to open more presents. This year I think we'll have a third present-opening session when my sister arrives over with my nephew. (I'm keeping his present hostage until he comes over so I can see his excitement!) We always open them one at a time so that we can see what everyone got. I don't think I could wait until the afternoon.

jersman

Yea opening one by one is the best way. I don't like the free for all approach. It's nice to take your time and watch everyone open theirs. Yes it can take a few hours but it only happens once a year!

Zil2011 wrote: »

We open ours in the morning, after the kids see what Santas brought. Open them one by one to prolong the excitement. We also pop a little present under the tree (under €10) for the 6th Jan (little Christmas)

vicwatson

Christmas Morning - It's the law !!

Posy

Usually mid afternoon, before dinner.
I'm liking the 'one at a time' approach though, must give it a go.

Vojera

Sometimes we open one on Christmas Eve but not always.

Then on Christmas Day we open one when we wake up. Then we open another after breakfast. And then we open the rest after dinner, but not all at once. We usually spread it out throughout the evening.

When my sister and I were small we used to have competitions to see who could keep their presents the longest, so we'd still have a few to open on New Year's Day!

Next year I'll be spending Christmas with my wife's family and I've been informed that everyone crams into the sitting room and it's a big frenzy of present-opening and you're not allowed to keep them for later. I don't like that idea!

jersman

No I wouldn't like the free for all approach at all. Seeing people's reactions to what you got them etc. is part of what it's all about.

Vojera wrote: »

Sometimes we open one on Christmas Eve but not always.

Then on Christmas Day we open one when we wake up. Then we open another after breakfast. And then we open the rest after dinner, but not all at once. We usually spread it out throughout the evening.

When my sister and I were small we used to have competitions to see who could keep their presents the longest, so we'd still have a few to open on New Year's Day!

Next year I'll be spending Christmas with my wife's family and I've been informed that everyone crams into the sitting room and it's a big frenzy of present-opening and you're not allowed to keep them for later. I don't like that idea!

Pumpkinseeds

When we're at home we open them whenever we get up in the morning. When we used to go to my father in law for a big family gathering we'd stay over for Christmas and everyone (10) people, 2 of them were kids, we'd open them in the early afternoon when everyone had arrived.

We're near my family and they open presents after midnight Christmas eve. Always feels weird when my husband and I go around to them on Christmas day and are the only ones opening presents.

Merkin

Open them on Christmas Eve and then leave a few to open on Christmas Day when Santy has arrived!

Pang

One at midnight and then the rest first thing in the morning when we get up.

I used to be brutal at opening presents before Christmas day because I was too excited but as I'm getting older, luckily I'm learning how to exert some self control and wait.

ComputerKing

Christmas morning no one goes into the sitting room until after mass then we all get to see what Santa brought and then open the presents one each at a one.

baby and crumble

As a kid it was always Santa presents first thing in the morning. Then everything else waited until after dinner- but we always had dinner at 2, so it wasn't too bad! And then we'd wait until all the adults (my gran, great aunt, and parents) were settled with a tea or coffee and then one of us kids had to divy out the gifts from under the tree. Then we'd open them one at a time, all watching each other.

Since my Mum passed away it's all different, but I guess that's ok. Was at my sister-in-laws family last year and it was a massive free for all. I found it really weird! You couldn't really see what other people were getting. Very odd!!!

Deedeecupcake

We got stockings on our beds and then moved to our doors as we got older. To this day my brother and I open our stockings at around 5 in the morning, compare and then go back to sleep.
As kids all of other presents were in the sitting room. The sitting room was locked until 8 in the morning and no one could open presents till everyone was up. Then myself and my brother would open a present one at a time and when we were done the adults would open theirs.
It's a bit different now cos parents are divorced and my brother spends every second Christmas with my dad so it depends on who he spends Christmas Eve night with. If he's at dads we have to wait for him to come home before anyone opens presents

Aoifums

We used to sneak down at 3 or 4am to see what Santa left and then go back to sleep for a few hours and open them at 7 or 8.
Now it's at about lunchtime on Christmas day because at least one person is going to be hungover and we can't open them until everyone is awake.

jersman

That should be the hungover persons fault, you snooze you lose. I would hate to be hungover on Christmas Day, a nightmare

Aoifums wrote: »

We used to sneak down at 3 or 4am to see what Santa left and then go back to sleep for a few hours and open them at 7 or 8.
Now it's at about lunchtime on Christmas day because at least one person is going to be hungover and we can't open them until everyone is awake.

jersman

That should be the hungover persons fault, you snooze you lose. I would hate to be hungover on Christmas Day, a nightmare

Aoifums wrote: »

We used to sneak down at 3 or 4am to see what Santa left and then go back to sleep for a few hours and open them at 7 or 8.
Now it's at about lunchtime on Christmas day because at least one person is going to be hungover and we can't open them until everyone is awake.