Critical Christmas Question!

[indigo_rose99]

When should Christmas presents be opened?

Every year, T and I argue about this. He thinks that Christmas presents should be opened on Christmas Eve "Because that is when my family did it." I think Christmas presents should be opened on Christmas day because (1) I think it is cheating to open them early. (2) Christmas Day is when my family opened them. Well, except on those times when we got home at 1am on Christmas Day from church and my mom couldn't wait. (3) If we open them early then what is the point of looking forward to Christmas Day?

What do you think?

Comments

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Whenever the person giving you the present wants you to open it.

However, that general answer won't work for this situation, because you two probably also want to open them on the same day as each other. How about some sort of compromise? Open one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas day? (You would also have to discuss who gets to pick the present to be opened on Christmas Eve.) Or stocking stuffers one day and other presents the other day.

If you open the presents early, you can still look forward to food and eggnog and lying around listening to Christmas music and watching the tree twinkle on Christmas Day. Also, the hike and bike trail is totally empty!

When my family was Episcopalian, we opened them Christmas day. Because Santa had not yet dropped by on Christmas Eve. Duh! On Christmas Eve we got the tree and decorated it and made cookies for Santa. That was plenty to do.

When my family was Jewish, any Christmas presents sent to us were opened during Chanukkah. A new present appeared each evening for eight days, most of which were before both Christmas and Christmas Eve. If we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa, we opened their presents on Christmas Day.

[reedrover]

My family allowed one present on Christmas Eve, with the hope/expectation that it would be something that inspired good dreams and a happy child. (I have vague memories of going to bed with a duck-billed umbrella one year...)

Presents should be opened Christmas Day, because of course Santa wouldn't have arrived the night before.

[aurienne.livejournal.com]

presents from PEOPLE can be opened any time, but anything involving Santa has to be opened the 25th. And if you have a younger brother, even if he's 30, just about everything involves Santa, officially, still.

[raaga123.livejournal.com]

I totally go for the Christmas morning version. Christmas Eve is for carols and cookies and, for those so inclined, church. Christmas morning is the gift-opening climax, with the rest of the day to be spent enjoying the gifts, watching football (again, for those so inclined) and preparing/eating Christmas dinner.

But, of course, that's the way my family has always done it.

[pamwheatfree.livejournal.com]

When I was growing up, our family took advantage of the after Christmas sales especially when at least one of us would be elsewhere for Christmas. We used to wait for presents until New Year's Day. Of course, we don't wait anymore since I probably won't see them until July.

Personally, I think that you should get one present on Christmas eve to stave off the husband. Then enjoy the anticipation of the wrapped gifts until you feel that you will burst if you don't find out what is in them right now.

Often the not knowing is more fun than the gift itself. Especially since we all ask for certain items and can guess if those things are under the tree. It is the surprise gift that is more exciting.

[clubjuggler.livejournal.com]

That's what we tended to do too. One on Christmas eve then the rest on Christmas morning. Lately, however, we've gotten away from that since we have a 6 year old that goes to bed early and with that it's just too much of a hassle to do something on Christmas eve.