When did you open gifts?

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
When I was a tyke, we didn't open presents until Christmas morning. Even so, I had to wait until at least 7 am and then I was allowed to look in my stocking. Under the tree could not be touched until at least 9 am. When I was in college, I dated a fellow whose family had German heritage and they opened them on Christmas eve. This was new to me; I had never heard of that before - it seemed like jumping the gun. After my father passed, my mom and I instituted a new custom - we'd divide up the gifts and open a few every day between Christmas and New Year.

What does your family do?
 

Yes, that sounds right about Germany and opening presents on Christmas Eve. My mom, who grew up in Austria, had the family open presents on Christmas Eve, too.
 
When I was a kid, everyone (including our parents) chose ONE gift to open on Christmas Eve. The rest we opened Christmas morning.
 

When we were young it was always on Christmas morning.

When we got older we were allowed to open one present after church on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning.

I like the idea of opening one present each day over the 12 days of Christmas!
 
I like the 12 present idea, too. But when a child, Christmas morning. Later, on Christmas eve. But, when I had my son it was back to Christmas morning, then back again to Christmas eve.
 
One present Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. What I remember most is that my parents had to get the coffee perking before we could burst into the living room. We kids would line up on the stairs (our bedrooms were on the second floor) while my mother sloooowly made the coffee (at least it SEEMED that way) and turned on all the lights, turned up the furnace, fired up the tree, turned on the music, etc. In the meantime, we'd be going CRAZY on the steps.

I have a picture that I treasure of one Christmas morning. We're all standing on the steps, hair standing up in clumps, everybody in mismatching pj's, lots of front teeth missing. I have it labeled "Christmas Morning at the Home for Woefully Sub-Normal Children".

FINALLY, the adults would have coffee cups in hand, Mom had put the sweet rolls in the oven to bake and THE CARNAGE COULD BEGIN.
 
It was always Christmas morning in our family
My siblings and I no longer buy presents for each other,instead we give money to our favorite charity in their honor.
I still buy presents for my close friends, Marcia&Dave&family,we usually open them before and sometimes after Christmas day dinner Sue
 

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