Well, we didn’t get as much snow but enough for a white Christmas. And the cold did arrive. Flannel sheets on all the beds. Me, turning the thermostat back DOWN, griping about the inability of certain people in this house to dress appropriate for the weather. Suffice it to say it’s NOT shorts weather even inside. Well, unless you turn the thermostat up too high. No, not the kids. The husband.
Shall we talk Christmas instead? Getting closer…
Today’s another quick Blogmas topic, I think. Just a question.
When Do You Open Presents?
We’re pretty much full on Christmas morning/day opening people around here. G had a tradition of starting our Christmases super early until very recently.
Last year I was waiting on them to get out of bed!
The kids do get to open one “Christmas Eve” present each year. It’s always the same: Christmas pajamas and a book. This year, might be a movie though. We’ll see if the books actually arrive in time.
As a teen, once all my siblings no longer lived at home, my mom used to always let me open one present of my choice on Christmas Eve. Sometimes she’d discourage me if I happened to choose one of the bigger gift choices.
Gifts from family/friends, however, are opened as received if they arrive early. Same with gifts from school.
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When do you open gifts?
We are most definitely Christmas morning present openers. We don’t even put the gifts under the tree until late Christmas Eve night. One of the biggest thrills about Christmas for me has always been going to bed with nothing (or very little) under the tree, wondering all night how much there would be in the morning, and then that moment of surprise Christmas morning when I’d actually see all the gifts now under the tree. That kind of went away once I was a parent and the one putting the gifts under the tree late at night, knowing already what would be there in the morning, but I think there is still something magical about it for everyone else. In more recent years, now that we’re empty nesters, hubby started putting his gifts to me under the tree earlier on Christmas Eve, and the past year or two, yeah, we just put everything under at some point on Christmas Eve day instead of waiting till the other has gone to bed.
But opening though, Christmas morning! And not until everyone is awake (when they were little) or home (now that they’re grown). One at a time so everyone can see, instead of everyone tearing into them and no one gets to share the joy of seeing everything.
And like you, gifts from family, friends, coworkers, are usually opened as they’re received. Well, unless is something they had shipped to us, then we put it under the tree to wait.
Oh, that’s fun! We usually have gifts under the tree as soon as they are wrapped minus the Santa gifts (which I’ll still do as long as the kids live at home). Sometimes Santa wraps and sometimes not, depending on the gifts. I always thought the one at a time was nice but my husband and I both come from chaotic everyone at once families so that’s how it’s done here. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Hello! We open our presents on Christmas morning! It used to be early! Steve and I usually wait for Rhett and Flynn to wake up now! The kids open stockings, eat brunch, and then we open presents. We have music playing, candles lit, and coffee poured. I hope you and your family have a blessed and merry Christmas!!!!
Sounds like a wonderful Christmas morning/early afternoon tradition. Stockings are always first on Christmas morning here as well. Thank you. Merry Christmas!
I LOVE how your mom would “discourage” you if you chose the wrong present 😀
I can almost hear how she would say “Are you SURE you want to choose that one?” or “Oh, I was hoping you’d save that until tomorrow” LOL