How do you open presents?

**valerian** · 12-21-2011, 04:24 PM

Growing up my family opened one at a time starting with the oldest so that kids learned to be patient and look at what other people got. I loved it when there were lots of us around to open gifts!Dh's family just opened everything all at once. At our home now, one of the kids will pass out all of the gifts and then it's a free-for-all with them and dh and I open ours slower...I usually wait til the end to make sure I don't miss seeing someone open their stuff. Dh has to tell me to open something. At my parents' house (which is where we go later in the day) we pass everything out and start with the youngest and go one by one. I actually like that better since it's like what I did as a child.

**mndtrp** · 12-21-2011, 08:05 PM

My sister usually hands out the gifts, and then we open them however we want. I understand the aspect of wanting to see what everyone else got, or gave, but rules and normalcy should go out the window during present opening time. I usually wait a bit before opening my own, and then I throw all of the wrapping items at my sister.

Oh, and I THRASH through the paper. I'm frugal all year long, this is one time I don't care.

**dancemommy** · 12-21-2011, 10:01 PM

We open one at a time with my parent's family and at our house. I prefer it that way- love seeing what everyone is getting and seeing everyone's reactions. It takes a while, but the kids learn patience and it works fine. No particular order (thank GOD, because we don't always do the same quantity per person). Usually someone passes out the presents one at a time as we open. I like it - it is relaxed. We usually open all and then eat breakfast (quiche or casserole that cooks while we open)- sometimes we'll pause to eat or I'll get out some snacky stuff- fruit or something. On Christmas eve it is usually just our family and my inlaws. Last year, however, my sister in law and her husband and child were there. All of the order was thrown out the window. It was make piles and tear into it. I almost had a panic attack because it felt so "wrong" to me. They were happy with everything and polite and everything, but we didn't get to cherish each item or take the time to even see what everyone got. Very strange. If we end up all together again I may have to make husband say something to slow things down a little. Oh- we don't save any paper or bows, but will save gift bags.

**Dutchie** · 12-22-2011, 07:04 AM

When we open gifts varies between Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or the day after (also a holiday here).

Anyhow this year there will be nine of us (us, our kids and 2 of the kids' so's).

We usually have nice things to eat and drinks standing by so that anyone can take what they like (not Christmas Dinner but snacks - this also varies depending on the time of day and the day itself).

I usually pick the first gift and give it to the recipient. They open it and thank the person who gave it to them. The recipient of the first gift then picks out a gift for someone else and so on.
We make sure that there is attention and thanks for the people buying the gifts.

This has been our tradition for years now and the kids absolutely LOVE it.

So's who come into the family are told by the kids beforehand that this is our tradition and that they have to love it too or in any case deal with it. It is usually never a problem.

It is a HUGE amount of fun and the great thing is that the kids spend no more than around $12 on each person but do their utmost to get nice gifts. It is definitely more about the being together.

It actually makes me smile just thinking about it.

**SwirlyThing** · 12-23-2011, 09:04 AM

We have the kid(s) pass out all the presents to everyone. Then you sit at your pile of presents. Then they are opened one at a time, youngest opening first, oldest opening last. Then repeat from youngest to oldest. So the focus is on the one person who is opening a present at any given time.

By the way, it was never acceptable to open any presents before Christmas morning!

**cab54** · 12-23-2011, 09:51 AM

RIP, rip, rip, rip...........

OH, you mean WHEN and in what order!?!

On my side we don't buy gifts for each other. Soooo many people. We stopped the Christmas name drawing a few years ago, so that the younger adults could afford to be Santa for their kids.

We just eat, chat and enjoy each other's company.

On DH's side they draw names, one list for adults, one for kids, and we pick a kid who can read to be 'santa' and pass out the gifts one at a time, but they open as they get them. Free-for-all style.

We don't care. It's fun anyway.

**peanut** · 12-23-2011, 10:53 AM

Well this year it's immaterial because DH and I aren't buying each other gifts. And anything anyone outside the family has given us has already been opened. That's for a reason. One was food in a cellophane see through bag. The other were gift cards we get every year that had to be spent before Christmas if we wanted any selection at the store.

However, our normal tradition when the kids were home was a Scandinavian tradition. Every Christmas Eve we would serve rice pudding for dessert with one whole almond in it. This isn't your average rice pudding folks. We're talking creamy luscious goodness of cream, butter, eggs and spices...like eggnog with rice in it.

Anyways, whoever got the almond was the person who got to open the first present. On Christmas morning people could open their stockings as soon as they got up. But present opening didn't happen till everyone was up, dressed, and had breakfast. Then it was the person handing out the presents who gave them to people one at a time to open. We liked to see what people got, and sometimes play with it a bit or figure out how it worked before going on. Sometimes it took till 3 PM to open gifts!

We always had the big meal of Christmas on Christmas Eve, which was a pain with church services being so early Christmas Eve. BUT it worked well for us until we started going to the church we go to now. And I started singing in the choir. Means I have to be to church 45 minutes earlier... So this year we dropped the Christmas Eve meal and put it onto Christmas Day. DH has to work right through to 5PM anyways Christmas Eve. He won't get home till 5:45 and we have to leave by 6 PM to get to the church in time for me to practice before services. Fifteen minutes is not enough time for a quality meal.

So yeah, that's how we normally do Christmas, and what we're doing this year.