AIBU to wonder if people really wait until Christmas Day?

[Supermagicsmile]

We have sent some Christmas presents that have arrived with family. Only very little things, nothing grant or expensive. Received a text to say "they're under the tree, can't wait to open them on Christmas Day" and I wondered if people ever actually wait till Christmas Day?! worried they'll be really disappointed as it's just a shower gel and lip balm set for the girls and chocolates for their parents. Would prefer if they opened now so didn't get excited about what was inside!

Dh's family is very "do not open til Xmas day on pain of death". Mine were more relaxed- you could open presents before Xmas, not all of them, but one or two along the way. Especially if it meant you could open them in the presence of those giving them to you and vice versa (I.e. You weren't seeing them on Xmas Day itself). Which is nice I think, especially in blended families or were grandparents live far away, the giver gets to see the joy. I think sharing joy is a big part of the Christmas spirit, rather than getting hung up on dates. Also means Christmas isn't this Big Bang event on one day then it's just flat after.

Now as a compromise to blend our different family traditions we open a present on Xmas eve. Would also always be happy to open a present early if it meant opening it in front of the giver.

Lynney Its the WInter Solstice today, the shortest day of the year, many people celebrate the Soltice and its not on the same day each year. Some people call it Yule, there are many pagan traditions throughout Europe celebrated at this time of the year, none of them having anything to do with (and also predate) Christianity.

I teach and often the kids' presents are not wrapped, so I can see what they are straight away anyway! Plus, I like to be able to write them a little card before we break up for Christmas, to thank them for the gift. Apart from that, yes, I would wait until the 25th.

I open them on the 25th. The exception is that if it's given to me by a friend in person, and my family don't know them, and they say I can, I'd open it immediately in their presence, as they will care more than my family would care about a present from a random friend.

I might open one in a minute actually, I've done the veg and cleared up, feel a bit bored now and there's a big one under the tree for me from a friend...

My children always open presents from their friends on the day they receive them. My two eldest are secondary school and post grad age and have always come home from school with them already opened. Anything that falls into the small gifts category get opened immediately for the very reason that they start to be less exciting on Christmas Day when amongst bigger presents and it isn't fair on the giver.

We open them as we get them, and we open presents from our siblings on xmas eve with them.

My thinking is that they get so much on xmas day from us and my parents that a lovely thought out gift may get overlooked on the day for the big present or the next present. my dds got a lovely toy from friends and they have had a blast playing with them this week.

I had a flatmate who'd open Christmas and birthday presents when they came. I soon put a stop to that! Ok, none of my business and it didn't matter to me, but I just didn't not think it had ever occurred to her t wait. As far as I know she does now wait and prefers to.

Saying that, DP and I are never together on th 25th so always have 'our' Christmas a few days before, and will open a few gifts from each other then. But then some get saved for the 25th, and the rest for when we're in the same place again.

I had a flatmate who'd open Christmas and birthday presents when they came. I soon put a stop to that! Ok, none of my business and it didn't matter to me, but I just didn't not think it had ever occurred to her t wait.

Wow. You 'put a stop to that'? Seriously? That's really odd to interfere in another adult's life like that especially when you admit it was nothing to do with you. Most people would have politely suggested that you fuck off

My family opens them when they receive them. They told me they do. I only open before Christmas by accident, i.e. if my brother orders a gift directly from Amazon and I open it when it arrives to find it isn't wrapped in the box.

We open(ed) on the 24th like the rest of Scandinavia. Though we also dug out everything we could establish was chocolate among the gifts and ate them in the week or two leading up to now. We needed chocolate. I don't need a mountain of it all at once. Seems the perfect solution.