To ask if anyone else's parents did this?

[Storm4star]

All the Christmas threads have got me thinking! I grew up in the 70's and obviously parenting was different then so I'm wondering if it's that or if my dad was just mean! (He was mean in general so it wouldn't be surprising!). Basically, he would never let us open our presents on Christmas day until after the Queen's speech (which I believe was on about 3pm). If we asked in the meantime then half an hour would be added on to this time, for every time we asked. I honestly used to dream of being like other families and sit round the tree in our dressing gowns in the morning and opening gifts then. Needless to say with my own children, we've always opened presents first thing! So I'm curious if anyone else was subject to these kinds of rules?

We didn’t open presents til the afternoon either. Now I’m an adult and still don’t; I find the day feels like a massive anticlimax if everything’s been done by breakfast!

Nope. I grew up in 60s and 70s and maybe watched the queens speech a few times. Presents from Santa and parents in morning and the rest after lunch as our neighbours came in for gin and tonic in the morning and my mum was cooking lunch. We did the same with our girls in 80s and 90s. Never watched the queens speech.

We opened them as soon as we woke up, could be 5, 6 in the morning.
Then we tidied the wrapping paper away and mum started the lunch. Afternoons were for stuffing our faces with the selection boxes and quality streets. Evening would be time to relax and have a drink

Whos the queen 😂😂😂😂 Jesus we'd be up from silly o'clock 5am playing crazy horses on an organ or full size puppet show. My folks are amazing im 50 next year and still get a sack of presents. I kid you not

I grew up in the 60's/70's and we opened presents as soon as we got up before any visitors arrived.
Lunch was before the queens speech, which our parents watched whilst we played with something.

Never seen queenies speech but we always did tree presents about 4pm after dinner and still do. We had stocking stuff to play with in the morning. It was a good idea I think as it meant all the adults could relax and enjoy without having to rush off to the kitchen.

Stockings in my parents' room, breakfast, church, kids' lunch, presents, kids' tea, just to bed, grown-ups' dinner. (There were usually at least five or six adults and ten or so children).

We didn't open all our presents either. There was I think a rule about opening gifts in the presence of the giver, so if there was a present from auntie M under the tree, and she was visiting on the 27th, it had to be saved for then. We also used to see who could make their presents last the longest. One year my sister won this, memorably, by still having three under the tree on twelfth night. She's still got more self control than the rest of us.

Stockings first thing, light breakfast smoked salmon or croissants, church, big lunch, tree presents all opened together, games. Think it was what the victorians (minus the croissants) did as our grandparents parents did it this way and we are stuck!

I was a child in the 70’s and we opened presents first thing in the morning, lunch, Queen’s speech and then Top of the Pops.

No presents until after the queen’s speech in my household too. Don’t see my children scared for life for having lovely gifts given to them at 3:30pm on Christmas Day

Always opened our pressies first thing. I do think it's mean to make kids wait.

We always opened stockings first thing and were allowed to pick a few smaller presents from under the tree while the adults were preparing lunch but the main presents were after lunch. I love the fact main presents are after lunch because the smaller stocking stuff gets played with and the DC still have the anticipation of opening presents.

Ha ha this has made me laugh! So I am 40 and I have. 16 year old! I was brought up the same although santa stockings opened in the morning. No presents till after the queens speech! Mine is from my grandparetns and no matter how much my son moans I’m never gonna change 🤣🤣🤣

@Storm4star do you make them watch because I do! We were made to stand to the national Anthem and respect the Queen 🤣🤣🤣 My Son hates it but still does it !

Presents on Xmas Eve. Total boredom and nothingness Christmas Day. Gritty nut roast with overboiled veg and spuds - no roasties - for lunch.

Yep OP my dad was like that too.....made us wait til after The Queen's speech. Ex's mum couldn't believe it when l told her! My dd has her's spread across the morning so she can enjoy each one

I love hearing people traditions!

I am a 90s kid. We have always had the same meal Christmas Eve evening and still do! Christmas Day we would always take our stocking through to mum and dad (and used to be grandparents) and open them in the bed in PJs (some traditional gifts too- always chocolate coins, socks, a Beanie Babie then whatever!)

We didn’t open presents until after church - sometimes we all went sometimes just grandad did. We didn’t do presents until about 11am. Youngest dished them out, we all open together. We also had some gifts in the evening, a tradition from my grandparents side, so it wasn’t that gifts were held back from others: these gifts were specifically bought for the evening, and they were generally “sensible” gifts- calendar, books or such.
Not fussed about Queens speech tbh!
Monopoly is a tradition!

Anyone miss the old tv line up of Christmas Specials? Always used to watch Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools and Horses, a decent Christmas film, Christmas Doctor Who, a seriously depressing Eastenders and then some Xmas version of one of the talk shows.....

God no, it was chaos in our house on Christmas morning. Shit loads of chocolate, music, presents everywhere. We LOVED it. DH had the opposite experience when it was quite a sombre day and he was bored shitless every year so when he came to ours for the first time he was like a 6 year old.

My parents were quite conservative in their nature, but all bets were off on Christmas Day.

That's sounds very mean OP

Nope we had traditions here such as stockings in bed - then breakfast and then presents from under the tree in turn.

Then chill.

Then lunch.

Then walk and then films.

Nope. We lived with my grandparents and my mums brother & sister. Presents always opened in the morning and certainly before Xmas lunch. Queens speech usually came on just as we were finishing lunch. There was quite often large amounts of family and it was a noisy, lovely time.

We opened everything as soon as we got up. Santa sacks in our parent’s room and then straight downstairs for the family presents under the tree. DH and I do it slightly differently for our DC’s. Presents from Santa as soon as DC’s get up. Family presents under the tree after lunch. This actually drives my dad crazy as he doesn’t understand why we do it that way! I think it’s much better as it spreads the presents out during the day.

Both mine and DH had the same traditions in childhood and we do the same now for our kids. Father Christmas stockings in the morning and tree presents after lunch, normally with the Queen on in the background to keep Grandmother happy 😀

I've heard of families (English) doing this but never adding the 1/2hr thing on that was just mean

The Queen's speech definitely was a thing. We had stockings which we opened early, but yes proper presents later. Christmas Cake on Christmas Eve in time for Carols from Kings. This is still a proper Christmas in my head!

Stockings first thing, presents from the tree after lunch and animals- so 4.30pm? No presents until horses/sheep fed and in barns.
Two kids fed animals and put them out in fields in the morning whilst the other kid laid breakfast table. Mum and dad drank champagne and made croissants/smoked salmon and eggs!!

Similar now- stockings then coffee for grown ups and DC sent out to do yards.

We then do one present each- a toy usually, so they play whilst we cook lunch.