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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think not wrapping Christmas presents is thoroughly bizarre

238 replies

Bearbehind · 20/11/2019 21:04

I’ve literally never heard of this before being on MN.

I genuinely don’t understand the concept of giving a gift and it not being in some sort of wrapping.

It seems so clinical not to do so

OP posts:
Bearbehind · 20/11/2019 21:06

Even if you’re being eco-friendly, there’s enough packaging etc when buying gifts or anything else, that could be reused to disguise what the gift is a bit.

OP posts:
Butterymuffin · 20/11/2019 21:07

It does surely make Christmas morning a bit of an anticlimax if everything's just laid out in front on you.

Longfacenow · 20/11/2019 21:07

I like the idea of a plastic free wrapping Christmas, with newspaper and string can look really nice.

Do you mean just naked presents? I wouldn't like that. No surprise!

Butterymuffin · 20/11/2019 21:08

You could be more eco friendly by putting them in one of the big sacks at least and then they can be removed from that for the surprise effect.

Bearbehind · 20/11/2019 21:11

Do you mean just naked presents? I wouldn't like that. No surprise

My thoughts exactly

Half the fun is the pile of wrapped items and the anticipation

OP posts:
Anoisagusaris · 20/11/2019 21:11

Santa doesn’t wrap presents. Doesn’t he have enough to be doing overseeing the elves making them and then delivering them on Christmas Eve?? Duh!

Presents from regular people to other regular people are wrapped.

Likethebattle · 20/11/2019 21:11

I worked with so done who didn’t wrap anything because she couldn’t be bothered. She put pictures on Facebook and it looked shite. It’s more fun to squish and feel the present and then tear into it.

Bluewavescrashing · 20/11/2019 21:12

Naked presents in stockings.

Everything else wrapped in brown paper and gold ribbon which is reused.

I don't want my bin clogged full of wrapping paper (our council won't recycle any wrapping paper). I might invest in sacks though.

northernknickers · 20/11/2019 21:13

I honestly hate wrapping presents! When my children were small and I had mountains of presents to wrap, I was sorely tempted to just throw a large sheet or duvet over the entire pile 😂. So yes, YABU...just get out a duvet 👍👍

Bearbehind · 20/11/2019 21:14

Santa doesn’t wrap presents.

He only works one day a year - he’s got every other day to wrap presents! 😂

I’d be proper pissed off to be one of the kids who Santa couldn’t be arsed to wrap presents for!

OP posts:
SimonJT · 20/11/2019 21:14

I don’t wrap my sons presents, he finds the idea of not knowing what is inside stressful and the sensory aspect of opening gifts. Saves me a few quid!

Bearbehind · 20/11/2019 21:15

our council won't recycle any wrapping paper

Why not? It’s just paper?

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TeamLannister · 20/11/2019 21:16

Anoisagusaris has it, Santa doesn't wrap the presents that he leaves. I wrap the ones I give...Wink

ManiacalLapwing · 20/11/2019 21:16

I think it depends what it is, and if you are visiting on the day with the gift. Things like hampers and boxes of chocolates don't need wrapping, and a few small items can be placed in a gift bag that can then be reused. I wrap things to go under the tree though.

elp30 · 20/11/2019 21:16

I'm with you on that OP.
Especially Christmas and birthday presents should be wrapped.
I do think that if someone tells you that they want a specific item for a gift and tell you where to buy it and how much, that could go without. Right?
I thought so but apparently I spoiled the element of it being a gift.
Sorry, I didn't mean to derail...

OddBoots · 20/11/2019 21:18

"Why not? It’s just paper?"

I think it is because a lot of it has foil attached or is plasticised to make it tougher.

Bickles · 20/11/2019 21:19

For children, wrapping. It’s fun for them to unwrap. For adults I do more gift bags that can be reused.

Passthecake30 · 20/11/2019 21:21

I know someone who just lays all the gifts out neatly on the sofas, unwrapped. Looks completely wrong, impersonal... like a shop.

Anoisagusaris · 20/11/2019 21:22

Santa never wrapped our presents as kids and doesn’t for my kids. All the presents are laid out in front of the Christmas tree. It’s fabulous.

But I’m Irish and presents here are from Santa not the parents. On MN it appears that Santa might leave a stocking or a small number of presents and the rest are from parents.

Beautiful3 · 20/11/2019 21:23

We use brown parcel paper as its recyclable and gift wrap is not. These get put inside each childs hessian sacks.

SpinySue · 20/11/2019 21:23

I remember the excitement of seeing my presents all set up and ready to go on Christmas morning, it felt really magical. Like they had a bit of life to them rather than lying in a box and all wrapped up and piled up and lifeless 😂 I know, I'm strange, im still not entirely convinced that teddies don't come alive at night!

We do a mixture of setting out and wrapping up. Like the paw patrol look out tower would be set up with trucks and dogs ready to go to see the full magical effect when they walk in. But jigsaws, books, tablet, clothes etc would be wrapped.

dementedma · 20/11/2019 21:26

Can't imagine giving unwrapped presents. Where is the fun in opening them?

Anoisagusaris · 20/11/2019 21:28

I wouldn’t give anyone an unwrapped present. But Santa does. Big difference Wink

Pixie2015 · 20/11/2019 21:31

Our Santa doesn’t wrap his load so they children get the wow factor when they see their pressies - sets are even made with batteries in and console games loaded so we can sit back drink coffee and enjoy their pleasure- everyone has the right to do what they want that’s the magic of Santa

HolyShmoly · 20/11/2019 21:32

Anoisagusaris is exactly right. Is it an Irish thing?

We had a seat on the sofa each, on which our presents were stacked/sat beside. I've requested that Santa continue this tradition.

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