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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to open Christmas cards before Christmas day?

85 replies

BlueTit4xmas · 11/12/2020 00:37

Year after year, DP and I have the same disagreement. I open Christmas cards as and when they arrive. He saves his until Christmas. Both insist we are correct.

So I've decided to take this to Mumsnet, please settle the argument for me: do you open your cards before or on Christmas Day?

YABU to open Christmas cards before 25th December - wait!
YANBU to open Christmas cards before 25th December and I do this too

OP posts:
Nerve · 11/12/2020 00:42

I have never, ever heard of waiting until the 25th to open them! You open them as soon as you get them. Display them in some way once you have your decorations up, bin/recycle them on the 27th.

Soubriquet · 11/12/2020 00:44

@Nerve

I have never, ever heard of waiting until the 25th to open them! You open them as soon as you get them. Display them in some way once you have your decorations up, bin/recycle them on the 27th.
Same!
DrFoxtrot · 11/12/2020 00:44

Same as PP - YANBU

Open as you go.

FestiveChristmasLights · 11/12/2020 00:44

YANBU. The only time I ever waited was as a child when my mum could tell they had a voucher or cheque in them and then they went in the present pile.

thisplaceisweird · 11/12/2020 00:45

He's confusing them with birthday cards

notangelinajolie · 11/12/2020 00:47

Hmm why wouldn't you open them? Your DH is wierd.

yahyahs22 · 11/12/2020 00:48

Huh??? I thought everyone opened as they came and displayed them? How bizarre

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 11/12/2020 00:49

Open as you go, then stick them behind the bread bin or microwave with the council tax & water bill.

toodleloooo · 11/12/2020 00:51

Ones directed at the family get opened straight away. More personal ones particularly from those who would normally be there for Christmas day might get saved. Agree you need to open some to put them up though!

Pipandmum · 11/12/2020 00:53

I've never known anyone not to open them as they arrive and then put them up in a nice display. Waiting until Christmas day? Weird.

PurpleDaisies · 11/12/2020 00:54

You open them and try to wedge them into a too small card hanging rack in the shape of a Christmas tree. You then spend all of December picking them up off the floor as they constantly fall off, vowing to buy something more effective for dealing with Christmas cards next year. You curse every time a new one arrives because it has to go on the rack, which by mid December is looking like the equivalent of a card-filled-bomb waiting to explode at the slightest careless touch.

Your dh needs educating in these matters.

gillybombilly · 11/12/2020 00:54

What a strange thought process! Never heard that one before Confused

escape · 11/12/2020 00:55

The only time in my life I have ever known anyone do similar is my MIL who gives hers out with Christmas presents on the day...

MrsFezziwig · 11/12/2020 00:56

Unless you are married to Jesus I’d say absolutely no way should he wait until Christmas Day.

Sciurus83 · 11/12/2020 00:56

Your DH is crazy! No one ever in the history of the earth apart from him has ever done this! Grin

Notimeforaname · 11/12/2020 00:57

He's weird. Definitely confusing them with birthday cards

melj1213 · 11/12/2020 00:58

The whole point of christmas cards is to put them on display and enjoy them for the entire festive period, surely? What is the point in only opening them on Christmas day?

Also theres the practical side to consider - opening them as you receive them means that you can make sure you didnt forget anyone off your own christmas card list. If you realise that Great Auntie Muriel sent a card but you didnt send one for her, then by opening it on Christmas Day you have no opportunity to send one to her without it being obvious that you forgot but if you open it when you receive it 10 days before Christmas then you have time to write and send one to her and you can just blame the covid post delays for why it was so late arriving.

The only exception is when family send/give me cards for DD and I either know (because they have told me) or suspect that there is a voucher/cash/cheque inside, those are saved for Christmas day because they are presents more than cards

MiniMum97 · 11/12/2020 01:00

If corse you open them straight away. Then you out them up on a display thingy. They aren't birthday cards. And who the fuck has time to be opening and displaying Christmas cards on Christmas Day??

WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants · 11/12/2020 01:04

How did such a nice woman end up married to such a weirdo??

Obviously you open them as they arrive and put them on display

(Not behind the bread bin, like some almost equally weird poster suggested earlier & they most certainly do not get out in the bin on the 27th!!)

KatherineOfGaunt · 11/12/2020 01:06

Absolutely open them when you get them!

happymummy12345 · 11/12/2020 01:08

No Christmas cards get opened as soon as they arrive and get taken down the same time as the decorations (so 6th January for me)

Chloemol · 11/12/2020 01:08

Never heard of holding them to the 25th. They get opened as they arrive

1forAll74 · 11/12/2020 01:12

I open when they arrive, as usually the ones I have sent to me will have a letter in them too. I had one today from an Aunt, with a small letter enclosed, she informed me that someone I knew years ago had died recently.

FortunesFave · 11/12/2020 01:19

Do you think it's a hangback from his childhood when Aunts and Uncles would put money in a card for him? Maybe his Mum and Dad made him wait for that reason?

It's WEIRD to do it as an adult though! You open them immediately!

mumwhatnothing · 11/12/2020 01:27

Yanbu obviously

I don’t bin or recycle my cards, but keep them to display every year so it looks like I am a popular person.