Present opening Etiquette!!

[Jemimafuckinpuddleduck]

I love hearing about people’s Christmas traditions, plans and ways, plus we are going to have rethink ours as have the in-laws visiting this year (whole other thread in itself!!) so I thought I would ask how your present opening works?

Do you get dressed beforehand , let the kids crack on while you prep dinner, drag it out throughout the day? Are your kids done in 10 minutes flat or like us have little surprises and mystery parcels under the tree?

We start by building the suspense with DH going down stairs and makig sure the Prosecco is in the fridge checking “he’s been”, Christmas tree light are on, candles are lit and carols are playing, my folks used to do the exact same for me and I’m sure it still feels like the same eternity!! 😬

Stockings are done with a glass of fizz in hand, fresh orange for the girls, even though I know exactly what’s inside, I love watching them open everything, stockings are a mixture of wrapped and unwrapped and again remember the feeling well of putting the hand in and not knowing what you were going to get.

More fizz poured and onto Santa piles/sacks and this is where I’m worried with how it’s going to go down with MIL Our 3 girls take it in turns of opening a present each, we have done this for a good few years now and it’s worked really well as everybody gets to see what everyone else is getting it also drags out what for us is always a really thoughtful and costly process of picking lovely gifts, I would hate to go back to that part being over and done with in 2 minutes flat. In-laws think all kids should be a whirl wind of wrapping paper and excitement getting stuck in but hopefully she will just look on and say nothing!!

Break for breakfast, party dresses on for the girls, bath for me to get a break and hopefully use some lovely new bubble bath and then regroup for family presents with some nibbles and more fizz...

Lastly we always hold back one present for the girls each for the table, sometimes it’s a forgotten Santa one, sometimes it’s from us but it has over the years evolved to be one of their main presents, this year the big 2 are getting fitbits and youngest a Disney Garmin tracker.

We have a rule when grandparents are involved that not every Lego set, Barbie box or paint pallet has to be opened on the day, the little 2 will get a few LOL dolls and I’m sure there will be no holding them back with them but other than that I tend to stick to a one present opened rule! This year there is definitely a reduced amount of toys so hopefully I won’t find that part as stressful!

Love to hear how everyone else’s day works?

When dds were young, Father Christmas brought relatively little things in stockings only - usually opened first thing on our bed, with dog and cat joining in the excitement!

All other presents were from us/relatives.

We allowed one present to be opened as soon as they were downstairs - all the rest had to wait until later, when we were all dressed and breakfasted and adults were on the first (of many!) Buck's Fizzes.

What we found essential, especially when they were very young and tearing paper off in their excited frenzy, was to keep pen and paper handy to write down who sent what to whom. Once they were old enough to write, thank you letters were a rule, and when they were too young, it meant that at least we knew who to thank for what.

As they got a bit older we after saved some presents until after dinner, which is not usually until around 5 pm in this house - less of a rush for the cook, and plenty of time for a walk in the park before it's dark.

Dining table all dressed & fabulous on Christmas Eve and traditional cinema visit. Father Christmas 'drops off' wrapped new jamas for all ( doesn't leave out our eldest at 25 + gf, moved out now but stays over ) DH & I share bottle of champers, when alone.Stockings opened in their own bedroom, some wrapped, some not, always includes satsuma/choc orange and bits and bobs.They can wake and come in our room whatever time.( when younger/v early, extra snuggles in bed ( attempt to get to sleep a little longer ) Everybody in household has to be up/all go down together. Present's are in piles ( mine & dh stay under the tree ) Christmas music playing. Each present is noted who from. Break for bacon butties & bucks fizz. Then we open ours. At a reasonable hour, ring close family with thanks/merry Christmas. A bit of chill time for children with pressies back in their rooms. Alternative years we either all go out for meal/at parents/parents at ours/or just us 5. We always eat around 15.30, cracker hats are mandatory ! new Christmas game played after eating. All move into living room for Christmas film. Small buffet, desserts, cheese board in the evening. Collapse onto sofa until bedtime, enjoying a martini

In our house on Christmas eve dh makes reindeer footprints and Santa footprints using magic snow all up the stairs and the prints stop at each bedroom door, kids love it and believe santa checked they were sleeping. Tgen kids wake us up around 6am straight downstairs for presant opening, we have 7dc so there is a huge amount of wrapping paper. Then dinner around 2 after dm has been then films games untill bedtime me and dp will watch eastenders while scoffing chocolate. Me an dp always open one gift each on Xmas eve.

When I was little stockings were opened when we found them on end of our beds, mam usually came through for that. Then dad woke & we went down to bigger presents under the tree....opened one at a time. Then get dressed, have dinner, grandparents arrived so more presents, walk dogs, play with toys. More family come for tea...so more food, presents & playing.
I carried on the same traditions for my 3 grown up children, & also for DD10. Although now we squeeze in a vist from ex f-i-l in a.m, & I try to find time take DD32 to the crem to visit her son. Since my ex left 2 years ago DD10 goes to him on Boxing day, so I don't always get to go to the crem because I want Christmas day to play with DD10. Boxing day used to be the time for opening toys & playing but shes usually at her dad's a few days.
This year my bf & his ds12 are supposed to be staying, but our kids can be very competitive & won't have the same amount of presents, we don't want them falling out on the big day...so we may reconsider them staying over. DD10 says she'd quite like it to be just us 'same as always' but it won't be, cos DS29 just moved out in June, so it will be the first time of just me & DD. But if we do that everyone else will be there before 12.

Stockings in bed, taking turns.

One present with breakfast.

Church.

One present with lunch.

Lunch finishes about 11pm and then presents from under the tree, taking turns.

Really spreads it out through the day. We did this as kids and it was torture lovely.

Childrens presents opened one at a time once up.
We don't open ours until evening once guests have left - lots of fizz to accompany.
So we can saviour and enjoy.
Although one year the guests didn't leave early and we left our presents until boxing day.

When I was a child - stocking (OK pillowcase) all opened crack of dawn in bedroom.

Under tree presents opened as a family one by one after breakfast, with child going to pick one and take it to recipient. Then watching each one opened and much appreciating of whatever it was. Saving hopefully best presents til end.

Now - similar but only me and DH so we take all presents up to bed and open them one at a time on the bed, as I am such a fucking child I can't wait to get dressed and be adult about it

Open presents.

Rush about to go to in-laws. Rely on a lift from sil so sat around waiting for whenever she turns up which means we can't relax or do anything.

Go to in-laws where everyone sits very politely opening the boxes of biscuits everyone buys each other and making very polite small talk

Eat an admittedly good Christmas dinner excluding penis portions and the black tower.

Sit around wishing sil would hurry up and decide it's time to go home whilst more polite small talk, always about how bil cooked the goose this year (hint: same way as last year and the year before and the year before that...). In-laws are a bit obsessed with keeping their house immaculate so grab your empty tea before you've even put it down.

Sil then insists on sitting at ours for 2 hours whilst further polite small talk happens and DD7 prepares for an almighty melt down following a day of great excitment and restraint.

Eventually sil leaves, melt down happens and I wonder how I can get out of it all next year.

I just want to spend the day drinking processco in my pjs. It's v important to my wife though and for the most part DD enjoys it.

Wife refuses to do our own little Christmas day another day so that's that.

Ours are teens now so we all go downstairs in dressing gowns and have "special" coffee and a nice breakfast (usually bacon rolls done by DH). Then we all open 1 present each from our stockings - this is whilst my parents are on the way. We each have 1 stocking (DH does mine, I do DH's and we both do the 2 DS together). Once parent's have arrived we have coffee and homemade gingerbread (usually done by DS as he's pretty good at cooking!) Then probably we exchange a present with DM and DF (small). After a Christmas lunch around 1:30 we all open all presents - but.... only 1 person can open a present at once. Usually there are lots of breaks so it takes ages as we look at things/play with things as we go. My parents go home around 9pm after "tea" (light bites) and then my DH will have a beer and I usually have a special tea (usually a gift). My parents, me and 2DS don't drink alcohol so that possibly makes the day a bit different from some peoples.

The funniest Xmas present opening was the time we decided to go to Asia on holiday. We had got my DS a tablet each and wrapped them and put them in hand luggage. Security made us unwrap and open the boxes.... obviously in front of 2 DS which they though was hilarious and of course immediately wanted them on the flight - so they had them in security at heathrow! :)

I love this thread

We do stockings in the morning, the dc find them full at the bottom of their bed and bring them into our room to open on the bed. Dh goes down for tea/Buck's Fizz/bacon sandwich's, whilst the dc and I chat about Father Christmas and what might be in their stockings. This wait is hard for them and they are always SO excited feeling for presents through the stockings and trying to guess.

Once dh brings the tea and sandwiches he and I sit back and enjoy watching them open the stockings.

We then all go down and take turns in opening the presents from Father Christmas, then break whilst dinner is sorted and the children play with their presents. Then we do our gifts to one another- again one by one. We do all this in pajamas- every year I'd like to dress up -for the photos but then come the day, I choose comfort.

All presents will be open by 2/3pm when I serve dinner. After dinner we sit watching a Christmas film and the dc play with their toys. Often if a board game has been gifted we'll play it. I love the relaxed, subdued hours after the presents are opened, when the full on excitement is over and I can curl up and bask in the glow of the children's happiness and just be content.

The table will be laid in the dining room ready for Christmas Day.. Grandchildren, now 13 and 15 will arrive with their dad (DS2) on Christmas Eve to stay overnight. DS1, partner and their 18month old DS will already be installed for the duration. Christmas Eve supper in the conservatory, often 'Alpine' - fondue and pierrade.

Next morning, kids' stockings opened while DH lights fire in the sitting room ready for post breakfast present opening, one at a time, each to be duly admired.

Kids are picked up by their mum for visit to other grandparents. Luckily we all live close together and everyone gets on very well, despite DS and XP having been separated for several years.

Late afternoon, kids return for Christmas dinner at around 7. They stay the night, and their mum picks them up for Boxing Day lunch with her brother and parents.

Last year DH and I missed all this as we went to Brazil with DS2 and his DP for their baby's christening. A lovely experience, but I am looking forward to our traditional set up this year with the whole family. I imagine next year DS and DP will go back to Brazil to stay with her mum for Christmas, so I am looking forward to the family being united this year. Only so many years left to ancient DP and me to enjoy all this and have the energy to do it.

Ours is a lot more chilled now dc are older. I'm usually up by 7.30am I make coffee , feed cat and put tree lights on and put turkey in oven . Dc and dh get up and we open stockings & presents altogether. I make breakfast & drink with Buck's Fizz . We get ready and chill out watching some Christmas tv . Dh likes to put Christmas morecambe and wise on . I get dinner ready aim to eat at 3 . After dinner clear up and get ready to go to mil for more presents , turkey sandwich's and Prosecco. Get home about 11 a bit tipsy .

Love reading how people do things. I wish mine was more organised.

Dd2 has ASD and never sleeps Christmas Eve, often by 4am I am pulling my hair out and feeling pretty tired so I let her open a present in hope she then goes to sleep, it doesn’t usually work and we end up getting up by 5am and open all of them, I then snooze on the sofa or even go back to bed whilst dc mess around with their presents. Dd2 is almost 13, I’m hoping this year will be easier but I hope that every year.

Ideally I would like them to get up at 8am, open stockings whilst I sleep until 9am, have breakfast and then open presents throughout the day. But it’s not likely to happen 🤣

Can anyone beat this...
OH's family are lovely, just lovely. But first time I spent Christmas day with them I was a bit surprised by their present opening routine!
Apart from stockings, no presents are opened until the evening. Like about 4/5pm.
Then, someone goes round giving all the presents out so everyone has a pile. Then everyone sits politely while each person unwraps each present in their pile. And there are LOADS. I honestly don't know how they did this as kids. At least one person falls asleep during this!

It's quite nice actually but worlds apart from our tradition of hardly being able to wait until mum came in having put the turkey in the oven, glass in hand, picking out a few presents each in turn, then doing the rest after lunch.

Traditionally we always got a pack of felt tip pens, Kelloggs variety pack and a selection box, every year (as well as other stuff!)

sparkingfizzing what's the black tower?

These sound lovely! As someone who normally makes the lunch I'm not sure I entirely believe the ones which go from 'I enjoy a glass of champagne in the bath' to 'we have lunch' unless I'm doing something wrong...

In our household we do stockings in bed, then leisurely attack on presents under the tree. Then from about 10am I am in a blur of cooking, setting the table, hoovering and disposing of wrapping paper, polystyrene bits, giving the bathroom a last clean before family arrive, etc. I've never yet managed a bath sadly!

On a positive note it's bliss sitting down after lunch!

@CatulusLady78

Ahh Cactus I’m very lucky in that my husband does all the cooking, likes doing it even...

And with the girls now being a bit older (7 being the youngest) definitely leaves time for a indulgent soak!!

Oh jemima that sounds brilliant!!

Love these type of the threads. It's always interesting seeing what other people do.

No dc myself, so I shall share what we used to do.

Stockings on end of bed. It was the best feeling in the world to wake up in the early hours of Christmas day morning and wiggling down the bed to feel a stuffed stocking.

I would take my stocking (usually at about 5am) into my brothers' room and the four of us would open and play with the stocking presents. There was always a satsuma (left to go mouldy), gold coins, a book, a quiz type thing or puzzle game, and top trumps. We'd sit all snuggled in one of my brothers beds playing top trumps until around 7am when we'd go in to our parents room.

We'd show them what we had in our stockings and then get washed and teeth brushed. Dad would then go down to turn the tree lights on.

We had to have breakfast and a cup of tea before presents... I remember glancing longingly into the living room whilst trying to scarf down poached eggs on toast as fast as possible.

After breakfast and washing up, our parents then directed us what present to open, presumably so we didn't open any clues to subsequent presents (eg accessories for the 'main' present). It was generally one at a time. I remember getting very frustrated at mum making me try on new clothes etc. before opening the next one.

There would always be a new board game to play later on, and of course something fiddly and complicated to set up.

We would then take turns in having a shower or bath with the new Christmas bubble bath and dress for dinner. It was compulsory to wear as many of the new clothes as you feasibly could.

Dinner would be around 3pm and we would play with our toys and help mum do the table etc. We would always have prawn cocktail in a wine glass to start and my dad would have a bottle of blue nun.

Mother definitely went for penis portions. I was certainly never have been allowed a leg.

We would all agree to have pudding later and would watch a new film after lunch to chill out and let it settle.

After that we'd play games, including the new board game. Anyone unwise enough to pop round on Christmas day night would get roped in.

Father would declare it the best Christmas ever, and send us to bed.

This year will be different because it’s going to be just us (me Dh plus 3 dc). Stockings in our bed, pork pie for breakfast (family tradition). As we’re staying at home this year, we’ll probably have fizz while we open our big presents. I’m doing a low key dinner, and then for the evening we’re just doing various party food bits and home bakes that we never normally do. I might stay in pj’s all day, not sure yet! Normally we race around, dress up, please everyone - and this year I’ve said no!

I was always awake before DDs. I'd lie there ages before giving up, going down to make a coffee, light the fire and switch the fairy lights on and sit admiring the Christmas presents whilst I drank my first coffee. Then I'd make my second coffee to take back to bed as noisily as possible. Then I'd give up on them waking and run into their rooms shouting "He's been!!"
They would bring their stockings into my room and sit on my bed to open them while I had my second coffee. There was always a selection box in the stocking and they were allowed one bar of chocolate for "breakfast" . Then it was downstairs for their main presents and breakfast, after which I'd crack on with cooking dinner for whoever was coming over.
As they got a bit older we went away for a city break and they would get one main present on top of their stocking.
There's only me and youngest DD at home now, she's 21 and loves Christmas, she loves buying for everyone and starts shopping in September. We now exchange gifts at midnight and face time with DD1 and her partner while they also open their presents.
Both DDs still insist on their stocking for Christmas morning though (I get one too) and they must contain a selection box, a colouring book, but it must be a child's one, not a grown up one and some coloured sharpies. There's always an extra surprise in their stockings off me for Christmas morning.
We're meeting my eldest DD and her partner for lunch this year and afterwards they will go to her boyfriend's family while me and DD2 will go home and have a relaxing time and watch Hogfather.

@zombina - very bad cheap white wine. I feel obliged to have a glass but then spend the rest of the meal politely insisting I don't want a top up even if there is another bottle.

Bil moved last week so I was hoping this year might be rained off but nope. Just found out we are all going back to his after Christmas lunch to be shown around his new house "formally". Then we will go back to parents in laws to spend a few hours talking about he cooked the goose this year.

Zombina, I'm now wondering if you're my SIL. 😂

@Catsize it's possible... I am SIL to several people! Tell me more about your Christmas day routine!

They give really nice presents so it's nice to watch but NO IDEA how they did it when they were little kids!

One of my funniest present-opening memories is of when we had guests with 3 dogs - 2 big, one little - staying. The dogs were extremely interested in everyone else's.presents, and would watch intently while each was being opened. (They had their own, of course.).
All three now gone, 🙁 RIP.

Our own dog never showed any interest in anyone else's presents, and TBH very little in her own. Maybe she was a bit too thick to realise that those little packets contained treats.