What’s your opinion , having to open presents a day later for the giver to see your reaction ?

[ShareLove]

Basically what is your opinion on this ? Me and my partner spent Christmas with each our own families , not together for chistmas dinner . I spent it with my family and he spent it with his . So I gave him all the presents to take to his family today on Christmas Day even if I can’t see them open them , but his family didn’t give my gifts to him to bring home to me later on . Is this normal ? I know they want to see my face opening presents the next day when I go buy why would they not send the presents home to me with my partner so I can open them today at Christmas Day ? Btw I hate opening presents in front of people
I already know they answer , they want to see my face opening the presents but my question is WHY ? Presents should be opened on Christmas Day when it’s possible and it was possible but they didn’t want that .

No. It’s all about the giving surely and seeing people’s reactions?

They have either got you something wonderful
or they only think about themselves.

I hope it's the former but brace yourself for a size 18 winceyette chin-to-ankle nightie or brushed nylon floral housecoat

We normally wait and open with whoever has given the presents if we are seeing them soon, makes Christmas go on for longer!!

Why do people need to be there? I genuinely find this very weird. Sort of almost egotistical?

All this talk of 'the joy on their faces' and 'the delight on their faces' you see on MN - I can't get my head round it. You give people presents for Christmas. They're presents, not performative transactions for the personal gratification of the giver, unless maybe you're a Julio-Claudian emperor.

@MerryChristmasToYou hey , no they haven’t got my anything wonderful just bits and bobs like every year but for them it doesn’t matter then want me to go around tomorrow and open them so they can see me opening them . I just don’t get it . I gave them all the presents today on Christmas Day but I wasn’t there to see them to open them , my partner went to see them so I asked him to take the presents as it’s Christmas Day and people open presents today :)
I understand if you live far away and can’t get down so you have to wait but I could have had mine but they won’t let that happen .

My partner said it’s selfish if i wanted him to bring the presents home to me because they want to see me open them themselves .

We would always wait (a sensible amount of time) to open gifts with the people who bought them.
If you are seeing them tomorrow then I would have definitely kept your gifts to give to you in person. I’m not a child who needs my gifts NOW. I can wait.
If it was going to be months then that’s different, but waiting 1 day?? It’s much, much nicer to see the person when you open it.

@Smartiepants79 hey , yes I’m not a child , I don’t need the presents today , but I hate opening presents in front of people and I don’t understand why they need to see my face when I open them . I hate it lol

YABU, presents don't only have to be opened on xmas day, we always spread the presents out for when we see various family and friends

I would have found it weird that you’d sent gifts along when I was going to see you the next day.
Everyone does thing differently. It doesn’t really impact you so just let them do what makes them happy….. Just like you’ve done what makes you happy.

@Lazypuppy my partner did see his family , he got his presents but they wouldn’t let him bring me mine home to me

It’s 5 mins of minor discomfort and it makes other people happy. Grit your teeth and accept your presents gratefully.

If we are not spending time with the giver over Christmas we het before and open at home on Christmas day. If we are seeing them at any point we wait and open together.

If you are going there tomorrow I think it's weird to expect their gifts today.

I know people want to see you face when you open presents but I hate it and why they need to see us open presents , we are adults not children .

@ShareLove
my partner did see his family , he got his presents but they wouldn’t let him bring me mine home to me

But you say you are seeing them tomorrow, so why wouldn't you just open your presents tomorrow when you are there?

This is super creepy. It's about giving pleasure to you, not getting pleasure from your reaction.

I always do my utmost to get presents to people so they can open them on Christmas day. It loses its specialness otherwise.

I always do my utmost to get presents to people so they can open them on Christmas day. It loses its specialness otherwise.

But that doesn't give you the opportunity to regift your unwanted presents

Presents should be opened on Christmas Day when it’s possible

Oh see no, I don't agree with this.

If you will see people over the Christmas period then the presents should be given, and opened, on the day you see the people.

If you won't see the person then the present is for Christmas day.

I don't expect people to be delighted with a gift I gave but I like seeing what they think of it and I like the interaction in discussing it - I might comment on what made me choose it or something like that. People often make an initial comment when they first open a gift that they forget or don't repeat later and I just like little interactions like that.

As a recipient I don’t ever want to open a present without the giver there to say thanks to/talk about it or whatever. I’ve never really seen it all about the fiver wanting to see my reaction. It’s a two way thing to give and receive. Even opening presents from family the other side of the world was a child we always tried to do it when we could be on the phone or able to phone right after opening to say thanks etc.
It’s not all about them surely.
Understand if you don’t like to open them publicly but I think this might be rather unusually ??
Anyway hope you manage ok tomorrow.

We like to spread it out and make the presents last a few days especially if we’re seeing people, not necessarily about seeing reactions of people but more about the communal giving and receiving of gifts . You can’t beat it! Also gives time to appreciate one lot of gifts before opening the next. We have always done this before we had dc, now it works even better and helps him really see, play and appreciate a few things at a time.