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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

We did presents one at a time and it was nice

53 replies

TinfoilTwat · 25/12/2022 19:34

We do stockings early, and then tree presents from family once everyone is up and dressed, lunch is ready, everything is a bit tidy. Usually we divide into piles and then all open at once. I end up sitting there watching everyone else and forgetting to open anything! This year we went round in a circle and opened one at a time so everyone could watch and enjoy it being opened. It was fab! Only dh and me and the kids, so no extended family to impress. Everyone liked it and we're adopting it going forward.

OP posts:
Gagaandgag · 25/12/2022 21:11

We’ve always done this - even the young children 6 and 3 do it naturally and really
enjoy it. Makes it feel
so special

Gagaandgag · 25/12/2022 21:13

224 presents?!!!!

Original poster
TinfoilTwat · 25/12/2022 21:16

Fuwari · 25/12/2022 21:01

This isn't a novel idea OP! We've always done it that each person has one gift to open at the same time. That way, no pressure on everyone watching you but at the same time done slowly enough for everyone to say thank you and see the gifts they've given being appreciated. There were only 3 of us and maybe 6 gifts each but it still took about half an hour.

Don't worry! I do not think I invented this idea! I was just sharing my experience!

OP posts:
Banjaxx · 25/12/2022 21:19

224 presents doesn’t count… just cos the sweeties in the Rose’s tins are all individually wrapped and you got a couple of Tina doesn’t mean you can count each sweet as a separate present (plus the coffee creams don’t count at all… they actively put you in negative equity)

AngelinaFibres · 25/12/2022 21:26

Knockagain · 25/12/2022 20:37

As a child I use to hate this 😁, pure torture!

Me too. This thread gave me flashbacks. Such pressure to do ' the face'. Can't bear people watching me open things. We did it at home for years. Hated it.

ClaryFairchild · 25/12/2022 21:38

This only works with close family and if everyone gets an equal(ish) number of presents. Otherwise it's boring as fuck for visitors and it can make discrepancies horribly visible.

hildgard · 25/12/2022 21:49

Always do this. For stockings too. We don't do a huge pile though.

shard5 · 25/12/2022 21:50

We do the same at eid. Starting from youngest child to eldest then grandparents then the rest of the adults.
It's all very exciting for everyone.

Fleabigg · 25/12/2022 21:52

We do this, DH, DD and I. It can be testing for her when she’s in a hurry to open her presents (she’s only 5) but she’s getting better at it! It’s how we did it when I was growing up so is just habit for me. She gets her stocking all to herself to open when she wakes up though.

rainbowandglitter · 25/12/2022 21:55

That's my worst nightmare. The thought of being watched while opening presents is my idea of hell. Having to give appropriate reactions, give thanks in front of an audience etc. No thanks

Weatherwax13 · 25/12/2022 22:00

We didn't do it strictly one at a time but I did insist this year that we space all the GC's presents in two gos through the morning then the adults opened theirs after dinner over coffee while the kids had heaps to play with.
It was much more relaxed. I was being very controversial as any change of tradition sparks a riot with my lot but they really enjoyed themselves.

ofwarren · 25/12/2022 22:00

rainbowandglitter · 25/12/2022 21:55

That's my worst nightmare. The thought of being watched while opening presents is my idea of hell. Having to give appropriate reactions, give thanks in front of an audience etc. No thanks

Mine too
4 ND people in my house though and it's common to really hate being watched opening presents.
As a child, I used to save mine till boxing day or take them into my room to open alone.
The pressure to react in the 'right way' is immense.

ShakeYourFeathers · 25/12/2022 23:28

We do it like this. So that each present is appreciated. Also so that it can be noted what was from who, so that thank you letters, texts emails can be sent

Pandor · 25/12/2022 23:38

That seems to make present giving a performance. Most of the time with my family presents are handed out but people are left to read the labels, open them, and thank the giver/talk about the gift (if they want to) without that having to be done in front of an audience.

thecathasbeenfed · 26/12/2022 07:47

That method sounds excruciatingly dull and drawn out but each to their own and glad you enjoyed it OP.

Original poster
TinfoilTwat · 26/12/2022 08:25

I don't know if you meant it that way @thecathasbeenfed but it comes across as really mean-spirited to comment that it sounds "excruciatingly dull". We had a lovely family Christmas and the five of us enjoyed watching each other open the presents we had bought for each other. We don't have massive, extravagant Christmas piles. Opening them one-by-one took about 20 minutes and we all had fun and enjoyed it. That's all. I wasn't suggesting it would work for everyone. I was just sharing something nice in the Christmas topic.

OP posts:
Natsku · 26/12/2022 08:33

thecathasbeenfed · 26/12/2022 07:47

That method sounds excruciatingly dull and drawn out but each to their own and glad you enjoyed it OP.

I loved it as a child, not dull at all trying to guess what my brothers got before they opened or the family jokes that arose from the guesses. The other way sounds boring as there's no interaction or fun.

IScreamMonday · 26/12/2022 08:35

We always do it that way with and love it.
It's never l occured to me to worry about doing a 'face' when opening presents but Christmas is just close family so need for a performance.

IScreamMonday · 26/12/2022 08:35

Urgh, I mean no need for a performance

Daffodilis · 26/12/2022 08:38

We do this, but next time I must remember to keep the mini nerf guns I got for my grown up sons last, 3 6footers hiding behind doors and what not 😄😄😄

Singleandproud · 26/12/2022 08:39

In our family the youngest person is in charge of dishing out the presents too. I think DlittleBro was thrilled when my DD was old enough to take over the mantle, he'd been doing it for 2 decades lol.

littleblackno · 26/12/2022 08:52

For the past few years (possibly when youngest dc was about 9/10 ish) we have done forfeits before opening a present.

I found the opening presents bit of the day was over quite quickly and felt like an anti-climax once the kids no longer received toys in the same way as when they were younger.

The forfeits are things like sing a Carol, make the queen speech, open a present with your feet, make everyone a cuppa..... its always good fun. DCs are now 14 and 17 and they still enjoy it. They write them all out on Xmas eve.

itsgettingweird · 26/12/2022 08:52

We all sit and everyone gets a present each from under the tree.

They open them at same time but it does mean that we all see what's opened as we show everyone.

dementedma · 26/12/2022 08:57

We do that. Its much nicer. We also moved present opening to the evening for the first time and it was great. Dark outside so all candles lit and tree twinkling, glass of wine,all very relaxed after a lovely dinner. DCs are adults though so no little kids to deal with

Badhip · 26/12/2022 09:02

We've always done it like that and everyone needs to be in the room too. So when the cook pops out to the kitchen, there's a break in proceedings.

The biggest bust up I ever had with MIL was when she carried on opening presents with toddler DS while I was in the kitchen!

There were 9 adults for our Christmas yesterday. We didn't finish the presents until 4pm 😆