Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

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

Original poster

do you have a 'routine' on christmas day re:presents, or do you open them all in one go?

34 replies

AnAngelWithin · 18/12/2008 11:32

My lot always open their stockings when they wake up. Get dressed and go downstairs. They open their 'little presents' (from us) then they have breakfast. Then they open their 'main presents' (from us) Then they have the rest of the time to play while I do dinner etc. After lunch, they open their presents from the rest of our family. Then in the evening, when they are in their PJs, my dcs exchange their gifts between themselves, which they love, and open any cards that have got money in (i put them on the tree the night before if i know they have got money/vouchers in) and one last present from us that we save to open, usually just a little something, pencils or book or something. Then after the dcs have gone to bed, dh and I open our presents and exchange our gifts between us.

I remember when i was younger it was just a case of get up and unwrap all the presents all in one go. I like spacing it out for my lot! Something to look forward

OP posts:
Marne · 18/12/2008 11:34

Dd1 is realy slow at opening presents and would be happy to take her time and even save some for boxing day but DH likes to get all the paper and packaging out of the way ASAP.

I like them taking there time so they know who's given them what.

deckthegirlandboywithholly · 18/12/2008 11:36

Blimey, you're organised.

Stockings - opened on our bed.
Downstairs - open everything else within reach!
Grandparents come later at noon - open the rest.

eidsvold · 18/12/2008 11:37

start christmas eve - have dinner at aunt's house - open presents after dinner - dds run around like mad women until midnight and beyond.

open stockings,

have breakfst,

open the rest under the tree.

Go to grandmas for lunch - open more there before lunch.

pagwatch · 18/12/2008 11:38

father christmas first thing. Then breakfast. Then dog walk. Then lunch Then family presents.
All others about an hour before bed .
We do thenm a bit at a time. I hate it when people just thrash through wrapping paper looking for the next thing

Besides I need to know what they got for thank you cards

Original poster
AnAngelWithin · 18/12/2008 11:40

same here pagwatch i like to write 'thank you for the xx you gave to dc', rather than 'just a thank you for the gift'

OP posts:
HensMum · 18/12/2008 11:43

It's only DS's 2nd Christmas so we haven't developed any traditions yet but my family's way of doing it was opening stockings first thing, then presents later on in the morning when the dinner was sorted. Us children took it in turns to take a present from under the tree and give it to the recipient. Recipient opens it, thanks the relevant person if they are there or if not, parent makes a note of what it is and who it's from so thank you notes can be written.
A nice organised way of doing things! And I liked doing the stockings first then waiting for the rest. Stockings used to keep us busy (they were fairly substantial and Mum was clever enough to put a board game in so we had something to do while lunch was being sorted) and we had the anticipation of opening the rest.

NewHollyOtherIvy · 18/12/2008 11:44

DS wakes us up around 7ish, stumble downstairs, put the kettle on

He opens all his presents from us, then off to GPs for their presents and Christmas Morning snacks. DS goes to his dad's around 12 and we go back home.

Lunch usually takes all afternoon , chill with a glass of something lovely, try to stay awake.

Boxing day is lunch at GPs - more presents from aunts and uncles.

Neeerly3 · 18/12/2008 11:44

in my youth, it was stockings in grandparents bed (mum and dad usually hungover after xmas eve), downstairs when Grandad put Bagpipe music on full blast on the stereo......breakfast, usually kippers, bucks fizz, rest of family surface and we did BIG presents.

All day to play, snack, watch tele, then have christmas lunch/dinner and we had a tradition of a small tree in the dining room which had small presents under which we did in the evening.

Now I am a parent to 2 x 4yo, its stockings in bed, downstairs for breakfast, avoiding the lounge, wait for grandparents to arrive, then all presents in the lounge. play with new toys, watch TV, snooze, snack chat, then dinner, booze and sleep!

hockeypuck · 18/12/2008 11:46

I have to admit that I detest the way my husbands family have always done it - they just sit there and rip the paper off everything and haven't got a clue who has what from whom, all done far too quickly.

Ours starts on Christmas eve. We have sandwiches for lunch and DH gives the DCs and me a DVD each (something off our lists). The DCs watch those and then go to the park with him while I make the christmas dinner (we do it on christmas eve so we can have more of a chilled leftovers day on Christmas Day). In the evening we have roast dinner with all the trimmings and then the DCs have one little present each before bed - this year it is a cushion each for their bedrooms (Percy Pig for DS and butterfly for DD) - but it's normally PJs or slippers or something like that.

On Christmas Day they have their stockings when they wake up then breakfast and church. Then they open the presents bit by bit for the afternoon and into the early evening.

We're seeing my family on 20th, so they will open their presents from them and from aunt/uncle then. They are seeing their other grandparents/great grandparents/cousins etc over New Year, so will have another bundle of things then.

Ridiculous amounts really - but I quite like the idea of having it all spread out and keeping that excitement going a bit longer.

Original poster
AnAngelWithin · 18/12/2008 11:48

i agree with the trying to keep the excitement going! you spend so long preparing for it, choosing gifts and wrapping them, its such a shame for it all to be over and done with within an hour!

OP posts:
OhYouMerryMerryKitten · 18/12/2008 11:49

dd opens her stocking in our bed. Then after a cup of tea has been shoved into my hand we go downstairs and open the rest of our presents.

dhs family have always had this odd thing of during Christmas dinner a present for each person miraculously arrive under the tree. Each labeled to so-and-so from TREE. I've always been really about that. dd loves it and spends forever making sure she chooses a tree that might be a magic tree. She thinks she has some special power not given to other children to discern this

However after all my secret face pulling dhs family have now said they don't want to do tree presents anymore as it was something their Mum did when they were kids. For some this has really enraged me despite the fact that we can carry it on in our little family group without them being involved and dh sent a restrained email asking them not to talk about the abolition of the TREE present.

weblette · 18/12/2008 11:54

Stockings on our bed, breakfast then Santa presents. Other presents after lunch.

TheVirginGoober · 18/12/2008 11:55

Santa always leaves a small present in the kid's rooms which they open as soon as they wake up. This is always a book, in the hope that after waking at 4.30, they might read quietly for an hour or so. Pah!

They come down for breakfast in pyjamas and we all open everything taking in turns, making sure they have read the labels. This takes hours. DH and I do this too.

After a mahoosive lunch the dog hands out her presents, I might help her with that!

Boxing day we have our tree presents. A small gift which is hidden in the tree branches.

Tortington · 18/12/2008 11:57

do you have a huge amount of presnet s then? mykids only have four or five and for ds (15) 3 OF them are games for his consolethat we wrapped seperatley

Icantbelieveitsnotbitter · 18/12/2008 11:58

Stockings opened in PJs in mum & dad's bed. Eat chocolate within !

Breakfast & get ready. More stocking chocolate.

Lunch, with a small table present.

After all washing up done, bagsy the comfy chair, and youngest distributes all presents. Very orderly affair - 1 present at a time, watch everyone else (mum frantically scratching details in a pad for thank you letters - this year it's a thanks for the present letter not too specific !!)

Snooze, tv, booze, board game, etc

Turkey sandwiches & christmas cake !!

neversaydie · 18/12/2008 11:58

Stockings are opened when we wake up (we all have a stocking present). Theoretically DS is supposed to wait until 6.30, but we don't police it.

Then downstairs for breakfast. Once everyone is bathed and dressed then we open the 'main' presents. Lunch is a picnic - although usually indoors now we live in a cold climate. We aim to have a walk or something after lunch.

Christmas dinner early evening, and then just before bed the 'christmas tree' present, which is something small just to cushion the end of the day. DS's is often a new book, to encourage him off to bed.

TheVirginGoober · 18/12/2008 11:59

Mine don't have a stocking, they have all small and large together in a pile. I reckon all together they get about 25 each.

Tortington · 18/12/2008 12:03

ok i feel guilty, i might have to go and buy a stocking for the first time ever

Tortington · 18/12/2008 12:03

25 each!

shit, i should get to shops.

TrinityRhino · 18/12/2008 12:04

25 presents each!!!!!!

shit, I thought I gave them too much lol

TheVirginGoober · 18/12/2008 12:05

Custy, some of those things might be apir of socks, a hair clip, a pen. Don't feel pressurised to buy more, your kids will expect more next year too.
I overcompensate with mine as they have no other buying relatives.

TheVirginGoober · 18/12/2008 12:06

25 not all large presents TR.

Marne · 18/12/2008 12:06

We are doing stockings this year, only with a few little things in, just to keep them in there beds a bit longer before they go downstairs to open the big presents. Mine are getting around 20 things each but some are books i got for £1 each, socks, pants and then a few big things.

mumblechum · 18/12/2008 12:07

DS is getting about 20, I've just worked out, but about half of them are things like shower gel, chocs etc so not really that excessive.

I don't know what he's getting for main pres this year, dh won't tell me as he knows I'm a blabbermouth & will drop hints

mumblechum · 18/12/2008 12:07

Oh, yes and 3 of the presents I got for ds were 1p from Amazon market place (plus postage)

Swipe left for the next trending thread