Originally Posted By wendebird I've always done the same thing at Christmas. Let my kids open one present on Christmas Eve & the rest on Christmas Day. It's so much fun seeing the presents start to pile up under the tree. Watching the kids shake the boxes, wonder what's inside. I just love the excitment it brings. Well, I just got an email from my s-i-l saying my niece loved all her presents. I was kinda like, excuse me? Well it turns out, they don't wait to open any gifts, or put them under the tree. She lets her dd open them as she gets them in the mail. FWIW, my niece is 3-1/2 years old. I know, it's not my child, but it just seems, so wrong to me. it seems to zap all the excitement of the pretty packages under the tree. Anyone have any takes on this? Is this a new tradition starting? Or am I just an old fogey?
Originally Posted By Deogges Mom Gifts should be opened on Christmas day. My husband and I used to open one gift from each other on Christmas Eve if we were going to my Mom's on Christmas day. That way we had our own Christmas together by ourselves.
Originally Posted By Ursula Your SIL is weird. The only gifts I open NOT on Christmas are work gifts, when people ask me to open upon receipt...so they can see me jump for joy at the gift. (Command-in-Chief people, I'm looking at you!)
Originally Posted By Shooba Wrapped gifts received in the mail should be opened on Christmas Day. When I get together with friends prior to Christmas we open things (Dec 17 this year) because opening in front of each other is half the fun.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS wendebird, Your SIL is kinda wacky. That to me seems like it ruins the whole spirit of Christmas, Santa, and all that entails. I couldn't imagine taking that anticipation away from a child. My dd gets one gift on Christmas Eve, which I choose. If that week she's been complaining that she's cold, her gift is socks. Or PJs. Or whatever makes her more comfortable on Christmas morning. Sometimes her eve gift is a book. It depends on what the mood calls for.
Originally Posted By debtee I also think your SIL is making a rod for her own back. At 3 years old it's going to be very hard to pull that tradtion back now and all the excitment of sitting down together and opening pressies is gone. Imagine when she's 15 and still wants all her pressies early, not so cute anymore! Your girls have something to look forward to every year and I agree I love seeing all the pressies stacked under the tree!
Originally Posted By SuzieQ They should be opened when the family celebrates, whether it's Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Originally Posted By goodgirl I agree with SuzieQ. When we were little, on Christmas Eve afternoon, my mom would let us open one gift. It was the gift from my Aunt Josephine and Uncle Joe. They always gave us some sort of game or craft thing that would keep us busy for several hours until guests arrived.
Originally Posted By quincytoo One present Christmas Eve the rest on Christmas Morning is how we have always done it.... I have heard of some families celebrating on Christmas Eve and that works too ...but.....as soon as they arrive in the mail?????
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Originally Posted By LuLu I'm with you, Wendy, I love seeing the packages under the tree! And the anticipation is a good thing!
Originally Posted By wendebird Phew, thanks guys. I'm glad from the looks of your responses, I'm not the only one who feels this way. >>That should be proof that children are not capable of making decisions no matter how minor they may seem.<< Most certainly. Funny thing though, my niece isn't whining about it at all. It's my s-i-l that can't wait & let's her open them early. Aye yi yi. Opening one gift on Christmas Eve probably did start from kids going crazy with anticipation, or maybe just so the parents could get them to play quietly, or whatever. It's just always been a family tradition for us. My kids have had great fun this year examining the presents under the tree & deciding which one they're going to open on Christmas Eve. I let my s-i-l know next year I wouldn't mail the package so soon. (She's in PA & I'm in CA) I'll be sending it priority on the 22nd.
Originally Posted By SuzieQ My husband's family has always celebrated on Christmas Eve. They go skiing on Christmas! It's been that way all their lives.
Originally Posted By Lisann22 I'm with everyone else. We've had to change it up a bit due to scheduling but gifts OF ANY KIND are only opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day period! Only exception is if the giver asks us to open in front of them or as Ursula stated work stuff at the job.
Originally Posted By Big Thunder I wont say your SIL is weird, I guess that's her thing. However I wouldn't do that. I like your tradition better, opening one on Christmas eve, and the rest on Christmas morning, that's how it was for me growing up. However my wife's family tradition was opening them at Midnight Christmas eve. So we now do some of both, we go to my in laws, Christmas eve exchange gifts their, then the next morning we open our gifts here at home. I understand how Goofyernmost felt, I was allowed to pick one gift from under the tree on Christmas eve, I spent all day thinking about which one. I didn't want to pick the coup de gras, I wanted that surprise for Christmas, but I wanted one that would make me happy, I'd hopefully not pick one with pajamas or something. Anyway regardless of what I picked, on Christmas morning I wished I had that one to still open. LOL
Originally Posted By wendebird Big Thunder, I always did the same thing! If I knew my one big gift that I really, really wanted was under the tree, I wouldn't open that on Christmas Eve. I'd wait for the morning. I remember one year opening something like socks on Christmas Eve that my Mom had put in a huge box & wrapped real pretty trying to trick me. Man, was I one sad little girl, lol.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka We were always allowed to open one present on Xmas Eve. One year I desperately wanted the Pretty in Pink Barbie. My brother bought it for me and it was wrapped and put under the tree. The second I saw that distinctively shaped box I knew what it was. I could barely wait to get my hot little hands on that doll! You bet I opened it on Xmas Eve. Never regretted it for a second! LOL I loved that Barbie too. Pretty clothes. ;-)
Originally Posted By JazzCat I think it's more tacky of her to thank you before Christmas than to let her 3 1/2 year old open them. I wonder what she'll do if your niece throws a temper tantrum on Christmas when she doesn't have any gifts left to open though.
Originally Posted By MissCandice Yeah, that seems to set up a disappointing Chrimbo morning, gift wise. We always did one gift on the eve and then all the gifts on Christmas day. I personally have very little self control when it comes to gifts so I open them if I can
