Christmas presents

[Joe Biden 2020]

When do you normally open Christmas presents?

My family generally open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve evening. This year we will do it either Christmas Eve morning or the night of the 23rd.  We open stockings Christmas Morning, except this year which will be Dec 24.

[Tender Branson]

In Austria and most of Europe, the Christmas presents are opened in the evening of the 24th, usually after the eating. So basically at about 7pm.

[Dave from Michigan]

Christmas day of course, anything else is just wrong.

[Miles]

With my mom's side: Christmas Eve.

With my dad's side: Christmas Day.

[Ban my account ffs!]

In Austria and most of Europe, the Christmas presents are opened in the evening of the 24th, usually after the eating. So basically at about 7pm.

This.

My maternal grandmother's family always opened gifts and had a big dinner on Christmas Eve.  My grandfather always did everything on Christmas day.  It worked out nicely when they married because they could spend Christmas Eve with my grandma's family, and Christmas day with my grandpa's.

My grandma's family were all stoic Norwegian prudes who never touched alcohol, and everyone was borderline neurotic.  Basically, outside of shallow make-talk conversation, not much was said at the table.  My grandpa comes from German stock, though, and they love their beer (though he does not drink at all).. and their Christmas celebrations were decidedly more lively... which drove my grandma up the wall.  My grandma was basically a more prim and proper version of June Cleaver.. vacuuming the house with a pearl necklace on.  And Memorial day was an occasion... into the closet went the black apron, and out came the white! It's funny, though... in her old age, she's got to be the most calm, calming person I know.  Even if it took her a lifetime to learn it.

My dad's family mostly did everything on Christmas Eve (his side of the family is a dangerous mix of Swiss, Scottish, and Irish).  It's interesting.. I found out the first person to immigrate to the U.S. in my family came from Switzerland, married an Irish immigrant loyalist.  He fought for the British in the French and Indian War and died fleeing to Canada in 1776.  Yeah, they were that loyal

My great grandpa was raised by two Scottish immigrants in Canada before he came to the U.S. (first Michigan, then Missouri) as a young man.  His accent was so strong that my grandma told the story of his fear of mice until the day she died.  Upon seeing a mouse scurry across the kitchen floor, my great grandfather jumped on a chair and screamed "there's a moose in the hoose, get 'im oot!"

I'm sure you guys are all eager to know this stuff.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

Christmas morning when it was me, my wife, and my kids- Christmas Eve after dinner now that I am Grampa- spelling intentional on my part, not so on my adorable little granddaughter's ;-)

[Franzl]

Christmas Eve - the only civilized way.

[Donerail]

Both. Open one on Christmas Eve and all the rest Christmas Day.

[Dave from Michigan]

we actually did the open one on Christmas eve thing a few times. Also we would get our gifts from my grandparents on Christmas eve if that was the day we went out. Both of them passed away this last year unfortunately.

[AndrewTX]

I don't celebrate Christmas. I celebrate Festivus.

[dead0man]

My kids have had their presents from me for over a week already.  Google Nexus is the bee's knees.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

We're not doing gifts

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

It used to be Christmas Morning twenty years ago, but now, the family and I prefer to sleep in and do a "late brunch" where we open presents and eat leftovers from the night before. With fresh coffee and, occasionally, someone will bake a batch of cinnamon rolls for the event.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

My family has almost always opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve afternoon or evening.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Christmas Eve - the only civilized way.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Christmas Eve - the only civilized way.

Christmas morning is reserved for the children, since Santa comes.  My family goes easy on Santa since those presents are not wrapped, but just arranged under the tree....

Of course Santa doesn't come to my house anymore as we've all grown up.  But we will do stockings with lots of candy and small gifts.

[bore]

In Austria and most of Europe, the Christmas presents are opened in the evening of the 24th, usually after the eating. So basically at about 7pm.

This.

My maternal grandmother's family always opened gifts and had a big dinner on Christmas Eve.  My grandfather always did everything on Christmas day.  It worked out nicely when they married because they could spend Christmas Eve with my grandma's family, and Christmas day with my grandpa's.

My grandma's family were all stoic Norwegian prudes who never touched alcohol, and everyone was borderline neurotic.  Basically, outside of shallow make-talk conversation, not much was said at the table.  My grandpa comes from German stock, though, and they love their beer (though he does not drink at all).. and their Christmas celebrations were decidedly more lively... which drove my grandma up the wall.  My grandma was basically a more prim and proper version of June Cleaver.. vacuuming the house with a pearl necklace on.  And Memorial day was an occasion... into the closet went the black apron, and out came the white! It's funny, though... in her old age, she's got to be the most calm, calming person I know.  Even if it took her a lifetime to learn it.

My dad's family mostly did everything on Christmas Eve (his side of the family is a dangerous mix of Swiss, Scottish, and Irish).  It's interesting.. I found out the first person to immigrate to the U.S. in my family came from Switzerland, married an Irish immigrant loyalist.  He fought for the British in the French and Indian War and died fleeing to Canada in 1776.  Yeah, they were that loyal

My great grandpa was raised by two Scottish immigrants in Canada before he came to the U.S. (first Michigan, then Missouri) as a young man.  His accent was so strong that my grandma told the story of his fear of mice until the day she died.  Upon seeing a mouse scurry across the kitchen floor, my great grandfather jumped on a chair and screamed "there's a moose in the hoose, get 'im oot!"

I'm sure you guys are all eager to know this stuff.

Your grandpa was raised by members of Lord Rockinghams XI?

[Ban my account ffs!]

In Austria and most of Europe, the Christmas presents are opened in the evening of the 24th, usually after the eating. So basically at about 7pm.

This.

My maternal grandmother's family always opened gifts and had a big dinner on Christmas Eve.  My grandfather always did everything on Christmas day.  It worked out nicely when they married because they could spend Christmas Eve with my grandma's family, and Christmas day with my grandpa's.

My grandma's family were all stoic Norwegian prudes who never touched alcohol, and everyone was borderline neurotic.  Basically, outside of shallow make-talk conversation, not much was said at the table.  My grandpa comes from German stock, though, and they love their beer (though he does not drink at all).. and their Christmas celebrations were decidedly more lively... which drove my grandma up the wall.  My grandma was basically a more prim and proper version of June Cleaver.. vacuuming the house with a pearl necklace on.  And Memorial day was an occasion... into the closet went the black apron, and out came the white! It's funny, though... in her old age, she's got to be the most calm, calming person I know.  Even if it took her a lifetime to learn it.

My dad's family mostly did everything on Christmas Eve (his side of the family is a dangerous mix of Swiss, Scottish, and Irish).  It's interesting.. I found out the first person to immigrate to the U.S. in my family came from Switzerland, married an Irish immigrant loyalist.  He fought for the British in the French and Indian War and died fleeing to Canada in 1776.  Yeah, they were that loyal

My great grandpa was raised by two Scottish immigrants in Canada before he came to the U.S. (first Michigan, then Missouri) as a young man.  His accent was so strong that my grandma told the story of his fear of mice until the day she died.  Upon seeing a mouse scurry across the kitchen floor, my great grandfather jumped on a chair and screamed "there's a moose in the hoose, get 'im oot!"

I'm sure you guys are all eager to know this stuff.

Your grandpa was raised by members of Lord Rockinghams XI?

Lol..no.

His accent wasn't Scottish... but a very strong Canadian accent.  People raised in Canada/the U.S. by immigrants tend to have a Canadian/American accent.  And he probably did get the saying from somewhere else.  (Perhaps his own parents, who were Scottish)

[HagridOfTheDeep]

My holiday schedule is usually something close to this:

December 24
My aunt and uncle on my mom's side come down from the Kawarthas to stay at my grandma's place in Etobicoke. They're usually in by about three in the afternoon. Meanwhile, everyone on my dad's side of the family is getting ready to go to the seven o'clock church service. We head over there about a half hour early, and it really is beautiful. The lights are turned down low, the candles are on, and we sing about six or seven carols throughout the night.

After that, we say goodbye to my dad's side of the family and get ready to go see my grandmother and my recently-arrived aunt and uncle. We pick up Chinese food and KFC on the way and take it on over to my grandma's cramped, over-decorated, semi-detatched home. We feast. Then we usually end up watching It's a Wonderful Life. I know KFC and Chinese food sound terrible, but this is my favourite Christmas tradition.

December 25
The same aunt, uncle, and grandma come over to our place for Christmas morning. They bring all their gifts for everyone (including each other), so the living room floor is pretty covered. We go through and open each gift, and then we make brunch for everyone. They stay until three or four in the afternoon. Sometimes we'll play Mexican train or something.

Then, at night, we head over to my aunt and uncle's place (from my dad's side), to meet them, my two cousins, and my grandma and grandpa. Usually this night will be a little stressful, because my aunt operates in a very particular way that doesn't always jive with the rest of the family. Anyhow, this is our first turkey dinner of the season. I enoy it. We exchange gifts after dinner.

December 26
We see my mom's side of the family again, plus her other brother, his wife and all our cousins. We used to be quite detached from the brother: Maybe 15 years ago, he got divorced and remarried a real sour woman who wanted nothing to do with us. He had three boys (now in their late-20s), and the new wife had three girls. Unfortunately, the dynamics of the mixed family did not favour my cousins, so there's some unspoken feelings towards my "aunt" that are a bit unfortunate. Anyhow, she's started to come around, so we now have them over at Christmas. My mom makes a second turkey dinner, we exchange trinkets with my mom's brother's family. One cousin is an Occupier who was on a soul-searching mission to New Zealand where he lived out of a car for a year and relied on deportation to get him home. It's a little tough for me.

So ends Christmas.