When does your family traditionally open your presents?

[MadAussie]

when I was a kid mum always tree upped on dec 1st (dad would not allow it any earlier) and goes down dec 31st. never did stockings (till I married me wife and her family do it but she is american and bings all the americanness to my xmas).

xmas day was hot lunch (bbq, roast chicken, lamb, ham, corned beef, every meat you can think of). xmas dinner is cold meats and salad (leftover meats from lunch).. beer + bangers and day out at the beach.

I miss bbq lunch and cold meat salad and dont like the snow on xmas day.

[function]

My wife's family does presents the way Wendell does. My family did things the way Chris does, the one present either coming after midnight mass or before bed if were going to church at another time.

I don't remember when we bought the tree when my family had a natural tree, I just remember the December that my brother and I were congested for a solid month. Since that point, we put up the artificial tree and started decorating the day after thanksgiving, mostly because my dad was off that day and it was convenient to bring the decorations and tree down from the attic.

[GA Russell]

Both of my parents were from Boston. We got our Christmas tree about two weeks before Christmas and as a family (there were five of us) put it up in the living room right away. It stayed up till the first work/school day in January, when my mom took it down by herself.

My dad considered opening presents Christmas Eve to be a sign of moral weakness. My parents' wedding anniversary was Dec. 23. Christmas Eve was just another day on the calendar for us.

We had a very structured routine for Christmas. We would get up early, and the three kids would open the small gifts in our stockings. Then the five of us would open one present. We would then get dressed and go to 8:00 am Mass. Upon coming home, we would open one more present, and then retire to the kitchen table for breakfast.

It was not until then that we would settle around the tree and take as long as it took to open the presents, taking turns so that everyone could admire what each of us received. It used to take us hours to open the presents, and finally the turkey would be ready for dinner.

[Aztecface]

Both of my parents were from Boston. We got our Christmas tree about two weeks before Christmas and as a family (there were five of us) put it up in the living room right away. It stayed up till the first work/school day in January, when my mom took it down by herself.

My dad considered opening presents Christmas Eve to be a sign of moral weakness. My parents' wedding anniversary was Dec. 23. Christmas Eve was just another day on the calendar for us.

We had a very structured routine for Christmas. We would get up early, and the three kids would open the small gifts in our stockings. Then the five of us would open one present. We would then get dressed and go to 8:00 am Mass. Upon coming home, we would open one more present, and then retire to the kitchen table for breakfast.

It was not until then that we would settle around the tree and take as long as it took to open the presents, taking turns so that everyone could admire what each of us received. It used to take us hours to open the presents, and finally the turkey would be ready for dinner.

That's what I call a tradition.

[ichabod]

This year we've opened gifts with the kids all through the holiday season, Hanukkah, Yule, whatever - it's all the same to me.

When I was a kid in England we'd put the tree up on xmas eve and then open our gifts when we got home from midnight mass. The tree would come down before the 6th, due in part to a tradition/superstition my mother held, and in part to getting it down before my birthday (the 7th).

With the lack of much emphasis on boxing day in the US, we've fallen into the habit of having a big celebration meal on xmas eve, and opening gifts etc., then having a smaller meal on xmas day itself, treating it more like boxing day and giving the kids more time to enjoy their gifts. This year, of course, the 4 day weekend worked out very nicely.

In Tampa I saw trees and decorations go up on Thanksgiving, and stay for a couple of months or more. I put it down to compensating for lack of any snow or seasonal feeling.

[bernards66]

Dominic, Thank you! Northern England...very traditional area....tree goes up on Christmas Eve!.....right!....there you go. I've always entirely ignored the whole Tampa trip in these matters and have cleaved to the old ways.
Regards,
Gordon

[Scrapyard Ape]

This stuff about the tree and when it gets set up (and taken down) is interesting. We used to get our tree two or three days before Christmas and take it down on New Years Eve. As time went by, we started getting the tree earlier. My parents now put up the tree on December 1st. (New Years eve is still the "demolition" day)

My dad once said that trees cost so damn much now, that he wants to get as much display time in as possible. (real trees... he hates plastic)

[Crhis]

Christmas trees up on the 24th in Northern England? News to me!

We put ours up as late as possible... the 3rd week of December or so, but other friends and family here put them up in the 1st week, much earlier than in other parts of England!

[ichabod]

Dominic, Thank you! Northern England...very traditional area....tree goes up on Christmas Eve!.....right!....there you go. I've always entirely ignored the whole Tampa trip in these matters and have cleaved to the old ways.
Regards,
Gordon

And of course it comes to me now - the "superstition/tradition my mother held" was only bloody Twelfth Night, wasn't it? How would I forget that?

[bernards66]

Dominic, Because we're self centered?.....no, nevermind....we don't want to get into that....sigh.....yes, Twelfth Night, of course.
Regards,
Gordon

[diggity]

When I was a child, my family's tradition was to open up one gift on Christmas Eve, then the rest of the presents on Christmas Day. I thoroughly enjoyed that tradition and plan on handing it down to my children.