Present Opening Etiquette

Rachel85

I'm intrigued to know how present opening works in your houses.

In ours (there are no young children, I guess this makes a difference) we put everything under the tree and all sit round it. Someone will start by dishing out a few presents to everyone and we open all at the same time, then people will have a rummage for something of theirs, open it, open more andd more until its all done.

I hate it.

I hate the fact that I've spent a long time thinking of what to buy someone, wrappig it up and then it'll get given out to them by someone who happens to be sat by the tree or finds its on top of something of theirs. So I don't often get to see them open it.

We don't really have time (actually we do, but I think people would get bored) to open each present one person at a time but I'd love to find a better option than what we do. I had wondered about each person taking it in turns to give their gifts (that's what I've insisted on doing in the past!) but, for example, my parents will buy me and my brother loads of gifts, but less for my grandparents and then I'll tend to spend more than my brother who's a student and I don't want anyone feeling awkward about what they've bought.

The reason I've started thinking about this particularly is because this year I've decided to be a little more generous than usual - for one year only(!) - and I feel I need to explain that before giving them as my parents will get annoyed that I've spent too much etc etc. I don't want to give them first if it ends up over shaddowing other gifts (which they shouldn't) but if I do it last it could be over-hyped. So any suggestions re this situation would be appreciated!

I'd love to hear what you all do.

Thanks
Rachel85

alyssa_liss

we open them one gift per person a time but theres not alot of us, or any young ones

KittyKate

I stay at my hubby's family on Christmas Eve (as it's his birthday, bless him). In the morning we get up and each person gets their little pile of presents around them. Then we all open them, 1 person opens a present at a time as we can all see their face & see what they got! The bigger ones tend to get opened last but if you take your time no presents will or should overshadow the others as you're giving them equal attention.

Then on Christmas afternoon we drive to my parents and do it all again!!

Rachel85

Wow thanks for the speedy replies - its really nice to hear what other people do.

I love the idea of opening one present at a time - I think I'll suggest it. Its just with 8 people it could take ages and some people have more presents (quantity) than others. Do you find there comes a point where one or two people have loads left and others have opened all theirs? Perhaps I shouldn't be too concerned, we're all adults after all!

I was wondering about suggesting that we do stockings first (my gran does these, and then I do one for her). They tend to be silly (but nice) little things that we can open quite quickly. Then we could put everyone's name in a hat (or stocking?!) and take it in turns to distribute our presents.

freyasmum

We come down and see any presents that Santa has left Then we have dinner, and then roll through to the livingroom and take turns opening all our presents from under the tree (Santa doesn't leave his pressies under the tree, he leaves them on the sofa) - that way, we get to see what each person has got and it spins it out a bit

I love Christmas

Rachel85 wrote: »

Do you find there comes a point where one or two people have loads left and others have opened all theirs? Perhaps I shouldn't be too concerned, we're all adults after all!

Someone (usually my mum) sits at the tree and distributes everyone's pressies. She tries to make sure that everyone gets a go and that it's not the same person opening all their pressies first.

jetty

I have 3 kids and we stay at home, they usually do the santa presents first, we insist one at a time (they have the same amount each!) Then we go through family gifts and the kids are told who got them the gift (as they normally all get separated under the tree and they get what is closest!) one at a time so i can take pictures for the person who gave them the gifts Altho this year, i was thinking of leaving the santa gifts untill the afternoon after dinner, just so it isn't too much chaos in the morning! We can spread the chaos out through the day :rotfl:

Pink_butterfly_3

No matter how hard we try, without fail every year it just ends up as a massive free for all (big family with lots of kids).

It ends up like a race to see who can open all of their presents the quickest. Trouble is though, if you're not quick, your presents end up getting opened by a gang of christmas crazed children.

jackomdj

As a child we would always open one at a time & one person at a time. ie it may be me first to open all my presents, then my sister, then Mum, then Dad. I don't remember how we chose the order but I remember always wanting to be last to make the suspense of what I had been given last longer.

The tradition in my house now is that I hand presents out one at a time to people. For the children I read who it is from (& write it down) and everyone gets to watch. This year I am sure our eldest will help pass them out as she is now 5 & has started to read, she has said she will like to help (but it may take a while if she helps for too long).

We have my parents staying this year so 4 adults & 2 children. We don't rush the present opening & will take a break & let the children play with toys (I remember going to my Sisters before we had our pair & she was rushing them saying just open them....!) If we end up having to come back to some after lunch then so be it.

I do try to share them out so it is not one person doing loads & usually end up with a few piles belonging to different people!

helyg

We have three children (aged 3, 5 and 7) and I insist that we all sit down together and take it in turns to open one present each. That way they look properly at what they have been given and appreciate who has given it to them, rather than just rushing through in a free for all. Even when there are more than just the 5 of us there (eg grandparents too) they all have to wait their turn!

LJM

we have 2 girls 5 and 8 xmas morning they will go down to see what santa has bought them after opening thier stockings in bed,it is always piled into 2 piles so pressies cant get mixed up.they open them all and apart form stopping for brekkie,lunch etc they will play all day

Spendless

There were no young children in my family for many years, because me and my sister still got a lot of presents from our parents when we still lived at home, even as adults we opened first.

Our parents watched us both at once, then when we'd finished - if one had a few more or had opened faster we'd tell the one ahead to slow doown so we finished around the same time. Then our parents would open their pressies again both together. We have the same system with my own children.

Also all the presents are put out in seperate piles even if you have to use 'by the settee' or 'corner of the room' to do this rather than having all under the tree which only the 'children' of the family have.