# Christmas Morning **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 6, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203 "2011-12-06T00:36:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/21 "2011-12-06T14:40:53Z")
Christmas morning although we still open a single present Christmas eve which is magically always new Christmas Pajamas. Breakfast is during present opening after which dinner prep starts. The last couple of years we’ve been smoking the turkey and so dinner prep has actually begun before present opening. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/22 "2011-12-06T15:03:23Z")
I voted Christmas Eve, but that was when my parents were alive and I actually had family/gifts to open. Our tradition was to open the gifts around 5 PM, then bundle up and drive around looking at the Christmas lights, for about an hour or 2. Then we would come home and have a light dinner- lunch meats, cheeses, veggie platter, chips, etc, and then we’d play a couple board games. Christmas morning we opened stockings, had a BIG breakfast, and just spent a quiet, relaxing day. Sometimes go to a movie. That’s the only part of the ‘tradition’ I still have. Being alone sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/23 "2011-12-06T15:38:10Z")
Christmas morning. There isn’t really a big breakfast that morning as we’re feasting on stocking stuffers and Christmas crackers\* and cheese and sausage. \*Yes, that phrase will be amusing to some 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/24 "2011-12-06T19:20:25Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Up to the age of 8 we did the usual dawn frenzy, but since then my Mum’s worked every Christmas morning (parents started a zoo, so someone needs to be there to feed the critters regardless) so we had to wait 'til about 2pm when she gets back, before we started the present exchange. It pretty much repeats the next day as well though, when we visit the extended family 90 miles away, though that involves less presents, 'cos we’re supposedly all adults now. Could you please, please start a thread on growing up in a zoo? Pretty please? I’m out for the day, but I can feel the questions bubbling up. \*\*Ludovic \*\*- \*yes, it was. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/25 "2011-12-06T20:14:03Z")
As adults we opened presents after the Queen’s Speech at 15:00. With young children around, it’s an extended adventure on Christmas morning. ---
**Author:** ![ballardfam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@ballardfam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ballardfam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/26 "2011-12-06T20:25:13Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > One present on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas morning. Yup. This is the right way to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/27 "2011-12-06T22:10:45Z")
Another ‘one on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas morning.’ ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/28 "2011-12-06T23:21:10Z")
Not every year, but usually we open gift on Christmas Eve, following my mother’s family tradition. Her dad was a radio announcer, and he always worked on Christmas. The night before, they would go look at decorated houses, and the gifts would be there when they got back (somehow her mother would take forever finding her missing scarf or sweater). ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/29 "2011-12-06T23:27:46Z")
As a kid and into early adulthood, it was Christmas morning. When I got married, I adopted the routine my wife’s family had, which was doing presents on Christmas Eve. We generally saved one thing for each other to open the following morning. I don’t know if my fiancee and I have anything we could call a routine yet. We’re donating to charity in lieu of exchanging gifts this year, and getting married the day after Christmas, so what day does that count as? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/30 "2011-12-07T00:11:22Z")
other… when i’m given them. it is a long way to jan. 7th. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/31 "2011-12-07T01:46:36Z")
We grew up opening presents on Christmas morning. My wife opened some presents on Christmas Eve (at her grandparents’) and on Christmas morning. We continued that with our daughter: grandparents on Christmas Eve and Santa on Christmas morning. Trouble was she opened presents for Chanukah and for her birthday in November, so she wanted to sleep late on Christmas morning. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/32 "2011-12-07T02:11:23Z")
I remember hearing about these mythical families where kids would wake up before the parents and rush down and open all their presents. This was a wonder to me because I’d have been murdered on the spot if I’d have tried anything of the sort. After breakfast, with full familial participation and audience. Always. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/33 "2011-12-07T17:56:42Z")
Christmas Eve, as is only right and proper. My parents-in-law follow the “practical gift on Christmas Eve, everything else on Christmas morning” school of thought, but they’re wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203/34 "2011-12-07T18:02:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > When [we did this last year (with slightly different options)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=589159), Christmas morning kicked Christmas Eve’s butt (and rightly so). Heh. And I gave that one the same answer, nearly word for word. I can’t help it if all y’all are wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-morning/605203.md?page=1)