# Do You Open Presents on Christmas or Christmas Eve? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158 "2009-12-22T03:40:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/1 "2009-12-22T03:40:21Z")
We used to open presents on Christmas Eve, we would start celebrating at 7pm and we’d open the gifts at 8pm, after we made a fire and we would play board games and eat snacks and stuff from 7pm - 8pm. Then we’d open the Christmas gifts and go to bed. Christmas Day was a day for church. We went to chruch, which was usually only then and at Easter and then we’d come back from church and mum would cook dinner and that was that. Christmas Eve was for presents, and Christmas Day was for religion and food. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/2 "2009-12-22T04:54:01Z")
This will be the first Christmas Eve opening I’ve ever done. Depending on the year and weather, I’ll sometimes skip the Christmas Eve service and attend the Christmas Day service at church. But presents were always left for Christmas Day. This year, I have to travel on Christmas Day, yuck! So, the presents will be opened on Christmas Eve to give more time to get ready for the trip. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/3 "2009-12-22T05:12:08Z")
When I was a kid I would open one or two on Christmas eve and the rest on Christmas day. As an adult I open them all on Christmas day. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/4 "2009-12-22T08:26:01Z")
I ticked ‘Christmas Day’ but in fact, it’s both, as we visit my partner’s mother on Christmas Eve, and exchange presents then. Our immediate family (my partner and kids) we do on Christmas morning. Usually we go to my parents’ place for Christmas lunch, but this year we aren’t going until Boxing Day, so we will have three days worth of presents. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/5 "2009-12-22T09:42:44Z")
We open ours on Christmas Day, it’s what Christmas is for! ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/6 "2009-12-22T10:04:12Z")
> [@ScareyFaerie](#): > > We open ours on Christmas Day, it’s what Christmas is for! Ditto. For us, Christmas Eve is all about anticipation. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/7 "2009-12-22T10:43:55Z")
We used to open ours on Christmas morning, but **bro\_mcl** has started spending Christmas day with his inlaws, so we have Christmas dinner and open presents on Christmas Eve instead. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/8 "2009-12-22T13:55:51Z")
I’ve always done some of both, because of exchanging gifts with extended family and wanting to spend more time with out of town relatives. We did Christmas Eve with Dad’s family, did the whole Christmas morning thing at home, and then went to Mom’s family. Now that I’m married, we do the night before Christmas Eve at home, Christmas Eve with his family, and Christmas Day with the various branches of my family. ---
**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 22, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/9 "2009-12-22T14:12:00Z")
Now it’s Christmas Day. When my in-laws were alive, we’d go over to their house Christmas Eve and open presents then, too. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/10 "2009-12-22T14:29:53Z")
We each open one gift on Christmas Eve, and the rest the next morning after breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![D.Fenestrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aca169/32.png) [@D.Fenestrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.Fenestrator)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/11 "2009-12-22T14:33:20Z")
We open our gifts on Christmas Eve, after the service, and then do a big family get-together on Christmas Day. When I was a child, we’d have presents in our stockings on Christmas Day, so we’d open those in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/12 "2009-12-22T15:22:56Z")
Everyone knows that Christmas Eve is the only proper time to open presents. Well, everyone but my husband and his family. I’m a lot like \*\*CCL \*\*- now that I’m married and there’s nieces and nephews and all that, we open presents on a total mixture of days. Some Christmas Eve, some Christmas Day, some way off in an arbitrarily chosen day in January when we can get together. It’s weird, but works. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/13 "2009-12-22T15:51:42Z")
Christmas morning - after Santa brings them of course. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/14 "2009-12-22T15:55:37Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Everyone knows that Christmas Eve is the only proper time to open presents. Well, everyone but my husband and his family. On the TV show _the Honeymooners_, Norton asks Ralph what Alice got him for Christmas and Ralph says Alice has this “thing” about opening presents on Christmas Day. So maybe in Brooklyn the celebrate Christmas Eve ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/15 "2009-12-22T15:58:53Z")
Mrs. Homie’s family has a big family get-together at her grandma’s house, where gifts are exchanged and merriment ensues. Then we go to her mom’s house, where MIL, Mrs. Homie, BIL, and I exchange gifts. Christmas morning Mrs. Homie and I open up our gifts to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/16 "2009-12-22T16:58:36Z")
Chrismas Day, with one exception – new Christmas pajamas for my wife and daughter. Those get opened on Christmas Eve and worn to bed that night. ---
**Author:** ![Trick\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/17 "2009-12-22T18:42:37Z")
> [@Caprese](#): > > Ditto. > For us, Christmas Eve is all about anticipation. For me, December is all about anticipation.😃 I’m like a little kid. I always open everything on Christmas Day. I figure if they were called “Christmas Eve presents”, I’d open them on the 24th. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/18 "2009-12-22T18:56:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > We each open one gift on Christmas Eve, and the rest the next morning after breakfast. The kids get to open one on Christmas Eve, just like this. This started when they were little and continues now they are in their 20s. We open during breakfast - and snacks. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/19 "2009-12-22T19:00:56Z")
I don’t know about you guys but I’m opening my presents tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158/20 "2009-12-22T19:55:28Z")
We do a little of both - my parents come to our place around lunch on Christmas Eve, and we do presents with them. When they leave to stay with my brother and his family DH and I see how long we can hold out til we just HAVE to open our gifts to each other. On Christmas Day, we go over to my brother’s, do that set of presents, and have brunch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-open-presents-on-christmas-or-christmas-eve/522158.md?page=2)