When to open Christmas gifts
When exactly are Christmas gifts supposed to be opened, is it Christmas Eve of Christmas Day?
In many countries, the tradition is to open gifts on Christmas Eve, however, there are people who prefer to open their gifts on Christmas Day.
There are also people who don’t necessarily celebrate Christmas on December 25.
The tradition in some families has been to open one present on Christmas Eve, while all the other gifts sit under the tree until Christmas morning.
The Lourens family from Casseldale open their presents at midnight on Christmas.
“We leave the presents that were delivered by Father Christmas for Christmas Day,” says Caroline.
Opening presents on Christmas Eve, wets the appetite for the next day.
Gifts might be exchanged on different days and not only on Christmas Day.
Russians follow the Eastern Orthodox calendar, which means that Christmas falls on a different day each year.
Scandinavians give gifts on Christmas Eve, while Italians exchange gifts on Epiphany, a Christian feast day on January 6.
New Year is also a common time to give gifts in some countries, such as Japan and China.
In many other countries it is inappropriate to open a gift in the presence of the giver.
It is up to each family, regardless of which religion or tradition they follow, to open their gifts when they want to.
Caroline says, maybe it is a good idea to wait until Christmas after everybody has left, before opening the presents.
“At least it won’t embarrass the giver when you open the gift,” she says.
