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Topic: When should Christmas presents be opened?

Poll suggested by Daemonius. A bit off topic but thematic enough smile

Any strong opinions about this?

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

What presents..? sad

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

Those colorful boxes under the tree that american children have to wait for so long...

...where did I put that rat's ass I could give?

Daemons are benevolent or benign nature spirits, beings of the same nature as both mortals and gods, similar to ghosts, chthonic heroes, spirit guides, forces of nature or the gods themselves.

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

Christmas day, and not before!  That's how I was brought up anyway.

2020.  Meh.

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

Don't have any... so it doesn't matter tongue

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

When I was young, we were doing it on Christmas Eve. Well, at or just after midnight wich is technically not Christmas Eve anymore. After a big nice supper while the guests were there to receive it.

Never really got the "in the morning" thing because it's not as festive as the night with the lights, the booze, the guests, etc. Note that we didn't care about the Santa legend either.

For me, it's like celebrating the new year at 9am on January 1st instead of midnight. smile

Myka : You slept with her didn't you ?
Pete : Well... you... you told me to investigate ok ? So... she's unarmed.

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

I thought Christmas was pretty much the same all over the world.

Here's what I see as the traditional British Christmas and it's what I will be doing tomorrow:

1.  You wake up (or are woken up far too early by your over-excited kids).
2.  You sit and watch as your kids excitedly rip their presents open while you and your other half open yours.
3.  You eat breakfast while the kids are playing with their new toys, with Christmas TV on in the background.
4.  You cook dinner, which is quite a feat, or you all pack the car up, and jump in it to go to your parents.
5.  At your parents, you open more presents, or watch your kids play with theirs, or watch a Bond film.
6.  Have a massive roast with all the trimmings, followed by lots of lovely deserts
7.  Fall asleep in front of the Bond film/Noel Edmonds/The Queen's Speech while kids play with their toys
8.  Have tea (if you have room for it)
9.  Go to bed or drive home then go to bed, knackered.
10. Do a similar thing Boxing Day.

What do you all do?

2020.  Meh.

8 (edited by xrnzaaas 2013-12-24 19:14:20)

Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

I'm always surprised how many atheists and people of different religions celebrate Christmas with all of its religious elements. In my family we don't try to forcefully show to everyone that we're "different" and we use the holiday time in a similar manner to the catholics. We gather as a family, exchange small gifts and have a nice time eating, drinking and talking, but without praying, chopping down trees, eating fish and singing carols.

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

graybags wrote:

What do you all do?

In our family: meal on Christmas eve (today) followed by presents and play time for the kids with their new toys while the adults play cards. There is no tree, no decorations or any of that. Just a nice meal and presents essentially.

graybags wrote:

I thought Christmas was pretty much the same all over the world.

Well the Russians celebrate it on January 7.th, so... no. I can't even imagine what the majority of east-Asia, India or the Muslim world does around the week of the winter solstice, but I sincerely doubt it is Christmas.

10 (edited by PaulBags 2013-12-25 02:16:00)

Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

It amuses me that we (in New Zealand) celebrate the winter solstice in the middle of summer. Some of us go as far celebrating a mid-winter christmas at the actual winter solstice, as it should be. But the date and the public holiday being a good excuse, for christmas (today) I've taken the day off work (I could have been working, hospitality industry [cleaner]). I slept in, didn't bother with breakfast, spent time in front of the computer, had a big meal at lunch with my parents (whom, for a few reasons, I currently live with at the age of 26), fell asleep in front of the 'tv' watching some documentary about why Hitler lost the war, and here I am about 3pm. Sometime later I'll be heading around to a friends place, to get ridiculously drunk, then I'll probably bus from there to work in the morning of boxing day.

Can you tell I don't really care about christmas?

[edit]Oh yeah, the actual question asked, *smacks forehead*. Traditionally, christmas morning. Sometimes perhaps one a day for a few days before. Now-a-days I don't bother with presents often, and when I do I just give people presents when I feel like it, to use when they wish. I gave a friend some work boots that were slightly too small for me and just right for him (last month), gave my parents some speakers to better listen to programs played on the computer (a couple of months ago), and bought a bottle of gin for myself this week.

Why limit gift giving to christmas and birthdays?

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

xrnzaaas wrote:

I'm always surprised how many atheists and people of different religions celebrate Christmas with all of its religious elements. In my family we don't try to forcefully show to everyone that we're "different" and we use the holiday time in a similar manner to the catholics. We gather as a family, exchange small gifts and have a nice time eating, drinking and talking, but without praying, chopping down trees, eating fish and singing carols.

I don't think christmas is about religion anymore, and hasn't been for quite a while.  I am an atheist, and when I do celebrate it, it's all about family.  For me there has never been any religious elements in it.

None of it is real anyway.  The modern Santa Claus was invented by the Coca Cola company.
The Christians stole the day from the druids (or other group) (Jesus was born sometime in April)

Happy Holidays wink

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

Athiests could always use an apple tree instead of a jesus tree, because science.

13 (edited by proteinnerd 2013-12-25 21:36:04)

Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

xrnzaaas wrote:

I'm always surprised how many atheists and people of different religions celebrate Christmas with all of its religious elements.

Why wouldn't they? Xmas is based on a pagan festival and a large number of theistic scholars agree that Jesus wasn't born on the 25th December anyway.

It actually makes me chuckle that so many so called religious people don't even know this simple fact.

So if its not actually jesus's birthday, what are the religious elements of Xmas? Santa (based on the God Odin)? the Reindeer? A tree with decorations? The presents? I'd actually argue the opposite, why do religious people have a celebration on this day? Its more of a stretch to make it religious than not, unless you are talking about worshipping Odin....

It has nothing to do with Jesus....its just nice to set aside a day to spend with your family and loved ones.

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Re: When should Christmas presents be opened?

proteinnerd wrote:

It has nothing to do with Jesus....its just nice to set aside a day to spend with your family and loved ones.

smile

...where did I put that rat's ass I could give?

Daemons are benevolent or benign nature spirits, beings of the same nature as both mortals and gods, similar to ghosts, chthonic heroes, spirit guides, forces of nature or the gods themselves.