Open XMAS presents or gifts?

[iHaunt]

Anyone opened Christmas presents and gifts just tonight (Christmas Eve)? Then, what did you get? I only got a G-Shock watch with 300 ft depth water, a few dollars worth over hundreds plus several smoked sausages and cheeses.

For Tomorrow night.... I don't know yet.

[ancient whitelighter]

Hope you have a Happy Christmas, iHaunt! Enjoy your day!!

I haven't received any pressies yet...but it sounds like you have a nice little stash so far!

Do you like to scuba dive or snorkel? Is that why you were given a watch like that? Perhaps you are the commander of a top-secret sub crew??

[witchy]

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you got everything you wanted!!

I got, shape up tennis shoes, pictures of my daughters & frames, i luv it!!

[iHaunt]

No, I'm not a scuba diver or snorkel. It's a very good watch, and I've worn that watch for many years, maybe 14 years ago. It's best watch I've ever had! I really didn't like inexpensive watch which was only good at least one year!

Anyway, I've not yet opened all the presents today so we will open them tonight. I hope you all had a great Christmas Day!

[Andybev01]

I got some nice loot, a couple of power conditioning units for all of my electronics and a new photo printer.

In a couple of hours the roast and veggies will be ready and I can't wait!

[Spookymufu]

got my wife the new twilight BluRay, my kids got the few things they asked for so it was a good day..

we had burgers for dinner.....

[iHaunt]

WE had turkey and smoked ham for dinner along with collard greens, green beans, sweet potato with cinnamon, mashed potato and gravy, dinner rolls, and deviled eggs. Whoa.... I'm getting fulled!

Anyways, we already opened presents.... we got new phone answering machine, some DVDs, Caller ID, underwears, a carton of cigarettes Camel Menthol, Small refrigerator for my own bedroom for only me and my girlfriend with lock!

[Pumpkin_Man]

I didn't go too badly as far as presents go. I got money in a card from two of my siblings. It added up to about 1000 dollars, which I am going to put into my new business. Studio O'Brien Photography.

I hope you all had a wonderful and holy Christmas.

Mike

[iHaunt]

I didn't go too badly as far as presents go. I got money in a card from two of my siblings. It added up to about 1000 dollars, which I am going to put into my new business. Studio O'Brien Photography.

I hope you all had a wonderful and holy Christmas.

Mike

What??? You got a lot of money, Mike??? So, what are you going to put or buy anything in your own business?

[Pumpkin_Man]

I'm tnhinking a portrait lenze would be nice, but I also need a tripod.

Mike

[iHaunt]

That's cool, Mike!

I got some money, too.... I'm thinking about spending on some video games, DVDs, new lightweight beach towels and some foods and snacks as well!

[Pumpkin56]

When I was a kid and my siblings and I were still into Santa Claus, we would open all the gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve and then on Christmas morning, there would be more gifts that "Santa" had left. Now however since we're all old and crusty, we just open gifts on Christmas Day

However, I will say that if I'm at my parents house and nobody is around, I have no problem sneaking a peek at some of my gifts. My mom has become lazy as we've gotten older and she likes to buy those decorative gift boxes with the lids--she never tapes the lids down though so, really, it's almost like she's inviting me to sneak into the presents.

[Murfreesboro]

I've always opened gifts on Christmas morning, though I believe my husband's family used to open them Christmas Eve. They didn't teach their kids about Santa Claus, so there was no expectation there (I think that's sad myself, but that's what they did). Also, my MIL was the church organist for many years, so she had to get up and play on Christmas morning.

My own family connection had the tradition of going to church on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day. As I got older (teens & 20s) we started going to the midnight service, which I loved. After I had my own kids, though, I stopped doing that, because it is impractical with little ones, and besides, mine did expect Santa in the morning.

Last year, my older boy (now 22) asked me to go the midnight service with him. This was after we'd all been to a 7 pm candlelight service, where he, his dad & I sang, and he himself stayed for a 9 o'clock service because he wanted to see a few friends. Our family attends his dad's Lutheran church, and this church doesn't do a midnight service. But the Episcopal church (my denomination) always does, and my son asked me to go downtown with him to that. We enjoyed it so much, and when we came out of church, it was snowing, and the world was white. That is very, very uncommon in TN! So this year we are going together again.

I have noticed that many Lutherans tend to open gifts on Christmas Eve. I think that may be more of a European thing. They open family gifts on Christmas Eve, then let the kids open Santa gifts in the morning. Lots of Lutherans are more recent immigrants than my own family is. My folks have been over here since the early 1700s.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Before my familie's disasterous move to arm pit New Lenox, and our fall from the faith, we did a very simular thing. We would open our presents, which were usualy only a few cloths and maybe A toy or two on Christmas Eve, which was from our aunts, uncles or what ever, and then the big gift opening was on Christmas Day, after Santa Clause paid us his annual visit. My younger sister and I would hang our stockings by the livingroom fire place, and I allways hung mine on the andiron set. She allways taped hers to the mantel with Scotch tape. My father would shoot home movies (16mm silent film) and he would these EXTREAMLY bright and hot bar lights that would add to the magic. After the official hanging of the stockings, we opened our presents from our aunts and uncles, and we sang Christmas carols. Candles were lit, and when we werent' singing, we were playing Christmas records. The 'Bill of Fare" was usualy a huge assortment of cold cuts, cheases and breads, and Christmas Cookies.

Finaly, when it was time to go to bed, we all said our prayers, and then my younger sister, dressed in our Chirstmas PJs would pile in and anxiouslyh await the big day.

Christmas morning, we would put the Christ Child in the manjer, an honor which fell to the youngest member of the family. Back in 'the day' that was my younger sister. Then we sang the "Happy Birthday" song to Jesus for it was His Birthday, and then we opened our presents. AFter presents it was Christmas Breakfast, then about two hours later, Holy Christmas Mass, and then around 4 in the after noon, Christmas Dinner. And of course, more Christmas music on the record player or we simply sang Christmas carols or our family favorite songs. We LOVED having 'sing-alongs' back in 'the day,' too.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

So you all had the creche, too? I was raised with a "manger scene," as my mother's Baptist family connection called it, but my grandmother just had it out all season. She didn't "build" it throughout the holidays, adding Baby Jesus at Christmas the way I have since learned some families do.

I bought a manger scene for my own family about 15 years ago. I got it at Old Time Pottery, and it is not expensive, but it looks nice, I think. I wanted something the kids could look at, but something I wouldn't cry about if they broke it. So far, it has remained unbroken, though.

I love Santa and the Nativity. To me, Santa is part of the merriment of Christmas, but the Nativity is the heart of it. I think the magic I used to feel as a Santa-believing child has transformed into the sense of religious mystery and awe I feel at the Incarnation.