Christmas presents - one at a time or all at once?

[Potterfanme]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "aaoconnor2002" 
<aaoconnor2002 at y...> wrote:

> When I was growing up we were allowed to pick one present to open 
on 
> Christmas Eve, the rest had to wait until morning.  

Susan: 
This is what my family did as I was growing up also.
 
> Eventually we would be dragged away from our presents when dinner 
was 
> ready.

Susan:
Yep, remember it well!
 
>  For one thing 
> everybody waited until after dinner to open presents.   
> 
> A new tradition was introduced.  One person acted as "Santa" and 
> handed out each present individually.  Then the entire family had 
to 
> sit and watch the person open the package, ooh and aah 
appropriately 
> and thank the giver.  
> 
> How do other people from large families handle this? 
> Audrey

Susan:
Well, we did this also.  There were only 5 of us so it didn't take 
that long (especially since we got up before it was light out!) but I 
think that my mother did this to slow us down and make sure that we 
actually looked at what we got.

When I got married it was also culture shock.  My husbands family 
would open gifts after supper on Christmas Eve.  They usually got 
very angry with me because I would only allow the children to open 
the gifts from them on Christmas Eve.  The ones from my family and 
Santa waited until Christmas Day.  I finally got them to understand 
that they had a chance to start their own family traditions and now 
it is our turn to start ours.  They finally understood.  Still didn't 
like it but understood.  

We are not as strict with the one at a time as my mother was but if I 
see one of the kids getting a bit wild, I will slow things down a bit.

Susan
Overexcited children, arguments with family, depressed friends and 
alas no money!  Let the Holidays begin!!