On the evening of the 24th or the morning of December 25th, when should you open your Christmas presents?

2021-12-16T10:10:47.861Z

A holiday historian looks back on the ancestral tradition of giving yourself gifts for Christmas. But when should they really be opened, on the evening of the 24th or on December 25th, in the early morning? Responnse.

A little bit of history

“The tradition of exchanging gifts at Christmas has its roots in Antiquity,” explains Nadine Cretin (1), a holiday historian specializing in anthropology.

The Romans were celebrating the coming New Year at the time, at the time of the winter solstice.

They celebrated the longest nights of the year, before the days lengthened into a new spring, ”she continues.

Their Roman "New Years" gifts, auspicious gifts, implied happiness and prosperity.

It is only around 330 that the Christians, who express the desire to “historicize” the birth of Jesus, will place the Nativity at this time.

Christmas etymologically "day of birth", is thus added to the Christian calendar alongside the feasts of Easter and Pentecost already celebrated.

And with this celebration, the tradition of giving each other all kinds of gifts continues.

For a long time simple oranges, sugar pipes or shortbread cookies in the shape of stars especially in the countryside, the gifts only evolved with the consumer society to become the tablets and other connected dolls of today.

On the evening of December 24 or on the morning of the 25th?

Christmas gifts are not given directly "from hand to hand"

“Christmas is a celebration traditionally focused on childhood,” continues Nadine Cretin.

“Long before the birth of Jesus Christ, 'lucky days' marked the darkest days of winter.

In villages all over Europe, children would go door to door singing their vows.

Giving a present to a child to thank him announced a sweet year, ”adds the specialist.

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If legend and tradition dictate that on the night of December 24, while the children are sleeping, Santa Claus comes down by the fireplace and places them at the foot of the tree "gifts by the thousands", to be opened in the early morning, the most impatient crackles on the evening of the 24th (sometimes even before having started the Christmas meal). “Historically, gifts are discovered on the morning of December 25,” confirms the anthropologist. "But there is nothing wrong with them being unpacked the night before." "It should be noted simply that Christmas gifts are not offered directly" from hand to hand "and there are normally no thanks to be given since the rite is that they were offered by Santa Claus. " Logic. Even if we can hardly imagine the reaction of Belle-Maman if we do not say thank you.

(1) Nadine Cretin, author

of Christmas Letters

, Éd.

Le Robert (Coll. "Intimate Words"), 2015