I remember we always opened our presents Christmas morning, with the exception of one small present to hold us over until morning. My mother's parents always stayed with us or at my uncle's until they moved down to Florida. I remember when my uncle's family lived in the same area we did, we'd spend Christmas eve with them, but it didn't last long, and I think we opened a present or two over there. Then they moved across country, and no more family celebrations! (just as well: my uncle ALWAYS would show slides of his traveling adventures mountain climbing, etc for a half hour or more, and my cousins were virtual strangers)
The morning opening presents was the way it always was, until one Christmas when I was fifteen or sixteen my mother decided to change that and have everyone open their presents on Christmas eve. Boy, did that ever suck bigtime. There was NOTHING to look forward to on Christmas day. No excitement, nothing. We don't go to church, we didn't go to the movies, we might have a special breakfast, but that was all. And the presents. Yeah, I remember that year.
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