While every family’s Christmas Day is different, ours tends to involve slobbing around in our PJs, eating a tub of Quality Street before midday and falling asleep with two Baileys in hand at 4pm.
According to society bible Tatler magazine, though, that’s absolutely *not* the way you should do it, and rather, there are rules about the ‘right’ way to do Christmas.
And by ‘right’, we mean kind-of-posh. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – advice like this should be taken with a pinch of salt regardless of whether you agree of not.
Here’s what Tatler advise in their Guide To Christmas Etiquette.
1. Don’t open your presents before breakfast
The magazine say ‘those families who open their presents before breakfast’ are ‘a bit vulgar and unbridled’. But if you don’t unwrap them, how else are you gonna have a whole Cadbury Selection Box in your porridge?
‘If you’re very grand, you may even wait [to open your presents] until after lunch and a bracing walk,’ they add.
2. Know what to say if you don’t like your presents
Receiving a bad present isn’t ideal, but what would be worse is letting on to the person who gave it to you that you don’t like it. Instead, Tatler advise using phrases like, ‘Oh wow – I saw this in a magazine!’, or ‘This is too generous – you must absolutely never get me a present again’ to mask the fact you’re not a fan.
3. Know what to say if you do like your present
Now this is something we can get on board with – a simple ‘Thank you! (with a genuine smile)’ does the trick.
Let’s all just do as we please – whether that’s presents before or after breakfast – this December 25th, shall we?
