Growing up, we would have everyone over at a Christmas Eve Dinner/gifts.
The Christmas tree was not on the same level as the dinning room.
Everyone could come, drop off the gifts at the tree, then gather at the dinning table/room.
Before dinner, we could ask the youngest ones to go look at the tree to see if the Christmas Angel has arrived yet.
“No, just our gifts to each other.”
We would then begin eating dinner.
And during the commotion of clearing the table of the main course (food and plates), and setting it up for deserts, the “other gifts” would be delivered under the tree by “someone”.
Once the table was cleared, we would say a prayer.
Some years, a chime would go off…
Or some other way of letting everyone know the Spirit of Christmas has left.
If we had no means of doing so, we would then ask the younger ones to take a peek and see if anything has changed by the tree.
Sometime, it was as simple as seeing the “extra” gifts.
Other times, it was candles having been lit (which were not out when the gifts to each other were put there).
etc.
Then, we would all go to the tree.
We would all takes seats, and the young ones who could read, would take one present at a time, read who it was for, and then they would bring it to the person. (Or in the case someone was not old enough yet to read, they would deliver the gifts while the other would read the name).
Then, when all the presents were distributed, we would once again say a prayer before we would open any of the gifts.
Then the tearing of gift-wrap would begin!
And while the kids were at it, the adults would have liquor (to survive the mayhem, shreeks of joy/excitement, etc).
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