When you are having a birthday party, do you like to open the gifts first?

I always like to enjoy the guest and cake first. I open all my gifts after party and sometimes wondering which gift is from because the tags are gone hehehhe

I would like to open the gifts first! I am always interested in what people give me (it shows somehow how they see me). And I would love to show my appreciation to them on their hard work of getting me those "something". I don't know, I guess I am just excited to receive presents and can't wait to open them up - it's in my blood.

We have a system when we have a birthday party here. First we eat the food. I usually will have a buffet for the guests. Then we open the gifts. Then we eat the cake. I don't know why, but I have always done it this way with my family. I guess if we were just having cake, I would open the gifts first, but I always have tons of food for birthdays.

No, I won't open the gifts when the guests are available. It seems impolite when I open the gifts when they are there. In our culture, this kind of behavior regards as greedy. It is better to know what is inside when the guests leave.

Hello there beautyqueen26, my friend. Been a long time, isn't it? As I can see you have now passed the threshold of 2K. What a fast drawer. Anyway, regarding your discussion, my birthdays are celebrated without gift from my friends and business associates but they always bring with them the needed drinks and their wives, their own special home cooked menus. Gifts I receive from my three sons and their GFs. The Birthday gift I always receive from my wife is something I always look forward to, sometimes making me wish to have a birthday everyday. So, there you are. No gifts to open from my friends and associates during my birthday but only drinks and lots of special menus from their wives to drink, eat and be happy with.

Hello beautyqueen26, If it is for me, I would wait till the guests go home. I think it is more polite to do so rather than to open the gifts in front of them. I just don't want them to feel like I am trying to compare which gift is more expensive and from whom. But if it is for my kid, I will open them in front of the young guests. They surely feel happy and anxious to see what kind of gifts the birthday boy received. I like to see how glad those cute and happy faces when they see their gifts being opened by the birthday boy.

I'M always able to wait to for the gifts. But don't really have a preference. I will go with the rest of the people I'M with. If they prefer cake before, we will do that and they prefer gift before, we will do that. But we will never open the gift at the beginning of the birthday party :P

I haven't had a birthday party since I was little. I think the last one I had was when I turned 12. We always ate first, and then opened presents. For my son's first birthday, we ate pizza first, then he opened a few of his presents. After he was done opening all the ones he wanted to (he was too distracted by the paper and boxes), we ate the cake. Then he opened a few more presents, but he didn't finish opening presents until the next day. For his next birthday, I'm sure he will be more excited to open presents. We will probably do them between dinner and the cake just like we did this year.

We always ate first then opened presents. Everyone would arrive then socialize awhile. then we'd sing, eat and then open the presents.

For some reason we have always left our presents till last to open, not sure why but food would come first with dessert then opening of pressies.

Hello beautyqueen!(",) I love opening the gifts after the party is over. The guests are more important than the gifts they brought me.(",) Great day!(",)

I prefer to have the refreshments first. That way if someone has to leave early they still were able to have cake. When we have a kids party we usually play games first. Then eat lunch if were serving it. Then we will open presents and have the cake and ice cream.

well i like to have fun with all my guests first and have the cake.then when everyone starts asking to open up the gifts then i will do it,but i always get yelled at though because i always open them up so slow and i look at every little thing,im like a kid at a candy store lol.pattie

I like to open gifts after the cake and the Happy Birthday has been sung. I seems more like a specail day then for me because I have everyones well wishes and love first before I have a material thing. Don't get me wrong, I like the presents too, but it's the people more than the gift that do it for me. However, when I'm at a birthday party I do love watching the gift opening.

we try to save gifts for last. we go cake and ice cream and food then games then gifts.

Birthday parties and kids…kids can be most cruel even without understanding and they really embarrass you. This is a personal experience. Many birthday parties, I have gone with my child in tow. I have spent my hard-earned money and precious time on searching and buying gifts, wrapping and writing cute messages. But the child opened the gift in front of everyone and if it was not what s/he expected or was a repeat gift, s/he made the displeasure known publicly. Some people laughed it off, some like me were embarrassed. And then on the other side of the table, people keep on asking you if you like what they have gifted you and even if you don’t, for the sake of politeness you have to nod your head enthusiastically with a big plastic smile. So I always make it a point that my son opens his gifts only after the last guest has left. He may not like what he has got, but I am not letting that spoil the mood of my guests neither would I encourage him to compare his friends on the basis of gifts. These are some of the etiquettes which I am teaching him.

We always eat first—chit chat- I think presents should be last- just for that reason- you don’t seem greedy- let me see what I got- now get out- LOL…. For kids- we usually play some games and then open gifts- I can’t stand to hear the begging all the time- then cake and ice cream!

Personally I like mixing with the people, and talking before opening the gifts. Gradually people turn towards the cake, and jokingly blowing out the candles, and all that good stuff. Then come the gifts. It really builds the aniticipation I think. There'e more time to wonder, and guess, and speculate before you truly see what are in the gift wrapped boxes.