Cake first or Presents First?

[cats7494]

Ok - which happens first in your family at birthday parties? Cake or presents?

 

[Kimmumum]

Usually we do cake and then presents BUT if we are eating dinner sometimes we will do presents and then cake (if no one is ready for dessert yet).

 

[Hedy]

Cake, then presents, but cake may be eaten while the birthday boy or girl is receiving presents (which may only be brought over by myself or a neice or nephew). Cake must be cut by my youngest brother, and his DW scoops ice cream. Secondary cake or ice cream may be served by someone else, though.
No, we're all perfectly sane. Did I mention I'm the youngest at 23?

 

[helenabear]

We usually have it with a meal, so first dinner, then presents and then finally cake

 

[dreamcometrue]

cake always comes first, presents are the last thing before the party ends!

 

[Pooh67_68]

Slice and serve cake quickly and open gifts while everyone eats their cake.

 

[TheGoofster]

According to my son, the best order is presents, food, presents, games, presents, cake, presents, good-byes and thank you's, presents.

 

[lindalinda]

Well of course its cake first! You have to blow out the candles and make a wish. Then you might get your wish.

 

[NMAmy]

Absolutely presents! Presents first, then dinner, then cake.

 

[Mermaid02]

presents first, that way the guests can enjoy their cake at a leisurely pace.

 

[rt2dz]

Cake before presents. Especially at a party. If you run out of time, you can always skip the presents (which I'm not a fan of--we've picked out that gift, I want to see it opened!!). Besides, the kids get their goodie bags immediately after presents so they feel like they got something too.

 

[monarchsfan16]

We generally have a meal at the party so it's meal, presents, cake. Have to give everyone time to digest the meal (generally lots of Italian food) before moving onto cake

 

[Kimberle]

In our family we don't open presents until everyone has gone home.

 

[jemiaule]

For family parties it is what ever the birthday person wants.

For kids parties with friends it is sort of odd I discovered. Seems the norm where we live is you have a party with all the school friends, play games, eat cake, play more games then everyone goes home. Gifts are opened later after the party and everyone has left.

The first birthday party my eldest son went to we encountered this and thought it was a bit off. Then as we went to more parties we found everyone was doing it this way. Same with our youngest sons friends too - so it was not some weird class thing that just older sons friends did.

When I was a kid and had my birthday party with friends we played games, had cake and I opened presents while everyone was eating their cake.

 

[powellrj]

We usually have it with a meal, so first dinner, then presents and then finally cake

thats usually how we do it too, unless we do presents, dinner and then cake, but the cake is usually the end of the party so people can relax and visit with their cake.

 

[aprilgail2]

Depends on the parties...if its a kids party someplace they never ever open their gifts there, they pack them up as they come in and you take them home and do it. At home when I have a family party then its dinner first, then presents while they are being served their cake. Everyone sits around the living room eating cake and watching the gifts being opened.

 

[Freyja]

Always presents first. Around here, presents are opened as soon as people bring them. That is, while people are still arriving. The comes cake.

 

[slo]

Presents are always first at our b-day parties

(I can't tell you why either, they just are )