And here Execution island takes a look at some folk who have been opening caskets rather than gifts.
Nicolae Ceaușescu (Romanian Communist politician) and his wife Elena were executed by firing squad on Christmads Day in 1989.
"On Christmas Day, 25 December, the two were tried in a brief show trial and sentenced to death by a military court on charges ranging from illegal gathering of wealth to genocide, and were executed in Târgovişte.
A video of the trial shows that, after sentencing, they had their hands tied behind their backs and were led outside the building to be killed.
The Ceaușescus were killed by a firing squad consisting of elite paratroop regiment soldiers. The firing squad began shooting as soon as the two were in position against a wall. The firing happened too soon for the film crew covering the events to record."
In Great Britain a report in The Times dated Tuesday 31st July 1923 says that John William Eastwood (39) was charged with the murder of John Joseph Clark (48).
The hanging of John 'Jack' Eastwood on 28th of December 1923, was the last execution that was conducted by John Ellis.
The prison staff told reporters that Eastwood had to be "assisted to the scaffold." After the execution, Jack would have been buried within the confines of Armley Gaol.
