Man finally opening present from ex who dumped him 48 years later and he's selling tickets

Now, I don't know about you, but on Christmas day, I'm revert to being a child. While I can't manage to wake up at the crack of dawn any other day - not for work and certainly not for the gym - when the festive season rolls around, I am gung-ho for it, just like any other eight-year-old out there.

You can consequently imagine my horror when I discovered that there is a man who not only has the patience to wait until a suitable hour to unwrap his presents, but has chosen to wait 48-years to open one gift in particular.

However, Adrian Pearce is finally going to open the present, which was given to him by an ex who dumped him back in his youth.

Pearce was gifted the present by an ex-girlfriend who dumped him 48 years ago. Back then, Pearce was a 17-year-old, 12 grade student at George S. Henry Secondary School in Don Mills, Toronto, and he was understandably excited for the holiday season, being so young and in love.

That was until his girlfriend, Vicki, broke up with him.

Speaking to CBC, Adrian said "She gave me a present at the same time and I took the present home":

"I had a long walk home and I was all upset and angry, and all the things you feel when somebody breaks up with you. And so I fired the present under the Christmas tree. After my family opened their gifts at Christmas, there was still one Christmas gift left and it’s the gift this girl Vicki had given me. I told my family I’m never going to open that present."

And Adrian clearly stuck to his word, as the gift remains unopened till this day.

Adrian has said that Vicki's younger sister approached him a few years after they broke up, and gave him Vicki's phone number, saying that she wanted to see him again. They met up a few times but then lost touch after realising that they weren't meant to be together.

Adrian still continued to put the present under the tree, however, even after he got married and had children. In fact, he only stopped the age-old tradition after his wife decided that enough was enough. Now, he occasionally pulls out the gift, just to look at it, before putting it away.

Adrian asserts:

"I kept it initially because I guess I had hopes that we would get back together and open it together. Now it’s just become a habit after 47 years of looking at it and having the pleasure of not opening it."

The story struck a chord with people last Christmas and went viral, leading Pearce to do a number of international interviews.

He has since penned a self-published book about platonically reuniting with his ex-girlfriend, fittingly titled The 47-Year-Old Present.

Thanks to all the media attention, Vikki was able to get in touch with Peace once more and he finally discovered why she dumped him all those moons ago.

In a story that is as old as time, she simply found someone she liked more.

Now, 48-years removed from receiving the gift, Pearce is finally going to open it. The decision comes after the Edmonton native had some health issues, making him realise that "life can be changed in just a moment" and that it should be opened "when everyone still can".

Pearce is actually selling tickets to the event, which is taking place in early December, and the proceeds will be donated to the Christmas Bureau.

The issue is, he's still not going to be the one opening it.

"I vowed that I would never open it," he told the CBC. "So, to keep my word, I'm not going to open it."

Pearce invited his ex to open the gift, and Vicki has since asserted that she gave it to him so long ago that she's forgotten what's inside.

In any case, we bet his wife is just chuffed.