Mississippi man surprised his children by covering himself in festive wrapping and stoically standing next to a Christmas tree.

The man, a Marine Corps veteran, is working as a security contractor in Iraq and had returned home for the holidays.

"We didn't find out until about two weeks ago that he would be coming home," his wife, Jordan, told WLOX-TV. "The kids had no idea, and neither did his mother. We surprised her the following morning."

Watch their reunion below: