Scrooge

[JustGeorge]

I didn't think I could do it, but I've managed to make myself even more unpopular this year...

I withdrew from the family Christmas gift exchange.

Its alright, we get it, family says. Hell, we're all hurting. Lets do away with the adult gift exchange. All better now, right? Well, at least the kids will enjoy their gifts...

...wait, you're not buying for the kids? Um...

I did it. I made it known there will be no Christmas presents this year from us. I don't care if you're 2 or 92. I just plain can't afford it. After Diwali festivities and 2 birthday parties(for my own children) that happen within the last two months before Christmas, to purchase gifts for anyone at this time of year would be hugely problematic(Covid cleared our bank accounts this year, along with some other financial issues). Not to mention, after Navaratri, Diwali, and the two birthdays, I'm just plain beat...

We're not a close family. A good chunk of these kids I'm obligated to buy for don't know who we are, or any of our names. Its fun to see everyone and check in, but going to the extent you're expected to to obtain junk 'n things for the rug rats seems unreal. Last time, we tried giving snacks and a ten dollar bill, but Jimmy can't have dairy, and Jill can't have sugar, so most of it went in the trash. The money got a few eyebrow raises from the parents. Ah well.

I feel confident in my choice, even if it makes me look poorly to these folks(some won't like it, others will get it). How important do you think gift exchanges are during the festive season?

 

[Debater Slayer]

Nothing wrong with prioritizing one's financial well-being. I wish more people understood and respected this instead of expecting everyone to act the same way. Not everyone has the same financial status, so I don't see a good reason to expect them all to give gifts similarly.

How important do you think gift exchanges are during the festive season?

Where I'm from, festivities often emphasize visits, family reunions, and dinner with relatives over gifts. There's rarely any expectation to exchange gifts except in very specific contexts, such as with mothers during Mother's Day—and even then, many either don't celebrate it or don't expect anything beyond kind wishes.

The consumerism that pervades Christmas season in some countries seems to me extremely superficial and shallow. It robs the festivity of its true meaning.

 

[Vinayaka]

I didn't think I could do it, but I've managed to make myself even more unpopular this year...

I withdrew from the family Christmas gift exchange.

Its alright, we get it, family says. Hell, we're all hurting. Lets do away with the adult gift exchange. All better now, right? Well, at least the kids will enjoy their gifts...

...wait, you're not buying for the kids? Um...

I did it. I made it known there will be no Christmas presents this year from us. I don't care if you're 2 or 92. I just plain can't afford it. After Diwali festivities and 2 birthday parties(for my own children) that happen within the last two months before Christmas, to purchase gifts for anyone at this time of year would be hugely problematic(Covid cleared our bank accounts this year, along with some other financial issues). Not to mention, after Navaratri, Diwali, and the two birthdays, I'm just plain beat...

We're not a close family. A good chunk of these kids I'm obligated to buy for don't know who we are, or any of our names. Its fun to see everyone and check in, but going to the extent you're expected to to obtain junk 'n things for the rug rats seems unreal. Last time, we tried giving snacks and a ten dollar bill, but Jimmy can't have dairy, and Jill can't have sugar, so most of it went in the trash. The money got a few eyebrow raises from the parents. Ah well.

I feel confident in my choice, even if it makes me look poorly to these folks(some won't like it, others will get it). How important do you think gift exchanges are during the festive season?

People go broke to the point of depression over Christmas. Financial counsellors see a rush in January. Such a wise decision you made. It has morphed into one selfish festival more people could do without.

 

[Viker]

Christmas is overrated anyway. When or if gift giving becomes obligatory it's lost any meaning. People going a year without gifts aren't going to die. I'd put a priority on my finances. That way there might could be gift giving frenzies later on.

 

[JustGeorge]

Nothing wrong with prioritizing one's financial well-being. I wish more people understood and respected this instead of expecting everyone to act the same way. Not everyone has the same financial status, so I don't see a good reason to expect them all to give gifts similarly.

I agree, especially with as difficult of a financial pickle as much of the world is in right now.

Where I'm from, festivities often emphasize visits, family reunions, and dinner with relatives over gifts. There's rarely any expectation to exchange gifts except in very specific contexts, such as with mothers during Mother's Day—and even then, many either don't celebrate it or don't expect anything beyond kind wishes.

The consumerism that pervades Christmas season in some countries seems to me extremely superficial and shallow. It robs the festivity of its true meaning.

That sounds much more refreshing. After all, most only have one mother(or, very few, at the least). A person can have dozens of people to buy for at Christmas....

People go broke to the point of depression over Christmas. Financial counsellors see a rush in January. Such a wise decision you made. It has morphed into one selfish festival more people could do without.

Thanks.

The point of depression was where I was... it was the end of September, and I was already panicking over Christmas, and it just hit me how unreal and unnecessary it was, so I decided I wasn't playing.

Maybe we can use the time that would have been used to unwrap gifts to make sure everyone knows everyone else's name...

Christmas is overrated anyway. When or if gift giving becomes obligatory it's lost any meaning. People going a year without gifts aren't going to die. I'd put a priority on my finances. That way there might could be gift giving frenzies later on.

I suggested perhaps I could send out gifts for the Winter Solstice... in Australia.

 

[Vinayaka]

I agree, especially with as difficult of a financial pickle as much of the world is in right now.



That sounds much more refreshing. After all, most only have one mother(or, very few, at the least). A person can have dozens of people to buy for at Christmas....



Thanks.

The point of depression was where I was... it was the end of September, and I was already panicking over Christmas, and it just hit me how unreal and unnecessary it was, so I decided I wasn't playing.

Maybe we can use the time that would have been used to unwrap gifts to make sure everyone knows everyone else's name...


I suggested perhaps I could send out gifts for the Winter Solstice... in Australia.

Sometimes ya just gotta do what you gotta do. We have never been big on gifts here. The gift of time, sure. Tobogganing was a favorite activity. One time we went to a hotel with a waterslide in Saskatoon SK, and guess what ... we had the whole waterslide thing to ourselves, The kids had a blast.

 

[Quagmire]

So you're not getting me anything this year either?

 

[JustGeorge]

Sometimes ya just gotta do what you gotta do. We have never been big on gifts here. The gift of time, sure. Tobogganing was a favorite activity. One time we went to a hotel with a waterslide in Saskatoon SK, and guess what ... we had the whole waterslide thing to ourselves, The kids had a blast.

That sounds awesome. Time is better than junk, as most of it gets broken and lost in the chair cushions.

 

[JustGeorge]

So you're not getting me anything this year either?

Depends. I just baked an apple cake. Feel free to grab a slice.

Not sure if its worth the travel fees, though, and I don't think it would go well through the postal service...

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I give people what I want to give them, when I want to give them, and for my own reasons. Yes, Christmas and birthdays are special, but they don't entitle you to anything. Not to mention that far too often, the gift is seen be the recipient as inappropriate, inadequate, or just plain mis-placed.

If I give anyone anything, it's because I think it would do them some good, somehow, and I would like to do them some good, at that moment. I don't need a contrived "occasion" to do that.

 

[Audie]

Christmas is overrated anyway. When or if gift giving becomes obligatory it's lost any meaning. People going a year without gifts aren't going to die. I'd put a priority on my finances. That way there might could be gift giving frenzies later on.

We have not yet begun to overrate!

 

[Audie]

I give people what I want to give them, when I want to give them, and for my own reasons. Yes, Christmas and birthdays are special, but they don't entitle you to anything. Not to mention that far too often, the gift is seen be the recipient as inappropriate, inadequate, or just plain mis-placed.

If I give anyone anything, it's because I think it would do them some good, somehow, and I would like to do them some good, at that moment. I don't need a contrived "occasion" to do that.

I like to give presents in off season.
total surprise. Something special
that's turned to just that person!

Christmas is just for small formal gifts.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I agree, especially with as difficult of a financial pickle as much of the world is in right now.



That sounds much more refreshing. After all, most only have one mother(or, very few, at the least). A person can have dozens of people to buy for at Christmas....

We changed our extended family one to be an opt-in KK (like...Secret Santa maybe?)
So, only those that want to receive a gift go in. No pressure. Those that are in get a name of another person, and need to buy them an anonymous gift. That way most people still get a gift, but the amount of gifts you need to buy is drastically reduced.

You can also put a $ limit on it.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I like to give presents in off season.
total surprise. Something special
that's turned to just that person!

Christmas is just for small formal gifts.

If you bought me a new car, I would be TOTES surprised. Just sayin'.

 

[JustGeorge]

We changed our extended family one to be an opt-in KK (like...Secret Santa maybe?)
So, only those that want to receive a gift go in. No pressure. Those that are in get a name of another person, and need to buy them an anonymous gift. That way most people still get a gift, but the amount of gifts you need to buy is drastically reduced.

You can also put a $ limit on it.

That's what the family started doing awhile back for adults, but the limit(expectation) was still super high. Everyone still bought for every kid(and there are a lot of them).

 

[Nakosis]

I didn't think I could do it, but I've managed to make myself even more unpopular this year...

I withdrew from the family Christmas gift exchange.

Its alright, we get it, family says. Hell, we're all hurting. Lets do away with the adult gift exchange. All better now, right? Well, at least the kids will enjoy their gifts...

...wait, you're not buying for the kids? Um...

I did it. I made it known there will be no Christmas presents this year from us. I don't care if you're 2 or 92. I just plain can't afford it. After Diwali festivities and 2 birthday parties(for my own children) that happen within the last two months before Christmas, to purchase gifts for anyone at this time of year would be hugely problematic(Covid cleared our bank accounts this year, along with some other financial issues). Not to mention, after Navaratri, Diwali, and the two birthdays, I'm just plain beat...

We're not a close family. A good chunk of these kids I'm obligated to buy for don't know who we are, or any of our names. Its fun to see everyone and check in, but going to the extent you're expected to to obtain junk 'n things for the rug rats seems unreal. Last time, we tried giving snacks and a ten dollar bill, but Jimmy can't have dairy, and Jill can't have sugar, so most of it went in the trash. The money got a few eyebrow raises from the parents. Ah well.

I feel confident in my choice, even if it makes me look poorly to these folks(some won't like it, others will get it). How important do you think gift exchanges are during the festive season?

I hate Christmas. Too much stress in trying to buy a gift that'd actually be appreciated.
Most gifts given are soon forgotten about anyway.

And wrapping gifts. I seem to have become all thumbs in my old age.
So I do envelopes with money.

 

[JustGeorge]

I hate Christmas. Too much stress in trying to buy a gift that'd actually be appreciated.
Most gifts given are soon forgotten about anyway.

And wrapping gifts. I seem to have become all thumbs in my old age.
So I do envelopes with money.

There's so many, too... there are some years it takes multiple trips to get all the kids' presents home, and then I wring my hands about where we'll store them all...

I was always bad at wrapping gifts... but envelopes with money works for most.

 

[Audie]

If you bought me a new car, I would be TOTES surprised. Just sayin'.

Me too

 

[Audie]

There's so many, too... there are some years it takes multiple trips to get all the kids' presents home, and then I wring my hands about where we'll store them all...

I was always bad at wrapping gifts... but envelopes with money works for most.

Get some red envelopes from a Asian store

 

[JustGeorge]

Get some red envelopes from a Asian store

I just learned about those last year. I think they're very pretty.

Much more practical, too.