Is it time to ban Christmas presents? Blog and poll discussion

willow_woman

I'd just like to say that for a couple of years now I've been saying that if women didn't 'do' Christmas - buy everything, wrap everything, sign and send everything Christmas wouldn't happen - or wouldn't happen in such a big way and money would be saved as would an awful lot of carbon emmissions!! So sisters: Stop doing it and save yourselves and a little bit of the planet too - and of course save money!

from Willow Woman (my first post ever!)

shaz22

Ding dong merrily on high the cash registers are ringing! Why every year do we go crazy spending pounds to put on pounds, followed by upset over weight gain and then spending more pounds on gyms and diet foods in the New Year to try and lose those pounds. Stop the hamster wheel I want to get off!

I mean this year, many shops are open until 6pm on Christmas Eve and, guess what, they open after just one day on Boxing Day. Why do we feel the need to spend on copious amounts of food as if there is going to be some great shortage?

I'm a Christmas baby (December 22) and I firmly believe that all those born within the pages of the Christmas Radio Times need to form an exclusive club. Take this as an example in Christmas present madness and associated excuses: "I'm sorry, I forgot to buy you a birthday present because I was Christmas shopping" or "I had to buy Christmas presents so I couldn't afford to get you a birthday gift" or "I forgot" or, and this is a great one, "This is your birthday present, but it's also your Christmas present so you can't open it until Christmas Day!" How many years of my childhood did I spend wishing I was Paddington Bear or the Queen ie I could have two birthdays; the fake one of which would have been June 25 instead - as far away from Christmas as you could get.

As for useless gifts, in 2003 I had lifesaving neurosurgery. I was given a green flannel and a battery operated reindeer which didn't work and which the shop refused to take back saying it could have been bought elsewhere! How depressed did I feel as I lay in my hospital bed? I could have died and someone thought I needed a green flannel! I'd much rather have had these people visit me as I attempted to recover.

Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas and some of its commercial aspects, I love the pretty lights and spotting those houses that have been festooned with decoration. I love the newer traditions of ice rinks, and Winter Wonderlands and to compensate for my birthday woes I make a point of visiting a Christmas Market in Germany to savour the atmosphere and, hopefully, some snow. Alas, I'm single so married friends are occupied elsewhere so a perfect Christmas to me would be good company and conversation (the latter not dominated by food) and this year, health permitting, I wouldn't mind volunteering at some point during the festive period as my paid job permits. And/or putting together a pack of "basic" items that will be appreciated by our armed forces Abroad (which our office is doing)? Contact the Civilian line of a particular battalion's office and they'll give you a contact name of a serving officer to whom you can post an up to 2kg goodies box free of charge. They will then distribute items such as pot noodles, toothpaste, tins of tuna, squirty cheese, letters etc to the lads and the lasses who appreciate that they are in so many thoughts.

My nephew will be five months old so rather than get him some useless tat he'll be getting vouchers (saved from my earnings from online surveys and which my sister/brother-in-law can use for something he really needs while putting what they would have spent otherwise in his savings account) and a kit where my sister and brother-in-law can record his hand prints for posterity (just don't tell them it was courtesy of a £5 Toy shop voucher contained within a free newspaper!). The best thing I can do for him is help set him up for the future which, in years to come, he will appreciate.

dean19_66

this time last year we decided to stop presents to adult nephews and neices. i told both my sisters not to buy for my 18 and 21 yr old kids but as they have adult children and primary school children that we would still buy for kids and one grand child.this was accepted and has happened. the only problem is that my mother thought it was a good idea and said she was doing the the same.my mother and her husband are not short of money so its not cash flow.she thenbought me and the wife a present which i said to take back as i was too uncomfortable to accept as she should have bought for my children instead which she didnt take to kindly to.she has since bought my neice a xmas present who is older than my daughter and we do not do birthdays but my sister thanked her on facebook recently for taking her into town and spoiling her.my wife will have nothing to do with her now and im going to do the same

dean19_66

we have had the **** taken out of us for years. ive spent £30 on each of my nephew and neice and its not a joke but got 50p toys back, my sister said she cant afford it but spent a lot of time down the pub.

genhex

When my daughter was little we were REALLY skint, so to overcome the question 'Why can't I have it if Father Christmas gets the presents for me?' we told her that we paid for the presents that Father Christmas brought for her, and it was only her christmas stocking that was actually from Father Christmas because he had so many children to buy for. This was also taught her that NO-ONE, including santa has an endless supply of money! (But even at 19 she still enjoys the stocking from Santa! LOL)

My 13 year old son is also happy to received 'previously used' video games, as he gets more this way and once he's completed them he trades them in!
:xmassmile

jintyb

Thank you Martin for putting into words everyting Ive been thinking the last few years. After many years of getting into hock at Christmas, five years ago, newly divorced and a bit skint I sat my folks down and we all agreed not to spend more than £5 per person per gift. What a relief! Turned out we all felt the same way! We still stick to this now and we have had some brilliant, funny and memorable gifts! Like previous posters have said, it takes SO much pressure off and we can enjoy the nice things about Christmas - the lights, having a wee Gluiwein at our German Market in Edinburgh, the ice rink - time together instead of worrying about the dreaded January credit card bill.
I related this tale of the £5 gift to someone the other day and the person looked at me as if I was the biggest Scrooge on the planet! Did I care - not likely!
The majority of people dont need big gestures to feel loved and appreciated - your time and kindness can mean so much more. Merry Christmas everyone!

Saffypig

My Husband and I have banned Christmas for the past seven years, no presents!! It's too commercial, it's all about shops and vendors making as much cash as possible starting in September, then it's all in the sales on Boxing day!! More fool us……

My two godchildren know they taken to the shops after Christmas and choose a gift from the sale items. It’s lost all true meaning to anyone who wants that. So I agree Martin and well done you for saying it!
!

Cynic_2

My wife has the special presents I gave her for the each of the last two Christmases stored, unused, in their boxes. Perhaps she is planning an Egyptian-style funeral?

It horrifies me that the "high street" retail trade relies on Christmas shopping for survival.

It should be unlawful to exchange Christmas gifts, other than during a dedicated Christian church service in a church.

A.Jones

Cynic wrote: »

My wife has the special presents I gave her for the each of the last two Christmases stored, unused, in their boxes. Perhaps she is planning an Egyptian-style funeral?

Who thinks they are special? You or her?

Cynic wrote: »

It should be unlawful to exchange Christmas gifts, other than during a dedicated Christian church service in a church.

Would you really want to live in a state where is was unlawful to give a gift to someone unless you attended a service at church? Christmas is derived from a pagan festival and many of the traditions adopted by the Christian faith. Just because the name of the festival is devired from Christ, it does not mean you have to attend church or follow one of the Christian religions to celebrate at that time of year.

If someone wants to give a gift, they should be allowed to. I have never felt pressurised into giving a gift just because I receive them. Same with cards. Many people give me a Christmas card, year after year, and I have never returned one. I don't do Christmas cards. They know I don't do them, yet still they want to give me one. Should they be prosecuted for this? I don't think so.

gardening_girl_2

I really enjoy christmas day with friends and family , some come for dinner and others are just passing through - its lovely - we have gradually stopped the present buying over the years and I agree there are far too many gifts bought for the sake of gift buying that only go straight to car boot sales in January- what a waste!