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Anyone else feeling sick about all the crap we get/give for Xmas?

P

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Seeing all the stuff that people buy for Christmas and seeing how much money is blown on such unnecessary stuff has really gotten to me lately. Is this really what it's all about now?

Sorry for the rant...
 
We did away with that last year - mostly. We're doing a "dirty santa" tomorrow. My dad will give me some money, and I'll keep making the family calendars that they love.

But yeah, it just gets harder and harder to buy stuff for people who already have everything they want.
 
My side of the family isn't bad, we have an understanding to not spend much. The in laws on the other hand have traditionally been very materialistic and try to outdo one another when it comes to gifts. I finally had to stop trying to match what they do, some of them are finally getting the hint. It took a while to get past the guilt.
 
a bit.

last year, I proposed that the adults in my family stop exchanging gifts and we just get stuff for the kids instead, but my sister freaked out at the thought of not receiving presents.
 
no gift exchange in my family, we celebrate christmas as a holy day representing our God, and his stake in this creation.. he betted the farm we'd do it right.. 🙂

if we bust, he busts 🙂 we're in his likeness, we are him, this existense is brought about from his very essence, it contains both great, and evil, we just have to live it, we have free will to do both great and evil.. it's as up to us as it was/is to him.
 
Yeah my gf 's family is big so getting stuff for their kids is tough. They all want brand new video games haha. I got tons of clothes nothing techy or anything because I pretty much buy all that myself over the year. My bro and sister are materialistic and I spent about 600 on presents for my sister , Mom, and brother. I know they got me more work shirts and probably a hoodie or so.
 
My family gave it up years ago.

At some point we all had to work retail, and so we all hated the idea of going out and buying gifts. The stress wasn't just from the holiday rush, we just got sick of trying to find something, hoping they liked it, where will we find it, is it as good as last years, and buying something for everyone without going broke. We happened to be talking about it at dinner one night since a couple of us kids were still working retail at that point, and so it was then we decided to skip gifts that year.

So we went out and bought all kinds of pastries and goodies to eat, made some other foods that were tradition and sat around on Christmas watching movies, playing games and getting fat on food; It was one of the best Christmases I've ever had.

Since then, we've never done gifts unless it was someone they they actually needed or it was a gift for the family. Every year we pick someone's house to meet up at and enjoy getting together. My sibling's kids get gifts, none of us think gift giving is evil, it's just nice to be able to enjoy the season without them.
 
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zanejohnson said:
no gift exchange in my family, we celebrate christmas as a holy day representing our God, and his stake in this creation.. he betted the farm we'd do it right.. 🙂

if we bust, he busts 🙂 we're in his likeness, we are him, this existense is brought about from his very essence, it contains both great, and evil, we just have to live it, we have free will to do both great and evil.. it's as up to us as it was/is to him.
Click to expand...

Zane found god. I knew he'd been acting different. Flesh eating bug get you there?
 
I don't get much, only got gifted Portal 2 from a friend.

I prefer it that way, though, as I don't really want anything and need very little.
I don't get sick of giving, but that's because I choose to give and don't feel obligated to do so. Giving is a joy for me, I really do wish I weren't so selfish, lazy, and disorganized in the past or I would have more to give.

EDIT: just so I don't seem like im trying to sound too humble, I do still like practical or educational gifts. I've gotten some great books and items especially here from Secret Santa past years. Even if someone gives me something like a new notebook (the paper kind) I'm thrilled, since it's something I actually use and hang on to. Tea and coffee are good gifts in my book as well, absolute best gift I've ever gotten would be a porcelain infused cup and a tin of jasmine tea. Beats much more expensive gifts easily, even console bundles or laptops.

I'm not tired of considerate gifts or gift giving. I think what bothers me and the OP it seems is shallow and needless gifting. Tons of people who'd be extremely grateful to just have a coat, or kids who want any simple and inexpensive toy.
 
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I used to be called Scrooge by my extended family and wife because of my disdain for Christmas.

Now that I have kids it's all about them and seeing them go batshit happy this morning brings the Christmas spirit back.

Wife goes all out. My kids just said " mewy clistmas evybody!"

They are 3 this month
 
I've been telling my parents since 18 not to get me anything. I don't need anything and they're already helping me pay for college, so I don't really want anything else from them.
 
We do gifts for the kids.

For years where there is a large family gathering, we play a game where everyone brings a nominal, imaginative, (re)gift, and draw numbers. Then in order each picks a wrapped gift and has the option to either open what they have or snipe something that's already been opened. My family have a practical outlook, to boot. So a HUGE hit one year was a garden hose, which changed hands again and again... 😛
 
My wife has been unemployed for a couple months now, so I suggested we dial down the gift giving a bit this year. But I guess the tradition of giving gifts on Christmas is big in her family, and also her baby sis is pregnant now, the first in the family. So she got visibly upset at the suggestion. My wife isn't materialistic and doesn't go spend crazy thru the rest of the year. so I just dropped it. But it does bother me. Next year I'm going to suggest that we donate to a charity all the money we would've spent on buying gifts. Let's see how that suggestion sits with the family.
 
I gifted people I love with thoughtfully chosen gifts that I hunted down deals for. We have a laid back, totally enjoyable holiday here & enjoy the gift giving aspects of the season.
 
We agreed a long time ago to get 'useful' and needed gifts. So we give/get clothes, furniture if needed (got my wife a new recliner, hers was over a decade old and not functioning well), and other things like that. I got my son a 'dorm kit' (keurig clone, microwave/broiler, some coffee to start him out, and a nice fountain pen (he loves nice pens - a math major who writes beautifully). So no guilt here. I got two new pair of jeans, a belt, and a new pair of running shoes. My son got me some fudge to go along with the running shoes - 1 lb of beautiful fudge.
 
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