The whole present-buying situation is not only a potential mine-field but it is often done out of expectation and politeness. Many cannot afford the time or money to buy gifts and the spirit of Christmas, religious or otherwise, is lost.
One aspect of Christmas that I love is the little traditions or rituals that people or families keep - special bakes, new pyjamas, a treasured festive decoration or a winter walk. These create memories and bonds - these are true gifts.
I agree with you folk that christmas has just simply gone commercial. I walked through john lewis to get to my car a few christmas's ago and there was every kind of christmas trinket, novelty...it was quite disgusting...i don't go into town at christmas now, i'm not a shopper.
I've potted up tulips and iris for close friends as christmas gifts it will be april before they enjoy them though....
We started to give our niece and nephew the money after we bought our nephew what he had asked for but in the wrong size. He took it back, planning to exchange it, but noticed it was half price in the sale. He got the money back, bought the replacement plus another item. We all agreed that it made more sense to give cash, although my missus does still buy them a small present because "It's not fair if they don't get something to open on Christmas Day". Our niece and nephew are now 31 and 27 respectively!
Runnybeak, I was once given a doll that was nearly as big as I was and that cried when you tilted it. It could also open and close its eyes. It completely freaked me out. In fact the memory of it still freaks me out. I NEVER played with dolls anyway. (It wasn't a present from a relative, thank goodness, they had better sense.)
I remember being disappointed getting clothes as presents in my early teens when I really wanted a Lego set.
A Catherine Cookson novel - I was in my early 20s and hadn't ever expressed a liking for said author. What made it worse, was that it had obviously already been read several times.
A frosty light pink lipstick, from the above giver's daughter, thankfully not already used.
My ex's nan and auntie (not ex at the time). I'm still not sure what I'd done to upset them. They didn't have to give me anything.
My uncle and I have a had a good laugh reading all the above posts, except that they have brought back to him some seriously bad memories of one Christmas when he was in his late teens...
He opened a gift given to him from a member of his family to find it was... a photograph album.
You may say "What is wrong with this?"
There wasn't to start with.
But as the day went on and presents were opened after Christmas festivities, he actually ended up with 9 photograph albums sent via other relatives and friends!
He couldn't help but think that there must be some sort of conspiracy against him.
The ironic thing was that he never even owned a camera!!
It clearly scarred him mentally as he'd thought of a cunning plan over a five year period to send his gifts back to the senders as birthday/Christmas presents!
Having read the above posts, it has brought these sad memories back to him all in a rush and I am having problems consoling him!! .... any suggestions welcomed - as long as it doesn't involve photograph albums!!
I've never had a bad present - not that I can remember anyway. We're not big on the 'three ring circus' that Christmas has become anyway. The girls always had a lovely time when they were little, and didn't have loads of money spent on them. They remember the little things they did and the family traditions we have, far more than the presents.
Christmas has become quite obscene now, and desperately far removed from what it should be about, in my opinion. We're not religious, so their birthdays are far more important anyway.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I can't understand the thinking around birthdays these days - that when one child in the family gets birthday gifts, the other child get gifts as well - so they don't feel left out!!!! What?
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
And we wonder why kids turn out the way they do? Back in my day, we had no input on what we ate. It was put on the table in front of us - if we didn't eat it, we got a row and then starved! Only time meals were different were on the rare times my father got frying steak and us kids got sausages. And of course my father always got a glass of milk at teatime and us kids got water. Times were hard.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
Posts
The whole present-buying situation is not only a potential mine-field but it is often done out of expectation and politeness. Many cannot afford the time or money to buy gifts and the spirit of Christmas, religious or otherwise, is lost.
One aspect of Christmas that I love is the little traditions or rituals that people or families keep - special bakes, new pyjamas, a treasured festive decoration or a winter walk. These create memories and bonds - these are true gifts.
Last edited: 28 November 2016 23:24:31
I agree with you folk that christmas has just simply gone commercial. I walked through john lewis to get to my car a few christmas's ago and there was every kind of christmas trinket, novelty...it was quite disgusting...i don't go into town at christmas now, i'm not a shopper.
I've potted up tulips and iris for close friends as christmas gifts
it will be april before they enjoy them though....
We started to give our niece and nephew the money after we bought our nephew what he had asked for but in the wrong size. He took it back, planning to exchange it, but noticed it was half price in the sale. He got the money back, bought the replacement plus another item. We all agreed that it made more sense to give cash, although my missus does still buy them a small present because "It's not fair if they don't get something to open on Christmas Day". Our niece and nephew are now 31 and 27 respectively!
Runnybeak, I was once given a doll that was nearly as big as I was and that cried when you tilted it. It could also open and close its eyes. It completely freaked me out. In fact the memory of it still freaks me out. I NEVER played with dolls anyway. (It wasn't a present from a relative, thank goodness, they had better sense.)
I remember being disappointed getting clothes as presents in my early teens when I really wanted a Lego set.
Last edited: 29 November 2016 09:55:12
A Catherine Cookson novel - I was in my early 20s and hadn't ever expressed a liking for said author. What made it worse, was that it had obviously already been read several times.
A frosty light pink lipstick, from the above giver's daughter, thankfully not already used.
My ex's nan and auntie (not ex at the time). I'm still not sure what I'd done to upset them. They didn't have to give me anything.
Last edited: 04 December 2016 21:31:09
My uncle and I have a had a good laugh reading all the above posts, except that they have brought back to him some seriously bad memories of one Christmas when he was in his late teens...
He opened a gift given to him from a member of his family to find it was... a photograph album.
You may say "What is wrong with this?"
There wasn't to start with.
But as the day went on and presents were opened after Christmas festivities, he actually ended up with 9 photograph albums sent via other relatives and friends!
He couldn't help but think that there must be some sort of conspiracy against him.
The ironic thing was that he never even owned a camera!!
It clearly scarred him mentally as he'd thought of a cunning plan over a five year period to send his gifts back to the senders as birthday/Christmas presents!
Having read the above posts, it has brought these sad memories back to him all in a rush and I am having problems consoling him!! .... any suggestions welcomed - as long as it doesn't involve photograph albums!!
Merry Christmas all!
pbff
I've never had a bad present - not that I can remember anyway. We're not big on the 'three ring circus' that Christmas has become anyway. The girls always had a lovely time when they were little, and didn't have loads of money spent on them. They remember the little things they did and the family traditions we have, far more than the presents.
Christmas has become quite obscene now, and desperately far removed from what it should be about, in my opinion. We're not religious, so their birthdays are far more important anyway.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Happy Christmas and New Year to you too aym.
May everyone's day be merry and bright
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I can't understand the thinking around birthdays these days - that when one child in the family gets birthday gifts, the other child get gifts as well - so they don't feel left out!!!! What?
And we wonder why kids turn out the way they do? Back in my day, we had no input on what we ate. It was put on the table in front of us - if we didn't eat it, we got a row and then starved! Only time meals were different were on the rare times my father got frying steak and us kids got sausages. And of course my father always got a glass of milk at teatime and us kids got water. Times were hard.