I didn’t get any Christmas presents

Sorry lucd that sounds dismal. Did you still get your partner a gift though even yours was the household item 🙄?

I would use the voucher his parents got to buy something for yourself.

It's the one sidedness of some of this that's the problem. If someone decides they're not doing gifts, I'd expect them to say 'and don't get me anything either'

Don’t buy presents for siblings going forward. If they ask, say you’re doing as they did this year.

parents, I would do a token gift for if they’re doing a buffet even if a buffet is an odd gift

partner?? Did you give your partner a gift and they gave you nothing?

I hope your partner got you a present! Your family setup is a bit odd but families mostly are odd in some way, in my experience. Best forgot about gifts in future, unless you like to give them to the children in your family.

What did you have for the buffet? What was served???

Why didn’t your partner buy you anything? It doesn’t appear you live with your parents, so are an adult in an adult relationship?

If you want a present from siblings you could suggest a secret Santa.

Right so it sounds like your parents didn't give to anyone & your siblings didn't give to each other either (except one of them)
I agree it's a weird situation but your op makes out like everyone is busy exchanging gifts with each other while you're sitting there with nothing, which doesn't seem to be the case

You still haven't said whether your partner bought you anything.

Did your OH get you anything?

The weirdest Christmas set up ever . Never ever heard of food being the actual gift . I'm not sure I'd engage with that again and would make my own Christmas at home or go on holiday .

It sounds like this was expected so what’s the problem? Your parents don’t do gifts. Your siblings don’t seem to for each other either.

Surely you got gifts from your partner and any friends you did secret Santa with?

You have to just accept that your family don’t do gifts and sort out other plans with your partner and friends.

As long as you know it could be okay and low stress. Bonus your presence is your present to them.
Your partner should treat you though and the two of you develop your own tradition.
My DS for family reasons does Christmas over 3 days.

My DH parents never bought presents. One year they unusually have him some money and he immediately spent it on a tablet that his mum needed! I have 3 siblings and 10 neices and nephews and for a few years now we have only bought one secret Santa gift, max value £20 shop everyone gets one gift. Last 2 years we have done no presents, so I just bought for my 3 kids( young adults) My DH and I don't bother. It is actually very liberating to just move away from all the stress of spending so much.
When you say you got no presents, did your DH not buy you anything?

What happened on the years you didn't go for the buffet? Did you parents send you a present, or is it the buffet or nothing?

Make this your last year buying anything for any of them. Bring some food to contribute to the buffet as a gift for all. Stop letting them treat you badly. Match their energy.

I didn't get anything either - well, 3 cards total - but I'm not fussed about it, actually more delighted cos I have a house full of stuff already.

But I understand it's hurtful OP.

The buffet as a present is strange but logical if they think of it in terms of money spent per person. Was it an expensive affair? Was drink provided too?

It sounds more like hosting, I went to a friend's for a meal prior to Xmas, we took wine, chocs, flowers and they put on a lovely meal for us. So similar to your experience really.

Was there a gift opening time with everyone sat round? If so that's awkward and I'd expect them to have got you something to open. Didn't your partner or siblings get you anything?

I think if they told you in advance the buffet was the present then I would have brought wine or something.

At least now you know not to bother next year

Why didn’t your partner get you something? I do think using the buffet as a present is strange, but if they didn’t do presents last time then you know what the set up is. Not everyone does presents.

Did your partner not get you something?

I didn't get any presents either - other than a generic gift voucher from my line manager.

The adults on my side of the family agreed a few years ago that we wouldn't do them any more and my DH declared a few weeks ago that a household expense/item would double as my Christmas present this year. We got a voucher from his parents that was opened a week ago with their Christmas card.

Kids are too young to get me anything independently. I ended up wrapping up a £20 piece of equipment I had bought for my hobby earlier in the year, and a box of chocolates that were (and still are) destined for our boxing day hosts so that I at least had something to unwrap so the children wouldn't notice I had literally nothing.

So does your whole family, parents/siblings give each other gifts & you were the only one left out? Or did no one exchange gifts? Did you buy for them? Did your partner not get you anything either? Did you get him something?

Think there's more to it tbh

Don't your partner get you anything?

I gave money, gifts, vouchers etc to my "family" and I didn't get a thank you or a text to say Merry Christmas. I have decided that 2025 will be my year of being a tight fisted bastard and I will love it.

Neither did I. I got a couple of boxes of chocolates (one I don't like) from my Cubs in my Pack but literally nothing else. To be fair, I told my toxic mother that I'd give her presents to a charity shop as it was her PA way of getting me to talk to her!