Just stop all this crap buying?

I totally agree OP.
Nice food/feast with family, small but well chosen gifts. Time spent with kids, playing with said gifts.

When did it become normal that kids get given vast piles of presents consisting of plastic crap from China, which are played with for half an hour then discarded.

Each to their own I guess - you pays your money and you takes your choice, as the saying goes.

I love Christmas but my friends and family stopped with buying stuff for each other years ago. We go out instead.

I still buy some bits for my DC and they have money for something they want.

I don't do Secret Santa anymore.

We have lots of food and chocolate on the three days.

I agree with Martin Lewis about the stress of Christmas. I'd hate someone to struggle to buy me something.

@RollOnSunshine sure it will line the pockets of share holders to some extent- but spending via Amazon or at B n M on shite manufactured in Asia isn't really going to help is it?
Also it's an environmental disaster.

We need to tax the rich in this country and stop importing crap.
I don't think you need to be an economist to see that the current situation isn't sustainable environmentaly or economically?

What a miserable person you are. I love Christmas, I love to give, no I don't get into debt, or buy extortionate, expensive presents.
Lucky dips fine, what's wrong with a small chocolate. Christmas is what you make it and it does not have to be expensive.

@Greedybilly

Don't you think increased spending at Chistmas is a boost to the UK economy at all then?

Busier shops
Busier car parks
More spending online
= More VAT
= More income tax
= More van deliveries > increased fuel duty income

no?

Maybe…just maybe…some people like it?

If you don’t like gift exchanges, buying tat, secret santas etc etc then make a stand and don’t get involved, by all means.

But many of us do it because we want to, and enjoy it, so we will continue to do so!

What's wrong with sweets and chocolate, I buy it all year

Ours is pretty simple and low cost I think.

Decs and Christmas jumpers out of the loft. Stockings have assorted chocolates, we buy a turkey, a ham, and a beef, the. We just need veg, yorkshires, cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, gravy..

No more than £50 gifts each ( two or three things they have chosen, no “just because” gifts), a Christmas film, mince pies and ice cream. Then a cheese board and small buffet of savoury and sweet with board games on Boxing Day. Some booze, of course

We have a family of 5, me and DP don’t need anything from each other, so the whole lot should be about £250 - £300 ish.

Our parents are NC or dead, so I guess that helps 😬

There's a lot of doom & gloom in the world and if this cheers people up so be it. Leave them be. They aren't doing you any harm.

If you don't want to don't. If it makes you feel better a mid-winter celebration precedes Christianity and all modern religions, you just need something at this time of year to get you to spring.

YANBU to have an opinion on whether you think it’s tat and whether you personally want to participate in such gift giving.

what you are being VU about is that this woman was clearly excited about what she was doing, so much so she felt the need to talk about her activity and then taking it to MN to judge her on it. Do your thing, stop zapping the joy out of others.

What do Victorians have to do with this

I have nothing to do with any of it, I'm sick of chocolate which I don't like or eat and crappy toiletries. Everyone is too fat anyway, have fun getting that stone and a half off in the new year.

I would have 100% voted in agreement with you were it not for the fact that you rudely disregarded the faith of a huge proportion of the population!

I don’t buy loads of stuff at Christmas.

I do, however, think it’s absolutely none of my business what anyone else buys and I don’t stand in shopping queues feeling superior to other shoppers about it.

Because what the hell do I know about their lives, finances and motivations? About as much as you, I expect: fuck all.

Honestly, people who think the just world needs them, above all others, to issue a decree to solve a perceived problem - as if nobody else will ever have thought of their proposed remedy and we’ll all think ‘Wow, how radical! Can’t believe I didn’t consider this before!’ - really are a special kind of twat.

Usually comes with a good old undertone of colossal snobbery, I’ve noticed.

I agree with you! It’s mad. We have cut it right back. Have you seen the Martin Lewis video about Christmas presents? It’s so on point!

One sees so many posts on here about how overwhelming Christmas is and it’s correct, it’s got out of hand. Christmas jumper days , school baking , secret Santa at work, work parties , no wonder people get burnt out!

We do all the lovely things- Christmas walks, films, crafts - not the materialistic stuff .

I’m not into tat and I love Christmas but I don’t judge those who find joy from spending their money on whatever they want.
It’s up to them.

@RollOnSunshineplease say you're joking?!

@Greedybilly

I must have missed the part where OP said she went to a shop in China.

@RollOnSunshinebut it's not helping the economy ( or the environment) us all buying cheap plastic rubbish from China though is it?

People do what they want to do. Nothing to do with anyone else. 🤷‍♀️

If it helps the economy and the public purse it cannot be a bad thing. The lord must realise how much of it Labour are pissing up the wall.