Just stop all this crap buying?

@GasPanic🤣🤣🤣🤣

Halloween is just as bad for tat.

Maybe I will try austerity Christmas one year.

Advent calender made out of newspaper with famous figures behind door.
Christmas candle with a snowman on it drawn in felt tip.
Potato and lentil stew for Christmas day.
Christmas tree from the twigs outside.
I also have some mahonia which looks a bit like holly if I put red balls on it.
Home brew.
And of course don't forget the hair shirt.

For Boxing Day could invite the Four Yorkshiremen over to discuss who is being most extravagent.

@Autumn38I agree there must be a mid way point here.
Buy less?/start shopping later?/buy second hand? /buy less but better quality? /reuse or make things?
It doesn't need to be completely all or nothing does it?

Yeah, I usually take them to a group thing I go to. I was being slightly hyperbolic.

I agree. We are in the process of simplifying our Christmases now, and we'd like to simplify them even more. It's a process. But it's important for the planet to be less wasteful.

@Isittimeformynapyet
Hoping that box of Roses goes in the food bank trolley, rather than your actual bin.

It’s not all or nothing, why so angry and judgy? I use the same decorations that I have used for years, book advent we add a book to each year but I’m not having someone judging me for doing a Christmas Eve box with Christmas PJs, sweets, hot chocolate etc, my kids love it, I love it and we use the PJs and enjoy the rest.

I don't think the people who believe in the virgin birth are the ones buying the tat.

flipping heck who let the happy folk out for the day

And...at the risk of being a Grinch
( who I really loathe) Work secret santas are just cringey - adults trying desperately to have 'fun' by shopping for crap.
I really like my colleagues but they aren't my mates and they don't need any extra crap.

A huge portion of this toot is imported, damaging the environment with it's manufacture, transport and disposal

Huge amounts will end up in landfill and if anything about the latest waste disposal scandals hasn't sunk in yet, there is no 'away'

Yeah, but OP's example was just sweets and chocolate. At least they have a chance of disappearing. (If someone gives me a box of modern Roses they go straight in the bin!)

I agree about the plastic shite though.

I totally agree OP! It's grim.
I loove a pootle round B and M and my heart lights up to see all the shiny, sparkly things but that gets overshadowed by me thinking that whole line of shiny joy is going straight to landfil. Or to landfil in a year or two.
Capitalism at it's worst!
Merry Christmas 🤩

Bloody lucky dips. Always knew they would cause the collapse of civilisation.

I think the OP is objecting to the consumerism, not the Christian element but the people for whom it is just about buy buy buy

I get overwhelmed with things so try and discourage people from buying me physical items. I’ve asked my partner for an experience voucher.

I buy for my partner, my adult children, my young nieces and that is it. I buy wine for my team at work or chocolates for those that don’t drink. It’s tradition where I work so if I didn’t buy it they would be the only team who didn’t get a gift, which would be out of order!

I don’t do secret santas etc or anything else.

I don’t think I’m being miserable by saying please don’t buy me anything to my adult children etc. I just have so much stuff it’s overwhelming so I like us to just have nice meals and spend time together with extended family. Happy to pay for food and drink.

No judgement on people who do like lots of things to open. If you like it I think it’s lovely. So people that love a gift (like my nieces) I love to buy for. Buying for the sake of it like a secret Santa when I don’t want a present myself is not for me.

One of my sons is in the military so struggles with where to put things so I just buy him useful things. Eg boxers, food and drink items and some holiday money for our holiday in Feb.

Each to their own. I do really like Christmas. I like the atmosphere, the family get together, the food, events like ice skating. I just ask for no more gifts as I literally don’t have room.

🤣🤣🤣

I think I will use my secret Santa gift for a game of take a sip of your cocktail every time someone on MN writes the word "tat".

I don’t think it’s a binary choice between ‘buy loads of impersonal rubbish’ and ‘refuse to buy anything at all’. I enjoy buying carefully considered gifts which will be well received.

I’m also a Christian and I don’t really understand why it was necessary for you to insult a religious belief to get your point across. I get it seems easier culturally to make snide remarks against Christianity than it does say against Judaism or Islam, but the effect is the same.

And God Bless us, everyone!

OP, you do what you like but scolding and superiority aren't going to go down happily with most. I've had an absolute pig of a year, almost died and if I want to give some (lovingly selected) gifts and eat turkey, then I bloody well will.

ETA year so bad it is unfair to pigs to use the comparison.

Its up to others what they buy.
If this lady wants to do it it's nothing to do with you.

I love temu and I'm not going to stop because someone else dont like it.

OP, I agree. Many people will defend the right to buy tat but the planet does not need it.

Push back all you want I'm still buying chocolates and sweets

The world won't end if you mind your own fucking business

Oi shsh. I am getting Secret Santa Kahlua. Win

I’ve definitely cut back after realising most of it is unnecessary. Seems alot of others have too as the Christmas aisles are still fully stocked.