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Original poster

Which Christmas tradition would you get rid of?

186 replies

Fantina · 26/12/2023 23:46

For me, it would be wrapping presents. I know they can look pretty and when I make an effort, mine do. But it feels like such a waste of time and paper. I’d like to normalise not wrapping them and using gift bags with whispy paper instead.

what would you get rid of and why?

OP posts:
cardibach · 27/12/2023 18:14

MuckyPlucky · 26/12/2023 23:52

Turkeys! Huge, vile, no-one likes them.

I love turkey.

sweatband · 27/12/2023 18:15

Putting up with extended family

Bonjovispjs · 27/12/2023 18:18

senua · 27/12/2023 09:06

which Christmas tradition would you get rid of?
Miserable people moaning about Christmas.
Grin

Was just about to say that 😆

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Christmas Events & celebrations
Mrsgreen100 · 27/12/2023 18:25

Christmas pudding, after a roast , oh and cheese, we do that on Boxing Day now

Jsndidndnnd · 27/12/2023 18:27

Presents! Or at least the idea of anyone having more than one or two. I love Christmas, in the sense of celebrating and getting together with people, but I hate the excess, expense and stress that goes with presents.

pinkspeakers · 27/12/2023 18:32

Exchanging presents between adults. Just a gift from my DH maybe.
More than a handful of presents for children.
Ambivalent about crackers. We did ones without gifts this year - just riddles etc. that was much better. So maybe I'll just ban ones with pointless gifts inside.
Christmas jumpers - unless they are genuine old ones,
Advent calendars with things in (pictures are good).
Seems to be a bit of a theme here....
I like all the food, decorations, music and everything else!

pinkspeakers · 27/12/2023 18:33

Oh yes. Christmas cards to anyone who you see in the couple of weeks before/after Xmas anyway. Or people who you wouldn't actually want to see!

DancingFerret · 27/12/2023 18:37

The whole shebang (apart from the religious, meaningful side of it). These days Christmas and the run-up to it is three months of pure commercialism and hype - and this Christmas more than ever I'm wondering what on earth happened to Peace on Earth.

cardibach · 27/12/2023 18:40

Honeychickpea · 27/12/2023 07:01

I suspect the false bit is people pretending they actually like turkey.

Show quote history

I’m not pretending. Well cooked, it’s lovely. Very confused by the ‘boring roast’ people. It doesn’t have to be boring! And as for a ‘good cook’ producing something less good than a takeaway…I’ve given up takeaways because pretty much anything I cook (and I’m an average cook) is much better.

cardibach · 27/12/2023 18:41

Pipistrellus · 27/12/2023 07:02

I'd get rid of the huge tubs of nasty cheap chocolates. Normalise less, better quality food.

Don’t buy them then? I have never done this.

cardibach · 27/12/2023 18:42

Most of the ‘traditions’ people are moaning about here are easy enough not to have. Why are you writing cards/buying loads of tat/eating roast/buying shit chocolates etc if you don’t want to?

Pipistrellus · 27/12/2023 18:43

cardibach · 27/12/2023 18:41

Don’t buy them then? I have never done this.

Show quote history

I don't. You could say just don't do it then to everything on this thread.

Pipistrellus · 27/12/2023 18:47

cardibach · 27/12/2023 18:42

Most of the ‘traditions’ people are moaning about here are easy enough not to have. Why are you writing cards/buying loads of tat/eating roast/buying shit chocolates etc if you don’t want to?

Cards I often feel the need to reciprocate or look like a grinch. I can be given tat or cheap rubbish food that I then need to find a home for. General norms around Christmas can affect a person without them choosing those things.

byteme1011 · 27/12/2023 18:49

Presents for adults you are not close with but I should really extend this to the expectations of following traditions you don't agree with. I gave 240 to my boyfriend for our 'joint' christmas presents to his family and to me this is beyond ridiculous - I barely know them and my boyfriend is a very skint student (this 240 is halved), I hate all the expectations to drink (I don't and I'm not the first person to not, what's the big deal?) or watch endless crap TV (more of a rant about my other half's family!

RandomUsernameHere · 27/12/2023 18:51

Presents except for children

cardibach · 27/12/2023 18:55

ZiggyZowie · 27/12/2023 13:10

I'm not at all sad and unhappy

I'm just fed up being force fed from every angle
everything to do with Christmas from September onwards.

There is no escape and no, I can't afford to jet off somewhere.

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I don’t feel that’s happening though. I rarely watch tv with adverts. I don’t go to shops a lot except food shops, which fair enough had some Christmas food from quite early. I just don’t engage until December.

cardibach · 27/12/2023 19:02

Pipistrellus · 27/12/2023 18:47

Cards I often feel the need to reciprocate or look like a grinch. I can be given tat or cheap rubbish food that I then need to find a home for. General norms around Christmas can affect a person without them choosing those things.

Show quote history

I don’t feel I need to reciprocate cards. Everyone knows I don’t do them. If they still send them to me it’s presumably for their own reasons. I’ve agreed with people who might give me presents like that that we won’t bother. You can arrange your Christmas to be less commercialised.

Pipistrellus · 27/12/2023 19:08

cardibach · 27/12/2023 19:02

I don’t feel I need to reciprocate cards. Everyone knows I don’t do them. If they still send them to me it’s presumably for their own reasons. I’ve agreed with people who might give me presents like that that we won’t bother. You can arrange your Christmas to be less commercialised.

Show quote history

I have thought I have agreed with people not to do presents. It doesn't always stop them. Or they will reclassify something as not being a present. Do you refuse the presents when given them, in front of others? That's the only way I see other than quietly rehoming them.

We don't have a commercial Christmas at all within our own little family.

byteme1011 · 27/12/2023 19:21

@Pipistrellus this is my issue too, within my own family/close friends they know I don't really buy into the commercial christmas (we'll do dinner/pottery experience etc together instead) but with gifts you get from outside the inner unit what do you do @cardibach ? Just refuse the gift or?

mamaduckbone · 27/12/2023 19:37

user1477391263 · 27/12/2023 03:11

Presents. I’ve whittled it down to the kids (just a few each), my parents, and my sister, and we mostly stick to things like vouchers. I think a lot of people would benefit from doing the same, as every year I see so much drama, tears, hurt feelings, stress and money worries caused by presents.

I agree with this one. We decided years ago to only buy for children and our parents, so I only had to buy for 4 people + books for my great nieces and nephews.

cardibach · 27/12/2023 20:18

Pipistrellus · 27/12/2023 19:08

I have thought I have agreed with people not to do presents. It doesn't always stop them. Or they will reclassify something as not being a present. Do you refuse the presents when given them, in front of others? That's the only way I see other than quietly rehoming them.

We don't have a commercial Christmas at all within our own little family.

Show quote history

Quietly rehome.

Q2C4 · 28/12/2023 15:02

Hotchocolateand5marshmellows · 27/12/2023 07:44

I love the build up to Christmas and Christmas day but I wish it was the norm to clear everything up straight away afterwards. I want my house back to normal now and the tree gone but apparently I'm a killjoy and have to wait till after New year's.
Also never done the elf.

Have you tried sticking to the traditional twelve nights of Christmas ie only putting your tree up on Christmas Eve? You might be a bit less fed up with it for the rest of the Christmas period then? I think the build up starts way too early these days.

Q2C4 · 28/12/2023 15:04

@ZiggyZowie I have turkey once a year and I love it! Nothing false about that here. As for everything being closed for 2 days, I like that too. More chance to have a proper break & get outside/reconnect with nature.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 28/12/2023 16:37

Q2C4 · 28/12/2023 15:02

Have you tried sticking to the traditional twelve nights of Christmas ie only putting your tree up on Christmas Eve? You might be a bit less fed up with it for the rest of the Christmas period then? I think the build up starts way too early these days.

Show quote history

Bring back the Advent fast!

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 28/12/2023 16:43

I agree it's easier to decorate late. Our tree goes up the weekend before Christmas.

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