in thinking that ' are you all ready for Christmas then' is the most facile question ever?

[ElizabethHoover]

and the asker doesn't really give a toss and the answer will only be dull
?

STOP ASKING IT

But are you all ready?

It's small talk. Social glue and all that. Get over it.

I never ask that question, because I'm scared they'll tell me how organised and ready they are when I never am

i cannot get over it.
I am ready to blow.

NB this is AIBU the home of petty whinges - you do know that?

It's interesting to know how people organise their lives. I ask it and am interested in the answer.

Laughing at home of petty whinges!
You're still U though

Next time, try looking blank, then very very panicked. Work up a good "WTAF" wide eyed look and say FUCK! Is it soon? Oh fuck. Oh no. Oh fuck no.

You need to get over it.

Where's your Christmas spirit?

Frogme, me too! Now wondering if OP is someone I have accidentally annoyed.

i nod and secretly plan their premature death.

Maybe I should pretend to be one of those humourless twats who do christmas all year ' oh yes I bought all the presents in July and posted the cards in November'

YANBU.

Someone asked me if I was ready earlier today. I was like, 'errr, what for...?'.
I'd kind of forgotten about it, which was nice.

I always say "Yes, I've been been ready since September". Actually we are not allowed to think about Christmas in this house until after DH's birthday on December 9th.

The relatively short lead time makes us more decisive, impulsive and generous because there's only limited time to faff about.

Oh, hun.

Bless you hun.

And are you ready for Christmas hun?

Hahahahaha i hate getting asked this too. I've been asked several times today. I'm not a lover of small talk and am a sarcastic bitch alot of the time, but i try really hard to grin and say "oh yeah, all sorted " just because it's bloody Christmas and all that ?? ho ho ho I

Are you going anywhere nice on your holidays?

No I am going to a labour camp followed by a few days sleeping rough in a public toilet in the shit bit of Plymouth.

I win facile question award.

No. The answer is always no. There's always more I can buy for the dc and the random people that turn up with presents that I see twice a year and forget to buy for!

I asked someone today. I'm shit at small talk and was quite chuffed with myself for remembering a "way in" to conversation. It worked too!

YANBU, I particularly hated this question in the last few years since my mum died and I just spent xmas on my own.

I had no one to buy anything for any more and nothing to get ready, and I had to come up with something cheerful to say in response that didn't shit on their attempts to make small talk, while secretly I just wanted to cry because I missed my mum and was going to have a shit xmas.

I've got my first xmas with my new family this year, they've said no presents for adults but I've bought tiny things just because it's the first time for years that I've had anyone to buy for, and I am all ready. But I ask people "What are you doing for xmas" (and am prepared for them to say if their xmas will be shit), not "Are you ready?".

Second dullest question is 'what meat are you having this year' ...
Next time I get asked I'm saying 'reindeer '.

It's called small talk - a bit like "how are you". It makes for nice social interaction.

I asked this question for the first time ever today. I will NEVER ask it again.

"No, my son died on Christmas day last year"

Whilst that is terribly sad, the person you asked is going to have a pretty awful time anyway this year. You asking a perfectly normal question like that isn't going to make it any worse

No but it did make an otherwise non-traumatic exchange rather unpleasant for them!

I know - but if you'd asked the equally normal question "how are you" they would probably have replied along the lines of "it's not a great time for us, our son died last Christmas" and it would have been equally awful . It's a very sad fact that when you lose someone so precious at a noteworthy time of year it's going to be difficult, iykwim? I hope that doesn't sound heartless - it must have been very difficult for you, and so tragic for them

Please come to my place of work, I really wanna annoy you at the checkouts and have you throw your nectar card at me.

catsofa - good for you getting presents!