To think The question What did you get for christmas is a strange one for an adult?

[NormaSmuff]

Went back to work and have been asked this question, which always stumps me.
I have a family with 3 dc.

to me Christmas is all about giving and , seeing family.
and tbh I can never remember what I got.
aibu
this question always has me stumped.
my pleasure is seeing the gifts I ahve bought being received. I am not sanctimonious, but I just can never remember

God damn Norma , lighten up

Don't be one of those non personality types that are 'offended by everything'

I don't struggle with chat, I just think it's an infantile question to ask a fully grown woman!

no but why would people be interested in the fact that my dm got me a dressing gown?

It's called making conversation.

Would you prefer to sit in total silence or do you have a list of approved topics you dole out to colleagues/friends etc?

And there are probably some people who would be interested in the dressing gown.

thank you plifner,

I've never asked anyone this question and like OP I'm a bit stumped for replies. It's not that I can't remember, but I can't believe anyone's actually interested. To me it's a less real form of small talk than the weather or the traffic. I've probably offended countless people by brushing it aside by mumbling something like. 'Lovely things, thanks' and not reciprocating.

I think it depends who asks, it can just be chit chat or it can be a way for the other person to boast, or a way for them to moan! Either way I usually just say "oh yes I had some lovely things thanks" and leave it at that.

I like getting presents (as well as giving them) and I like to chat about what we received with my friends. I wouldn't ask an acquaintance what they got for Xmas but I would ask a friend.

So YABU.

"I think the present side of Christmas is more important to some than others. Some will have received a diamond necklace or an Apple Watch. Others will have had slippers and a toblerone. The first group are more likely to ask than the second, I think." picklemepopcorn

This is what I find to be true. The people who ask usually have something like a new bike, and some kind of expensive tech gadget, and possibly an 'experience' day somewhere doing something, and many more things, and it's clear the couple (assuming it is a couple) have spent many hundreds of pounds on each other. We just don't really do that. DH had a new bike in October, because he had decided what he wanted, saw a good deal, and we had cash available for it. I have just booked myself a cookery course that I really want to do. But neither of those are Christmas presents, they're just nice things we are choosing to do. Christmas presents for us were along the lines of new jamas, books and a really nice hard to get food item that we'd been searching out since we had it in Spain. So Christmas presents for us are not a huge deal. There's nothing martyrish about it though!

I usually just reply something like "a week sitting on the sofa eating chocolate".

Chat has its place. Life can't always be in depth discussion into the state of the economy, the place of religion in society or who voted leave/remain and are they sorry now.

I hate being asked this, every year the answer is always "Nothing"

so then people go into gossip mode, I end up having to explain abandoned as a baby, no relatives of any sort, no partner, and Santa really doesn't know where I live.

getting nothing for xmas doesn't bother me, getting the pity that follows does :-/

kaellea I think that's the sort of situation where a white lie is perfectly acceptable. Or do what I quite often do and buy yourself a present and tell them about that.

who do you spend the time with?

Kaella?
agree, white lies are acceptable all round

I do also think that it can be a really thoughtless question. We often don't know a lot about the personal lives of people who we e.g. work with or whatever, and we certainly are unlikely to know about their finances. It could be incredibly awkward for some people who literally scraped together about £20 for some colouring things and a teddy for their kids, and had nothing themselves. Also to kaelea 's point, it's also insensitive to those who have 'non-typical' family arrangements. It seems like there can for some people be a lot wrapped up in 'what did you get for Christmas?'.....how well off are you...how much does your DH love you...how close are you with your family members... etc.

If it's meaningless chat, then it feels like asking someone if they had a nice Christmas or even if they enjoyed the break would be far less loaded.

Gosh I ask people this, it's just to do the polite mindless chatting thing. Then you can say something about eating the last of the chocolates or storing new toys or how nobody our age goes out for NY anymore and everyone smiles and you go get your coffee and then can be quiet. Just ordinary January chat!

My most exciting present was a really interesting book. I'm not doing it to boast at all.

YANBU.

I don't think it's odd as a small talk question ("how was xmas, get anything nice etc.") but the way it's often asked always surprises me. There's sometimes the assumption that the presents are a big deal which is odd for an adult, I just want everyone to have a nice time!

Totally agree OP, I just find it very emblematic of Generation Snowflake.

I bloody love Christmas, start preparing and planning in September. But presents for me? Or dp? We do tokens, but that's it.

The threads on here from grown-ups whining about a missed birthday card make me as well.

If you don't want to answer with your life history then just say you got a few lovely bits and pieces and ask them how their Christmas was.

It's called being polite. Small talk is only uncomfortable if you over think it.

i dont mind, how was christmas? or did you eat a lot of chocs/drink a lot of wine, etc.,