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

BarbarianMum .. saying oh I bought myself stuff gets an even worse reaction 'oh billy no mates, no one wants to buy you a present' lol I just can't win

NormaSmuff .. Time I spend with my dog, in the past I tried to work it and generally did, or I volunteer, last year I got to help feed 100 homeless people their Christmas dinners :-)

This year I was laid up poorly in bed .. had a fabulous time I slept through Christmas Eve and Day and Boxing day and then most of the New Year

I have asked if Santa has got them anything nice, to make conversation which then leads on to how they do Christmas in their house. I've never gone into detail with what I've had either. It really is just a conversation topic, when casting around in your mind for something to say. The answer really is unimportant most of the time. So I guess it's the context it's asked in. If the asker us blatantly using it as a platform to boast then YANBU. Otherwise YABU.

I agree that it is an odd question to ask an adult. I might ask my sister or close friend whether their husband got them anything nice. And I'm interested to know what presents were exchanged between eg my dad and sister. But as a generic questions between work colleagues, less close friends, it's a bit odd, though I can't put my finger on why. But I also think it is odd not to be able to remember! I don't get many gifts and I know what they all were.

I absolutely ask colleagues/friends/acquaintances if they had a nice Christmas and get asked in return. No one has mentioned or asked about presents!

S'just making conversation innit?
Same reason why people ask what you're calling your baby, or whether it's a boy or a girl or isn't you bump big/small/whatever (all of which seem to cause. They don't actually care but we have this thing called chit chat.
Just say 'ooh just some bits and bobs, how about you?'
Then they will say the same probably ha.

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

Then just say 'oh, A and I agreed we'd just get little things this year'. That's what I say, and no one has ever questioned it. Again, it's small talk; your answer isn't going to be interrogated, or even particularly remembered!

I don't think it's a weird question. DP got me a beautiful watch, which was subsequently stolen by our house sitters 'lady friend' he brought back on NYE, while we were on holiday.

There! Instant conversation topic

I suppose it just seems a bit.. bad mannered? If you don't know them well then they might not have got anything.

Generation snowflake? WTF

They asked you what you got for Christmas?

They were being nice and in return you foist a pile of judgemental bollocks their way. Maybe next Christmas you could give everyone the gift of not being a judgemental arse rather than material things that make you feel good about yourself.

its a bit personal, bit prying

You sound like you're a barrel of laughs OP. Probably they drew straws to see who had to make conversation with you. It's a normal conversation starter list Christmas, next time just tell them you got a massive dildo - probably they won't bother you after that

You could always respond with ''I got a broom handle that I promptly inserted up my arse-hole''

i might go with the sitting on the sofa eating chocolates line

hahaha bigbadwolves I nearly put tht

a dildo
well .. now you mention it..

No, not at all, I mean adults whining about what they want/got/didn't get/and the numerous threads on here about being "devastated" when their birthday card didn't arrive, or "dp" bought the wrong Rolex or the surprise party was ruined.

But do add more things to my post that I didn't say. And, for the record, no-one has asked me what I had for Christmas because (I'm glad to say) my acquaintances are a bit more grown-up. As the OP says, we talk about the kilos of chocolate, the crap telly, the wine. But the grabbygrabby presenting. Nope.

Feel free to call me judgemental though. I do judge adultchildren. Absolutely.

It is a bit personal and prying Norma?

Do you HAVE any friends?

This is from being Back at Work, friends would be different.

Hecate your post reads like a poem! I was waiting for the quote at the end to see who it was by, as I liked it

It's true, about the making conversation stuff. I don't feel the need personally but I understand that other people do, so I go along with it for their sake. I don't much like talking about myself so I tend to give short answers then ask questions back, which most people seem to like.

And yeh, it'll be the people who got good stuff that ask you in the first place, so they'll be happy to answer

Downwiththatsortof thing

Punjana- could you please copy and paste back to me where I mentioned my Christmas being material?

Thought not.

But, as I said before, do carry on making bollocks up.

VintagePerfumista I wonder why you have ''acquaintances'' as opposed to friends?

I censored the arse part of mine downwith

Some people need to get a problem I think...

NormaSmuff ahh I see

I don't. Again, carry on extrapolating.

My best friends have been thus since 1984 when we met at university.

My school friends and still close friends since 1977 when we started secondary school.