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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Gin Advent calendar

67 replies

Pipotle · 07/12/2019 16:36

Saw these being quite heavily promoted in Sainsburys today. Is it just me or is this a bit...wrong? Isn't it unethical to promote people drinking every single day for a month as part of some jolly festive activity?

We have a huge problem with alcohol in this country and stuff like this is just normalising it. I'm all for people being able to choose and moderate their own alcohol intake, drink a bit more sometimes for fun but be aware and intentional about it. We should all be mindful about alcohol; it's fun but it's also dangerous. But for a huge retailer to provide the structure and the social go-ahead with this calendar to drink EVERY DAY just seems a bit much.

Maybe I am overthinking it but I'm just a bit worried at how companies are finding ways to profit even more off of people's excessive alcohol intake and send social messages that it's all fine and fun... Wine o' clock/time for prosecco merch everywhere you look etc.

AIBU?

OP posts:
MissLadyM · 07/12/2019 16:53

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Blacksackunderthetreesfreeze · 07/12/2019 16:58

I guess it’s perfectly fine to just keep the gins if you don’t want one every day?

Oysterbabe · 07/12/2019 16:58

I've got a wine one. I've checked the terms and conditions and apparently it's not compulsory to immediately strawpedo it before your cornflakes. I had one last year and they're really handy to have in the cupboard for cooking or the odd glass.

Drpeppered · 07/12/2019 17:01

I had one before. Definitely didn’t drink a gin every day Grin. Saved most of them for Christmas and we tried them then.

theworldhasgonecrazy1 · 07/12/2019 17:03

Bore off

Original poster
Pipotle · 07/12/2019 17:03

@MissLadyM 😂 and what a delightful little charmer you are, my dear!

OP posts:
Blackandwhitehorse · 07/12/2019 17:04

I agree with you it’s just so ingrained in our culture

Villageidiots · 07/12/2019 17:06

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Aragog · 07/12/2019 17:06

I think you're allowed to open the door ad just not drink the gin there and then. You are allowed to save them to drink at a later date.

I mean, I wouldn't normally advise eating chocolate every day either.

kierenthecommunity · 07/12/2019 17:07

I’ve got a wine one (one advantage of having a late November birthday 😃) but have been on late and night shifts four days in December so far. They haven’t vanished into a vortex as I didn’t get to drink them.

Going to enjoy myself tonight 🍷

geekone · 07/12/2019 17:07

Maybe you are not able to regulate your drinking but the majority of people are and will drink the Gin responsibly.

However an alcoholic isn’t going to buy a ginadvent for £50 they will buy a £15 bottle from Aldi and drink that everyday instead.

Please stop fun sucking and go and light your advent candle.

JacquesHammer · 07/12/2019 17:09

The whole gin, prosecco etc obsession is deathly dull.

Aderyn19 · 07/12/2019 17:09

I don't think anyone ever developed alcoholism from an advent calendar!

Agree with pp that you sound right miserable.

MiddleClassProblem · 07/12/2019 17:11

You don’t have to drink them everyday. It’s like the make up ones. They don’t mean you have to slather in a whole stick of lipstick on that specific day...

PrincessHoneysuckle · 07/12/2019 17:15
Biscuit
ScreamingValenta · 07/12/2019 17:16

I think the packaging on all types of advent calendar is a concern. With adult calendars particularly, because they often house miniature products, the packaging to product ratio is excessive. The children's ones have a small amount of chocolate in a large plastic tray. For that reason, I don't think any advent calendars of the gift-containing variety are a good idea.

Blackandwhitehorse · 07/12/2019 17:16

@Pipotle
Dr Rangan Chatterjee has just done quite an interesting podcast on alcohol and just how normalised it is, esp in the UK. Worth a listen. I’m not against what you’ve mentioned exactly but you’re right it shows just how ingrained alcohol is.

irishglaze · 07/12/2019 17:18

Sorry this is mumsnet, you can’t dislike or disagree with things when it’s the Christmas season otherwise you’re a big fat Scrooge!Xmas Grin (sarcasm btw). Having a recovering alcoholic for a partner I do not agree with anyone drinking alcohol every single day. So no YANBU

JacquesHammer · 07/12/2019 17:24

I think the packaging on all types of advent calendar is a concern. With adult calendars particularly, because they often house miniature products, the packaging to product ratio is excessive. The children's ones have a small amount of chocolate in a large plastic tray. For that reason, I don't think any advent calendars of the gift-containing variety are a good idea

That’s actually a really good point. We have a reusable calendar that’s been in action for 40 years Smile

Whatsforu · 07/12/2019 17:33

It's the normalisation of alcohol and how ingrained it is in society that gets me. Any excuse have a drink and if you don't drink you are a bore!!! I do find the people that protest are trying to normalise their habit. Not all alcohol dependant people are swiging cheap spirits from Aldi. I could be slightly biased as I have seen too many alcohol related deaths and that has put me off drink for life.

WaggleWiggle · 07/12/2019 17:38

As others said, you can open them and drink them at any point you choose. If you get one of those beauty advent calendars you don’t apply every product in its entirety there and then. I got a rum one last year and I am only just about to drink door number 25 (I’m not kidding - it really did take me this long). I love rum but saved the surprise ones in my calendar for occasions where I fancied something a bit different.

1Morewineplease · 07/12/2019 17:39

It’s to do with choice.
Gin is popular at the moment but I don’t think that a gin advent calendar is going to turn people into alcoholics. An alcoholic will get alcohol by any means.
I don’t believe that these calendars are normalising alcohol. Alcohol is already normalised as it’s readily available in supermarkets, corner shops, petrol stations etc...
I just think that these calendars are meant to be a bit of fun. It’s not as if there’s a full pub measure in them for each day.

JeanPagett · 07/12/2019 18:03

I'm an alcoholic. It wasn't because of gin advent calendars.

Coulddowithanap · 07/12/2019 18:07

Even my children know they don't have to eat a chocolate from their calendar (although they sometimes have 3 in a day to catch up! I'm sure I could do the same with the gin.)

ScreamingValenta · 07/12/2019 18:07

JacquesHammer Reusable calendars are a great idea, and what a lovely tradition to have one for 40 years.