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Original poster

Lack of Christmas tat might not be a bad thing?

226 replies

KingsleyShacklebolt · 14/10/2021 09:11

News this morning about all those containers stuck at Felixstowe from Asia, and similar problems at ports in the US which are now working overnight to clear the backlog.

These aren't shipping containers with food, it's all the other toys, decorations and associated tat which line the shelves of supermarkets and places like Home Bargains earlier every year.

Maybe if people have a year where they can't buy tinsel, or a musical Santa which drops its trousers, or Christmas bedding, or elves on shelves, or any of the other crap, they will maybe realise that you can have a brilliant Christmas with last year's decorations, or homemade decorations, or charity shop decorations? Consumerism at Christmas has got WAY out of control and this might force a halt to the buy buy buy mentality, focused on single use plastic and cheaply made rubbish from China.

OP posts:
guiltynetter · 14/10/2021 10:39

I've been into both b&m and home bargains recently and they still had a good collection of Christmas tat out already (nearly 2 whole aisles in the home bargains) so it can't be that delayed 🤷🏼‍♀️

FictionalCharacter · 14/10/2021 10:39

Totally agree. The amount of plastic rubbish going to landfill each January is horrendous. It’s completely possible to have a nice time without all the tat. In fact I think most people would be happier not buying tons of this stuff.

GorgonzolaSouffle · 14/10/2021 10:42

Totally agree OP

Christmas bedding
Christmas crockery
Christmas tea towels……where do people keep this crap for 11 1/2 months of the year?
Secret Santa is an abomination….
Less stuff to buy is only a good thing I think.

But then I don’t celebrate Christmas so it doesn’t actually affect me.

TuftyMarmoset · 14/10/2021 10:44

I agree with your principle OP but some of the responses to this thread are thoughtless. I can't use decorations I've had for 25 years because I've only been alive for 26 years and didn't go out and buy my decorations as a baby. I can't use family heirloom decorations because I don't have any. DP and I buy some decorations every year because we are young and still building up our collection to bring out each year. I am a Christian and obviously the religious aspect is important to me but yes I would be a bit sad without a Christmas tree.

Beowulfa · 14/10/2021 10:44

I love Christmas, and I love Christmas tat (as well as stuff that's free, like greenery, and nearly free like old sheet music cut up to make paper chains). Absolutely no need to buy it new though.

I've never been in a charity shop that didn't have a large corner full of Christmas tat throughout December. The baubles you have to rummage in a box for may not be uniform in size or colour though, if this is essential to your festivities.

Ponoka7 · 14/10/2021 10:46

Every shop sells tat, it's just the prices that differ. This is like the laughing done at the queue outside Primark and ignoring the queques outside M&S.
Your family might bin their decorations, but I don't know anyone who does.

Easterndream · 14/10/2021 10:49

My gut reaction would be to agree with you, but in more of a generic way, rather than singling out this one issue. You have chosen plastic Christmas tat, but it could have been a whole number of things that we have become accustomed to now, and are seen as the "norm" in day to day western society. Take disposable nappies for instance. They were designed and produced as a breakthrough product, that would considerably improve the lives of caregivers.
A change was made, it seemed for the better, yet slowly slowly people realise that everything in life is a balance and with that change came a consequence. Same for clothes, processed food etc. We can't know what each change will bring. Someone mentioned fishing nets. Everything that becomes large scale has large scale consequences. At the moment you are looking down on people who, in your opinion, are behaving in a manner that has a negative effect on the environment.
You also will be making similar choices, that you are so far unaware of the consequences,
or possibly have decided that t he consequences are worth it to your life personally. Every choice we make will create a change. We cannot however police the choices that others make, however much we would like to. When things are important to us we see the need as urgent, and want changes to happen immediately, forcing others to comply. When it is something you don't deem important, changes are seen as a nuisance and you resist them until forced.

Neonplant · 14/10/2021 10:51

Well this is working out well for you op.

5329871e · 14/10/2021 10:51

As far as I’m concerned, Christmas should be about love and kindness. Can’t fucking stand gaudy red and green decorations. Just light some candles, eat some nice food and give each other a cuddle.

Hope478 · 14/10/2021 10:51

You are being very judgemental.

I have no Christmas stuff, I haven't had a Christmas tree up for 2 years and I'm actually looking forward to going getting a few b&m decorations for my baby's first Christmas.

withiceplease · 14/10/2021 10:52

'supermarkets and places like Home Bargains earlier every year.'
So it's ok to buy expensive tat?
Or is it just that less well off folk should go without?

user1497787065 · 14/10/2021 10:53

I agree with you just unfortunate that all the Halloween tat is already in shops. I can't believe there is a whole aisle at Tesco dedicated to everything Halloween - one evening. Complete madness.

RedToothBrush · 14/10/2021 10:54

I actually would like less 'stuff' to be more desirable on the whole for birthdays and Christmas etc. People tend to egg each other on or feel inadequate if they aren't matching those around them. So yeah I'd like a more 'what you need' rather than 'what you want' type Christmas.

However part of the problem here is all the tat for 2021 has already been ordered and is in transit. So its just sat in containers which may or may not arrive in time for Christmas.

If it doesn't arrive in time, then what happens to it? The shops dont make as much so there is a loss of jobs and the stuff might just be landfilled rather than sold at all because the cost of distribution or storage is more than it can be sold for in January.

Its too late to stop the tat of 2021. And it doesn't change attitudes. You may find it causes demand for tat in 2022 to be even higher rather than go down.

You need a mass change in attitude rather than supply distribution to make meaningful change and this will come at a cost of job opportunities too.

So i remain skeptical and cynical about it all.

Anoisagusaris · 14/10/2021 10:54

Do people really replace their decorations every year???

@Hope478 I don’t think the OP is talking about people buying Christmas stuff for the first time. There is no need for everyone to be doing that however.

Ponoka7 · 14/10/2021 10:56

"Absolutely no need to buy it new though."

Do posters understand that we rely on people spending money in our society to provide jobs and services?

delilahbucket · 14/10/2021 11:03

Or maybe people might buy more from companies like mine that manufacture in the UK. It isn't cheap compared to likes of Home Bargains and B&M, but it's much better quality and not for throwing away after one use.

RedToothBrush · 14/10/2021 11:08

@Ponoka7

"Absolutely no need to buy it new though."

Do posters understand that we rely on people spending money in our society to provide jobs and services?

The Great Greta Thunberg Unanswered Question.

I don't think anyone has come up with an adequate response to this problem in the context of a population thats still growing and currently expects a longer life span than its ancestors.

Until its actually tackled head on, then we will have difficulty addressing climate change and associated migration properly.

You can talk about climate change but you need to do it in the context of how continue to give people an income and quality of life at the same time.

I don't think activists are successfully looking at this and just ignore it as an inconvenient question. Just as western countries aren't taking issues of climate policy seriously enough.

ABCeasyasdohrayme · 14/10/2021 11:09

'Crap' 'tat' 'cheap' 'gaudy'

We need a 'garish' for the full house 😂

RedToothBrush · 14/10/2021 11:10

@ABCeasyasdohrayme

'Crap' 'tat' 'cheap' 'gaudy'

We need a 'garish' for the full house 😂

'Made in China'?
LolaSmiles · 14/10/2021 11:12

ABCeasyasdohrayme
What's wrong with accurately identifying that a lot of stuff in shops is tat?

If people want to pretend that their annual Christmas decorations shops for the latest festive trend that's only designed to be used a couple of festive periods, or will break by new year, is amazing and that whole families will have a terrible Christmas if they don't buy whatever electronic santa decoration is on display, then they can, but it's not unreasonable to point out a lot of it is tat.

Bbq1 · 14/10/2021 11:17

@KingsleyShacklebolt

News this morning about all those containers stuck at Felixstowe from Asia, and similar problems at ports in the US which are now working overnight to clear the backlog.

These aren't shipping containers with food, it's all the other toys, decorations and associated tat which line the shelves of supermarkets and places like Home Bargains earlier every year.

Maybe if people have a year where they can't buy tinsel, or a musical Santa which drops its trousers, or Christmas bedding, or elves on shelves, or any of the other crap, they will maybe realise that you can have a brilliant Christmas with last year's decorations, or homemade decorations, or charity shop decorations? Consumerism at Christmas has got WAY out of control and this might force a halt to the buy buy buy mentality, focused on single use plastic and cheaply made rubbish from China.

I love Christmas but have had my 5ft tree since we got married, so it's 22 years old!! Yes, very slightly shabby but once dressed it looks fabulous. I've also had most of my Decs for as long - or even longer as I have some tree Decs that hung on our childhoid tree's in the 70s. All my decorations have sentimental memories attached to them. Ones like ds's first Christmas bauble. I have added over the years but maybe a new bauble for the tree or a new ornament but not massively. I just cannot understand people who say things like, "Oh my theme is silver and purple this year" and proceed to throw out all last years decorations?! Besides being so bad for the environment, there's no real joy or feeling attached to coldly colour coding everything. When I see our decorated tree and decorations, I love all the meaning and memories that go along with it.
Woeismethischristmas · 14/10/2021 11:24

I’m not a fan of disposable tat generally and I’m poor so possibly shopping in the £1 aisle at b and m. You can do loads with a bit of imagination. Pine cones with a bit of wool wrapped round make nice baubles. We have some lovely lights bought in IKEA years ago that are used as night lights that act as Christmas lights for December. I think it’s an attitude thing I like to make the best of what we have and buy essentials.

Mulhollandmagoo · 14/10/2021 11:34

I couldn't agree more with this OP! the trick now is getting my parents/in laws/grandparents to agree too! my daughter gets piles and piles of plastic crap that she doesn't need or will ever want to play with 'because that's what Christmas is all about' Hmm it really bugs me, its the same every year and they all turn their noses up at anything second hand, which is something we prefer.

We aren't buying gifts for her to open on Christmas day as we have booked her tickets to an experience that we think she will love and she's still very young so wont know any different.

Mybalconyiscracking · 14/10/2021 11:56

The problem is that people are paid for making that tat, that is how they support their families.
These things are never simple.

LoisWooookersonsLastNerve · 14/10/2021 12:02

I remember the same decorations being pulled out every year as a child, it wouldn't have occurred to my parents to get new ones every year. I try not to buy too much unnecessary tat if I can help it. I can see why people get caught up in it all though, it's everywhere.