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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:
Ponoka7 · 14/10/2021 12:52

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

Further on from my other point about it generating jobs and circulating money. People from our cheap suppliers, India, Bangladesh, China etc died of hunger during lock down. They rely on us buying their goods. As RedToothBrush pointed out that no-one is giving an answer on if it's ok to let whole populations starve, because there's no answer to them needing an income and the only source available is making our tat.

Mulhollandmagoo · 14/10/2021 12:53

I also sympathise with the poster up thread who mentioned relatives who equate a proper celebration (be that Halloween, birthday, Christmas) with piles and piles of presents. We went through similar when ours were younger

I think that was me, I'm about to go through her toys and I will be taking stuff to the charity shop that didn't even make it out of the packaging from last Christmas Sad I've always wanted to find charities of people who will struggle to afford Christmas for whatever reason, so I can give it to them but so far come up short, so if anyone has any ideas?

gardeninggirl68 · 14/10/2021 12:53

Only person to mention influencers and colour schemes has been you op. You!

MarshaBradyo · 14/10/2021 12:54

Further on from my other point about it generating jobs and circulating money. People from our cheap suppliers, India, Bangladesh, China etc died of hunger during lock down.

Do you mean their lockdown or ours?

MarshaBradyo · 14/10/2021 12:55

@gardeninggirl68

Only person to mention influencers and colour schemes has been you op. You!
And Seaandsandcastles - likes a new colour theme each year
Hushpuppy1 · 14/10/2021 12:55

Agree that plastic tat is bad for the environment.
However, it seems like many people who profess to avoid tat because they care about the environment are perfectly happy to rip out a functional but “dated” kitchen or bathroom in order to install a new, on-trend (maybe even minimalist) one. Lasts a few more years than tat but still an incredible waste.
I know this thread is not about kitchens but “dated” is a bugbear of mine.

waterrat · 14/10/2021 12:55

It's sadly untrue to say that it is up to an individual how much plastic tat they consume. Do people realise we live together on one finite planet. Once the resources we are burning up they are gone forever.

The idea that it is judgemental to point this out is very out of touch

gardeninggirl68 · 14/10/2021 12:56

@Hushpuppy1

Can of worms....can of worms!!

waterrat · 14/10/2021 12:56

And people did suffer hugely when lockfown shut factories in Asia. But that is because the global economy is unsustainable not because making shit plastic tat is the only way they could possibly survive

godmum56 · 14/10/2021 12:57

@Hushpuppy1

Agree that plastic tat is bad for the environment. However, it seems like many people who profess to avoid tat because they care about the environment are perfectly happy to rip out a functional but “dated” kitchen or bathroom in order to install a new, on-trend (maybe even minimalist) one. Lasts a few more years than tat but still an incredible waste. I know this thread is not about kitchens but “dated” is a bugbear of mine.
and mine!

and yes i agree about a less tat christmas. I really don't get het up about buying sparkly decs and so on but at least store them and use them year on year rather than planning to get new every year.

AutumnAlmanack · 14/10/2021 12:58

I totally agree, OP. DH's grandchildren get mountains and mountains of plastic toys for Christmas (we have already been sent a list of what they want this year!!); I have suggested that it might be a good idea to give them one toy each and then something useful which they can keep, such as jewellery, watches, Premium Bonds, etc. But I am told 'but they like TOYS'! Needless to say, most of the toys have been discarded and forgotten about by Boxing Day. Such a terrible waste.

Anoisagusaris · 14/10/2021 13:00

Tired old tat 🤣🤣🙄

I have beautiful decorations collected over the years from Villeroy & Boch, Newbridge Silver, Belleek Pottery etc, plus some bought in South Africa and Germany, mixed in with classic baubles and other decorations. Nothing tired or tatty. They mean a lot to us. Would much prefer that than a load of the same old shite in a different colour each year.

Original poster
KingsleyShacklebolt · 14/10/2021 13:03

@Hushpuppy1

Agree that plastic tat is bad for the environment. However, it seems like many people who profess to avoid tat because they care about the environment are perfectly happy to rip out a functional but “dated” kitchen or bathroom in order to install a new, on-trend (maybe even minimalist) one. Lasts a few more years than tat but still an incredible waste. I know this thread is not about kitchens but “dated” is a bugbear of mine.
Agree with this too. We moved into our current house almost 14 years ago. The kitchen was dated at that point (wood effect units, blue worktops) but was still in good nick and we could just not justify replacing it. Same with a bathroom which was tiled floor to ceiling in a lovely shade of peach.

We've replaced both now, but tried very hard to veer away from the trendy trendy ranges in the shops and go for something less fashionable which won't date, because we won't be replacing again on a whim.

OP posts:
Bbq1 · 14/10/2021 13:11

@MarshaBradyo

Definitely not tired old crap.
I absolutely agree. They are loved and treasured decorations. Definitely not old crap. Prefer my decorations that have special memories attached them rather than "Ooh, the exciting "challenge" of a new colour scheme" and stuff the planet.
ApplesAreTheBaneOfMyLife · 14/10/2021 13:13

I agree. It would be great if we did a reboot on Christmas - all the waste, excessive consumerism, stress, pressure to have a perfect time etc.

Getyourownback · 14/10/2021 13:13

Meh, I love my Christmas stuff. I refuse to call it tat. I add to my collection each year and everything is reused year after year, only disposed of if it’s broken. It brings me joy. I can’t feel guilty for that. Even if you think it’s all pointless, environmental poison.

Lockheart · 14/10/2021 13:17

I agree. We have two fake trees - one is 23 this year and one will be celebrating its 60th birthday!

We look after them so theyre still in good shape, but regardless I will be using them until they barely resemble a tree anymore. They're my Christmas trees and if they go in my lifetime I will be very upset.

We also have lots of old ornaments, for us it's about tradition and getting out all the old things that remind us of Christmas, not about fashionable colour schemes or themed ornaments which will be forgotten in two weeks time. Some of our decorations are well into their 50s. We buy one or two new ones occasionally e.g. when something breaks and I cry over it for a few minutes because it was my mum's and I'm silly

I have tinsel from my grandma's house fgs and I'm not getting rid of that, even though it is a bit scraggly now.

We need a lot more reuse and less consumption. It's plastic, it takes centuries to breakdown. You can certainly get a few decades of use out of it Wink

muddyford · 14/10/2021 13:21

I said the same last night as the OP. Our tree is certainly twenty years old, decorations more than that. It replaced a tree that was passed on by my parents and was forty when it got the push. Having a tree that sheds plastic needles is part of our family 's Christmas tradition.

hangrylady · 14/10/2021 13:21

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Easterndream · 14/10/2021 13:22

OP, as I said in my previous post, I understand completely where you are coming from but if you only target one thing that you find distasteful, then people take that personally, even though you probably mean plastic in general. You replaced a kitchen and a bathroom that were functional. I live in a culture (continental Europe) where people tend not to move house, let alone replace rooms because they seem out of date. Why did you feel you needed to change your kitchen?It's just the same as the people that change their decorations but a kitchen costs more money overall, and you may think of it as an investment, but it wasn't necessarily needed. You replaced something big they replace small things. If there's no need to replace plastic decorations then there wasn't any need to change a functional kitchen or bathroom either

Wazzzzzzzup · 14/10/2021 13:23

@Getyourownback

Meh, I love my Christmas stuff. I refuse to call it tat. I add to my collection each year and everything is reused year after year, only disposed of if it’s broken. It brings me joy. I can’t feel guilty for that. Even if you think it’s all pointless, environmental poison.
Same here. 😁 Got some amazingly lasting Home Bargains "tat" years ago.

Uk is grey and muddy at Christmas, my house looking like a grotto is keeping me sane😁

CounsellorTroi · 14/10/2021 13:29

Our tree is an artificial pre lit one that belonged to my late PILs and I’m very attached to it. We have some old baubles of theirs too. Also occasionally buy tree decorations while on holiday if I get the chance so our tree is hung with memories and is a memory.

seaandsandcastles · 14/10/2021 13:33

How wasteful. And shallow.

No, it’s not wasteful or shallow. They get lovingly used for a year.

Stompythedinosaur · 14/10/2021 13:37

Like so many other aspects of the pandemic, the impact is more felt by poorer families who don't necessarily have a loft full of previous decorations to use, or who use Christmas as a time to provide things that other families might buy throughout the year when needed.

Hushpuppy1 · 14/10/2021 13:40

Also agree with PP saying we need a rethink of our global economy since our (the west) consumption of tat (here in the US we call it crap) has helped lift millions of people, particularly in China, out of poverty. What would happen to the economy if everyone overnight became minimalist and environmentally conscious and only purchased things they absolutely needed? As Paul Krugman says (paraphrasing) “my spending is your income and your spending is my income”.