AIBU by people's reactions.

[ZebraGiraffe12]

My family and I have just got back from an amazing 2 weeks in Spain. Whilst there we as a family (including the kids) decided to stop doing Christmas presents minus a small present from me and my husband. We've said we don't want any presents from family and instead we want money to be added to our family holiday fund so we can enjoy a big summer holiday every year. I know some people don't like to give money but for us it makes the most sense.

I've spoken to most people and they've said its a great idea. However, my MIL has refused. She said she is not seeing her grandchildren go without presents and we are selfish to expect them to. AIBU to be angry with her for not listening.

Your poor kids 🥹

I think this is a great idea and know loads of people doing this. But YABU re MIL, of course she wants to get her grand kids gifts. We don't do presents for adults usually but I'll still get for my neices and nephews because I want to

I’d bet good money you don’t know anyone doing this, never mind loads 😂

You are being v v unreasonable :( Pay for a holiday you can afford yourselves and let them and others enjoy Xmas presents.

I may have misunderstood the OP. I do know loads of people who either do Secret Santa (one gift per person) or don't do gifts at all. I'm about to pull it with my own family, we only do gifts for the children, but my neices and nephews are all growing up and it's making it hard to pick gifts (I don't want to do money because there's no thought in that), so I'm going to suggest we stop. My DC is only 3 so technically will miss out, but I'm not bothered. My cousins also stopped doing gifts with their other sides of the family for the kids years ago and now they'll do an experience together instead.

How grabby can people get? Too bloody right I wouldn’t be buying you anymore presents. Plus I’d rather set fire to my dosh than pay for your holiday.

Oh yes I didn't read it properly, no one asks for the money to be added to a holiday fund instead! Omg 🤣 My user name is accurate 😳 I thought OP was just saying no more gifts, sorry for being stupid! 🙈

Fucking hell, what a horror.

So you want your kids to miss out on having presents so you can go and sun yourself in Spain for two weeks a year? How selfish and cheeky - holidays are a luxury and your children certainly should not be missing out, pay for your own blummin holiday, I suppose the youngest gets £0 then if they are young enough for a free child place? I'd laugh in your Face if you were my family

YABVU & have crossed over into CF territory.

I hope you realise that now after reading all the comments on the thread.

I think Secret Santa is common among extended families where there is no young children or the family group is very large. It's also common not to buy presents for adults.

It's extremely unusual to only buy your own small child one token gift and take them on a nice summer holiday instead, and for grandparents not to buy anything for grandchildren. Do you really know any families where this is the case?

Just the one post then. That thread must have really put you off!

"Christmas" is a Northern Hemisphere tradition going back millennia under various names, and all of them are basically just an excuse for a knees up during the darkest, most miserable time of the year. "Jesus" is just the latest excuse, not the other way around!

I have no idea what you mean in response to my post. I don't know if you are agreeing or disagreeing. Please clarify.

I'm disagreeing that Christmas is a celebration for Christians and there's no reason for non-Christians to celebrate it. It's a secular celebration and always has been, under different names and with various symbology, I agree that it's currently a strange mixture of Pagan traditions dressed up as Christian in a very unconvincing way.

I would argue there's never been a "whole idea" as you put it. It's cold, dark and gloomy, everyone wants to be cheered up, that's pretty much it. I'm glad we've progressed to it being more of a family occasion than just everyone getting absolutely sloshed on mead to be honest. I don't love the commercialisation but that's society in general, not just Christmas.

Oh my god, you are so rude to ask this! Cringing for you!

The word Christmas literally means Christ's Mass, a religious service celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christians celebrate the birth and the rest of us use it as an excuse for an extended party.

You say that Jesus is just the latest excuse for the mid December festivities, which is what I said. The census that required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem is thought to have taken place after the autumn harvest around September time. The 25th December was chosen as there was a pagan festival around the Winter Solstice to celebrate Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, and the early Christians wanted to convert the pagans so effectively hijacked that. It is from there that traditions such as hanging wreaths and the giving of presents come. Christmas is essentially a mish-mash of various other things.

If anyone thinks realistically the Christmas is something exclusively celebrated as a religious occasion, then they are highly deluded and must be very distant from society. The huge majority of people know Christmas is celebrated for many reasons other than religious.