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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be Overwhelmed with the Christmas Tat…

122 replies

TheBeaTgoeson1 · 15/12/2025 21:17

Does anyone else get overwhelmed by the sheer level of tat at Christmas, in the shops, and also, being discussed. The absolutely enormous amount of stuff, stuff, stuff! Most of which won’t have any longevity. Not meaning to be a grinch, but just interested to hear if anybody else just finds it completely overwhelming!

OP posts:
MidnightPatrol · 15/12/2025 21:19

I agree - hard not to just think about the sheer volume of it going straight to landfill.

Original poster
TheBeaTgoeson1 · 15/12/2025 21:19

It is!

OP posts:
Katypp · 15/12/2025 21:20

Not another one. This,seems to be this year's fashionable virtue signal topic. You're late to the party OP - this has been done to death since about October

RaininSummer · 15/12/2025 21:20

If people stopped buying 'the tat ' then it wouldnt be made.

TitaniumTess · 15/12/2025 21:21

Very much so.... And then all the layers of school teacher presents, neighbours Christmas cards... Etc etc

Needmorelego · 15/12/2025 21:21

Well it depends what you are categorising as "tat" but I think this year there's a lot less "gifty" things and decorations available in shops than there used to be and a huge amount of it has sold out despite there being 10 days to go.

Katypp · 15/12/2025 21:22

Tat - tick
Straight to landfill - tick

It's like a broken record

Xcxcxcxc · 15/12/2025 21:22

YANBU. Unfortunately, most people cannot exercise restraint when it comes to the purchase of excessive crap (or food or drink). Welcome to the season of greed and gluttony. Merry Christmas 🎄.

Needmorelego · 15/12/2025 21:22

MidnightPatrol · 15/12/2025 21:19

I agree - hard not to just think about the sheer volume of it going straight to landfill.

But why?
Anything I need to dispose of either goes to recycling or my borough burns rubbish.
No landfill involved.

Needmorelego · 15/12/2025 21:23

Katypp · 15/12/2025 21:22

Tat - tick
Straight to landfill - tick

It's like a broken record

Yep.
And no one seems to agree what this mysterious "tat" actually is.

MetallicMushroom · 15/12/2025 21:23

Agreed.

I'm not evangelical about it but I try to minimise waste and make sure that I'm buying things with thought and that will outlast the season.

suki1964 · 15/12/2025 21:24

Im very lucky - very little disposable income, more time then most, and a wee town that's full of independents and a good knowledge of whom Im buying for

Ive had to cheat just twice , one book out of Tesco and ordered a book from Amazon. Every other pressie has been bough in an independent shop

You buy tat, then that's what's supplied

Original poster
TheBeaTgoeson1 · 15/12/2025 21:24

Yes, the teacher presents threads are wild, I’m not a teacher, but I imagine that that must get overwhelming, so many ‘worlds best teacher mugs’

there was a cracker of a thread yesterday, where somebody mentioned that somebody at their school had bought a teacher a personalised bauble with their child’s face on it. 😳

I mean, that isn’t even something you could regift or pass on to a charity shop 🤣🫠

OP posts:
Original poster
TheBeaTgoeson1 · 15/12/2025 21:25

MetallicMushroom · 15/12/2025 21:23

Agreed.

I'm not evangelical about it but I try to minimise waste and make sure that I'm buying things with thought and that will outlast the season.

Same, and this is a good way of looking at it!

OP posts:
Rockfordpeach · 15/12/2025 21:26

Im so sick of the word 'tat' on mumsnet.

Katypp · 15/12/2025 21:26

Xcxcxcxc · 15/12/2025 21:22

YANBU. Unfortunately, most people cannot exercise restraint when it comes to the purchase of excessive crap (or food or drink). Welcome to the season of greed and gluttony. Merry Christmas 🎄.

Edited

Oh yes - most people. But not the virtuous people like you.
The reality is most people do not buy mountains of 'tat' and throw it out after Christmas but it suits the MN narrative that this is what happens, so pps can pat themselves on the back and congratulate themselves that they are not like Those People.

elliejjtiny · 15/12/2025 21:26

What kind of tat? We use the same stuff year after year. Christmas cards get put in the craft box or made into gift tags for next year. We do get through a lot of food but almost nothing goes into landfill.

Needmorelego · 15/12/2025 21:27

Rockfordpeach · 15/12/2025 21:26

Im so sick of the word 'tat' on mumsnet.

I feel the need to scream it....
"Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat"
😂

CurlyhairedAssassin · 15/12/2025 21:29

I know people who buy new place setting type stuff every couple of years, just for Christmas. Ours are about 15 years old. A lot of my tree decorations are 20 years old. I just cringe at all the consumerism and excess and plastic going to landfill, properly cringe. Especially with the high cost of living. I refuse to do it all. I would love for presents to just be not part of Christmas, for adults at least. And for children to get just 3 or 4 presents.

Secret Santa at work is the worst. I don't want to take part in ours. We are supposed to buy a joke present for a couple of quid. It's just tat tastic. Awful, but I feel like i have to go along with it "for the team".

Original poster
TheBeaTgoeson1 · 15/12/2025 21:30

elliejjtiny · 15/12/2025 21:26

What kind of tat? We use the same stuff year after year. Christmas cards get put in the craft box or made into gift tags for next year. We do get through a lot of food but almost nothing goes into landfill.

Same here regarding Christmas cards! You can also recycle them fairly easily.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheBeaTgoeson1 · 15/12/2025 21:33

CurlyhairedAssassin · 15/12/2025 21:29

I know people who buy new place setting type stuff every couple of years, just for Christmas. Ours are about 15 years old. A lot of my tree decorations are 20 years old. I just cringe at all the consumerism and excess and plastic going to landfill, properly cringe. Especially with the high cost of living. I refuse to do it all. I would love for presents to just be not part of Christmas, for adults at least. And for children to get just 3 or 4 presents.

Secret Santa at work is the worst. I don't want to take part in ours. We are supposed to buy a joke present for a couple of quid. It's just tat tastic. Awful, but I feel like i have to go along with it "for the team".

Arggg!! Joke presents!!!😭🫠

OP posts:
HewasH2O · 15/12/2025 21:33

So what is this mysterious "tat" of which you speak? I'm not sure what we're all meant to be complaining about?

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 15/12/2025 21:37

Tat is a way to not say “common, low quality, poor people gifts” that they say “straight to landfill” shows that they can only imagine they would say “thank you” but immediately put it in the bin.

In reality, few people throw out gifts within a month.

OP I get you are overwhelmed with choice. Overwhelmed with the bright displays and flashing lights. Overwhelmed with all the thinking you have to do and tasks, that’s not the same as it all being tat.

LadyKenya · 15/12/2025 21:39

Secret Santa at work is the worst. I don't want to take part in ours. We are supposed to buy a joke present for a couple of quid. It's just tat tastic. Awful, but I feel like i have to go along with it "for the team".

And that is part of the whole problem, when people are trying to scale back, on pointless gift giving. Work people are expected to join in with the nonsense, cheap gifting, in the name of secret santa. Buying for the sake of it, things no one wants, and will likely be in the bin, before the season is through!

OttersMayHaveShifted · 15/12/2025 21:41

YANBU to think that overconsumption and waste are bad. YABU to be 'overwhelmed' by seeing things in shops.