chocolate advent calendars epitomize everything that is wrong with the world today

[emkana]

bit OTT non?

Maybe we could between us come up with 24 nutrient-packed and tiny food items that could form an alternative Advent calendar - my list so far is Day 1: An Olive. Day 2: A cube of carrot. Day 3: Err, that's it.

Or we could have chocolate.

Personally I don't have a problem with chocolate advent calendars because any issue I might have with them is arbitrary compared with my shameless hypocrisy in buying one at all (as a non-christian) and in celebrating Christmas.

Actually DS would go mental with excitement over an olive advent calendar. He really would prefer that to chocolate (black, pitted, please).

Pictyures, hasseled, just pure pictures.

christmas was a pagan festival.

Well I'm going by my own preferences. I hate all the excessive and unnecessary christmas-gift-exchanging (I like it for DS and DP but I wish all the rellies didn't have to bother with each other) and I'd be bloody delighted if I got charity gifts - if that money went to someone who needed it it instead of to buy me some shitey chocs (see a theme here) or pointless tat I don't want.

Well, as Jesus said "the poor ye have always with yoe, but me ye have not always." (well he didn't because he spoke Aramaic, but I don't know Aramaic).

I want presents and I want them from my nearest and dearest. Not expensive, hopefully not pointless tat, just a token.

Ah yes Mutt that was my aim...

No it wasn't! It was to turn the requirement to give everybody a present into something slightly more useful. As I said my poor present-deprived MIL and other rellies will still be getting some nice smellies of which they already have several thousand, or a nice book, etc. so you can sleep easy in your bed.

I though Libby was spot on! Such a shame that they can't just have the excitement of a new picture each day.

I don't suggest no presents because I don't dare, because they'd be horrified and I'm a coward. I dream of it, seriously I do. I've come close but I haven't done it yet.

my four children have a chocolate advent calendar, A high school musical one each and whilst it wouldn't be my choice their well meaning grandmother bought them. For me what would epitomize any sense of wrongness is my children being ungrateful in receipt of them. Yes they absolutely look forward to the chocolate in the morning and yes it is a shift from the tradition that we knew as children. But my children know the christmas story, are enthralled by it, the two do not need to be mutually exclusive. I think articles like this actually epitomoze what is wrong with the world, over analytical tripe. My children are no less caring, compassionate or loving as a result of their joy at opening a chocolate calendar and i find it frankly insulting that she would think this is even worthy of condemnation.

We don't buy presents for anyone over 18, except the elderly- we all enjoy it so much more. We agreed on it years ago.

Goodness me this is one of those threads where I realize again that I'm not a true MNers. My dd's actually have a Zac Efron advent calendar. So bloody what. And hey, my paint is not Farrow & Ball, my sheets are not Egyptian Cotton and my children have been known to drink fruitshoots. I really thought that I would just get a few replies with a chuckle at how totally overreacting this article is.

Completely agree with Libby!

Chocolate advent calendars are the work of teh devil and are banned chez Nightynight as well.

Good post quadrophenia.

My dd's also have a Polly Pocket advent calendar. A tiny plasticky jumper or skirt every day. Bliss

I agree Quad

why is a choice of a charity gift condemned as pious?

i can't help but feel that this is not worthy of so much angst

Relax emkana! I don't think anyone's not chuckling. Well maybe Mutt. I love your thread, and the word "classic" has already been mentioned.

it's about the bigger picture SEA

what bigger picture though? there is no agenda, I am not concerned for my childrens morality on any level.

emkana you know you are a true mnetter

where have you been?

RL getting in the way! That is a ds who won't let me MN during the day.

takes all sorts to make a mumsnet world Emkana