So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[sheeplady]

I am really sick of all the false stress that occurs this time of year. If people just lived with a little less, they could focus on the important things like friends and family rather than topping the neighbors, having the most under the tree, and showing off at the dinner table.

Also, Giving Tuesday coming *after* Black Friday upsets me.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Just ignore brainwashed "capitalism-christmas", like I do.

If I would have kids, they just would become books, that they have choosed before christmas or a coupon for a book-store.

 

[GHT]

I am really sick of all the false stress that occurs this time of year.

It's very much real to them, but I take your point that it's all self-induced. Sadly, all the accompanying anxiety that goes with it, will last through until next Christmas. That's how long it will take to make a dent in the debt that it causes.
Many years ago I worked with a lady who always did her Christmas gift shopping in January, during the sales. She also bought the heavily discounted decorations and Christmas cards. Come the end of January, her cards were written, her presents wrapped and all stowed away for another year. No pressure, no deadline, no stress.

 

[Fading Fast]

I am really sick of all the false stress that occurs this time of year. If people just lived with a little less, they could focus on the important things like friends and family rather than topping the neighbors, having the most under the tree, and showing off at the dinner table.

Also, Giving Tuesday coming *after* Black Friday upsets me.

On my side of the family we have almost completely given up gift giving - a few stocking stuffers survive, I got my mom a few books - but we were never big gift givers and just wanted to stop so that it wasn't about gifts. On my girlfriend's side we have reduced the number of gifts dramatically, but it is just so woven into the fabric of their Christmas that I don't think I can do more. And she's reached out to her girlfriends and they've agreed to get together one night instead of doing gifts (with a few exceptions), so our gift giving is down a lot. I couldn't care less if I ever get a gift again in my life as I don't care that much for them and hate the entire "gift getting" thing. I genuinely would love Christmas to be no gifts, just a time of year for those who are religious to celebrate that aspect and for those, like my family, who isn't to just get together with family and friends. I was able to turn my girlfriend's family a bit my way when I pointed out that the best time we have at Christmas isn't opening up gifts, but when we are all together having a meal, just talking or watching a video (and pausing it to chat, etc.). It's the time together not the gifts and that view partially one out this year (we'll see how it does). And our reduced-gift policy has - to your point - reduced the stress a decent amount so far this year.

As to Giving Tuesday coming after Black Friday - this might be heresy and I might be hated by many on this forum for my views, but I am almost equally put off by all the aggressive come ons for charity this time of year. My girlfriend and I do and give what we believe is the right amount of charity for us, but constantly being solicited (at many cash registers, on the phone, on the internet, the street solicitations, the heart-breaking TV commercials, etc.) is obnoxious - and while the good intentions are respected - it has a Boys From Marketing, aggressive, manipulative, calculating and mercenary feel that turns me off. It's a balance - some gift giving is great, charity is wonderful - but the full-throttle marketing of it all - gifts and charity - feels ugly and grabby. I emphasize, I am not against charity (am for it, practice it and hope others will too), but I can't stand the arrant charitable solicitations this time of year.

 

[LizzieMaine]

What gets me are the people who *only* pay attention to charity at Christmas time, and go around like they've done something magnanimous because they threw a twenty in the Salvation Army kettle on their way out of the mall. Jesus didn't say "love your neighbor as yourself the last month of the year, and the hell with them the rest of the time."

As you suggest, charities themselves have cultivated this attitude with their "Annual Appeal" mentality. What's wrong with doing an "Annual Appeal" in February or August? "But people aren't charity-minded then!"

As for Christmas gift-giving, I'm very selective about it. I give some small memento to the people who've been especially important to me over the past year, and that's all. I haven't had a Christmas tree since I've lived in this house -- there's no room for one, for one thing -- and I have no interest in hanging up lights and running up my electric bill.

We have a Christmas tree at work, but it's in keeping with my own values: we made the decorations ourselves, out of strips of discarded film and cut-up soda cups. The star at the top is made from a popcorn tub. And we *do not play Christmas music* during the walk-in -- I don't think people realize just how obnoxious many find the constant thrumming of "Christmas music," especially when it starts up now right after Veteran's Day, and I refuse to contribute to that in any way.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Ridiculous christmas. Many people are stressed, just because of that. It's made, just to let the children in the believe of an idyllic world and the parents are happy, if that nerving event is gone, rapidly. Maybe, except those people, who like it really, because they can indulge their disguised alcoholism ("Octoberfest" is everywhere).

I celebrate christmas just with my parents and that's all. An evening without stress. Today, I decided to gift them, this year. I know them well and only just, without any stress, I went to the next bigger city and bought a new badgerhair-shaving-brush for my father and a moisturising bodycream from Switzerland for my mother. No (cheap) mainstream-products.
But that are "little attentions" on free will AND sensemaking products to them. If I don't want to gift them in another year, then I don't do it. At the same way, I don't except gifts from my parents.
For the rest, I'm ignoring christmas and look forward to the spring.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Just think, if the three wise men (or kings, depending on your Gospel) had come to see babe Jesus empty handed, we wouldn't be having any of this frenzied xmas shopping.....................................................................................maybe.
Ebenezer Scrooge is my role model when it comes to Christmas.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Very annoying to say the least but I do find myself enjoying a little wine and dine, getting that large PC monitor I wanted under the disguise of buying for someone else the same value, and the forced few days off. No Bah Humbug here? It's in my nature to look at the negative side of things as well, money spent, time used up, yadda yadda, but Christmas creates memories for my boy and family that I may not take the time for otherwise. So look at the bright side, no need to knock yourself out but it's a nice break.

 

[ChiTownScion]

It's definitely toned down within my extended family.. but mainly because there are- among many cousins and their kids- only a couple of little kids. We're waiting for the next generation to start having kids.

One of my greatest thrills when I was single was buying noisy toys for my nephews: horns, drums, a toy power saw that had a sound which simulated a real one ripping through plywood, etc. The look on my sister's face when they opened presents from me was priceless! One gal I dated had 2 little sisters and especially obnoxious parents: I always threatened to get one a female rabbit and the other a male rabbit- so that they'd soon have bunnies as far as the eye could see- or a St. Bernard puppy, or art farms. I regret not following through on that..

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

...and we *do not play Christmas music* during the walk-in -- I don't think people realize just how obnoxious many find the constant thrumming of "Christmas music," especially when it starts up now right after Veteran's Day, and I refuse to contribute to that in any way.

And it's a very limited repertoire at that. How many times a day can you stand hearing Jingle Bell Rock and Feliz Navidad???? And when did A Few Of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music become a Christmas song??? As there was no Christmas context to it in the original film.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

It's definitely toned down within my extended family.. but mainly because there are- among many cousins and their kids- only a couple of little kids. We're waiting for the next generation to start having kids.

One of my greatest thrills when I was single was buying noisy toys for my nephews: horns, drums, a toy power saw that had a sound which simulated a real one ripping through plywood, etc. The look on my sister's face when they opened presents from me was priceless! One gal I dated had 2 little sisters and especially obnoxious parents: I always threatened to get one a female rabbit and the other a male rabbit- so that they'd soon have bunnies as far as the eye could see- or a St. Bernard puppy, or art farms. I regret not following through on that..

Haha, My brother-in Law got my boy a mini drum set when he was 2-1/2 and the look I gave him, He didn't even realize what he had done and bought it because he was a drummer not to punish me. But in the spirit, all is good and he got over the drum set in a couple of weeks but had a helluva lotta fun with it in that time. The Christmas music? a month of it? glad to see it ALL end on the 26th but cmon people, some of these posts belong in the "You know you're getting old" thread. Merry Christmas....

 

[Lean'n'mean]

And when did A Few Of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music become a Christmas song??? As there was no Christmas context to it in the original film.

It is a very christmassy song;

" Drunks dressed as Santas & carols are playing,
charities are begging & everyone's paying,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things "

 

[GHT]

Very annoying to say the least but I do find myself enjoying a little wine and dine, getting that large PC monitor I wanted under the disguise of buying for someone else the same value, and the forced few days off.

In the run up to Christmas 2008, following the financial crash, I was out hunting for something special for my wife. I came across a proprietor run, small leather garment shop. There was a leather jacket, with detachable sheepskin collar, in the window, that I had walked past and coveted many times, but at £500 it can stay there. On this particular day, the lust for this jacket drew me in. I tried it on, it was a perfect fit. The price had been reduced to £250. I handed it back wistfully and said that at the price it would soon find a new home. "Give me £200 and it's your's," the shop owner said. I looked in my wallet, ignoring the credit cards I said: "I've only got one eighty." "I'll take it," he replied. Three months later the TO LET sign was up in the window. I did have a guilt trip about that, for about a minute.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Man, that's a fantastic one! Kind of cool, I would say.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And it's a very limited repertoire at that. How many times a day can you stand hearing Jingle Bell Rock and Feliz Navidad???? And when did A Few Of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music become a Christmas song??? As there was no Christmas context to it in the original film.

When I'm dictator the only novelty Christmas song allowed will be the Singing Dogs, and it will play on an endless loop on all mall speakers from Black Friday until Christmas Night. That'll put an end to Commercial Christmas real quick.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Just think, if the three wise men (or kings, depending on your Gospel) had come to see babe Jesus empty handed, we wouldn't be having any of this frenzied xmas shopping.....................................................................................maybe.
Ebenezer Scrooge is my role model when it comes to Christmas.

I am tired of people saying something to the effect, "we live in the most perilous times in history!" Obviously, they slept through history class. This isn't even in the top 100 in world history, or the top 10 in U.S. history.

How about interesting times?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

So many dealers, so few collectors...

At present I have a couple of high-end items listed on eBay which I would like a certain amount for, and it's been a frustrating experience. And it seems the higher end it is, instead of attracting the serious collector who has the money, it just brings out the jokers who are pulling your leg or worse, dealers who make insultingly lowball offers . One of the items I have listed is $1,800 Buy It Now, or Best Offer. This person messages me asking if I would be willing to go $1,000 to which I said I would. Now the strange part is why someone would message me first instead of just submitting an offer. But anyways, he then submits an offer of $700 -- this is after asking if I would sell it for $1,000.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Many years ago I worked with a lady who always did her Christmas gift shopping in January, during the sales. She also bought the heavily discounted decorations and Christmas cards. Come the end of January, her cards were written, her presents wrapped and all stowed away for another year. No pressure, no deadline, no stress.

Mrs. Hawk would add "no fun". The joy of the cards, decorating and gift giving is in the process, not the product.

 

[HudsonHawk]

One of my greatest thrills when I was single was buying noisy toys for my nephews: horns, drums, a toy power saw that had a sound which simulated a real one ripping through plywood, etc. The look on my sister's face when they opened presents from me was priceless! One gal I dated had 2 little sisters and especially obnoxious parents: I always threatened to get one a female rabbit and the other a male rabbit- so that they'd soon have bunnies as far as the eye could see- or a St. Bernard puppy, or art farms. I regret not following through on that..

I LOVED doing that when I was single. I'd look a a toy for my nephew and say.. "Nah...too quiet". Drove my sister nuts, which was entirely the point.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

So many dealers, so few collectors...

At present I have a couple of high-end items listed on eBay which I would like a certain amount for, and it's been a frustrating experience. And it seems the higher end it is, instead of attracting the serious collector who has the money, it just brings out the jokers who are pulling your leg or worse, dealers who make insultingly lowball offers . One of the items I have listed is $1,800 Buy It Now, or Best Offer. This person messages me asking if I would be willing to go $1,000 to which I said I would. Now the strange part is why someone would message me first instead of just submitting an offer. But anyways, he then submits an offer of $700 -- this is after asking if I would sell it for $1,000.

" I'm thinking more like 25 bucks & that's as far as I can go " - Rick Harrison.