I hate Christmas

[Morrus]

I would prefer to get no gift rather than a gift in which the giver put that little thought.

I must say that anyone who sent me that email would absolutely get no gift. I find it plain rude. The sentiment I can empathise with, but the delivery....

 

[Lorgrom]

If parents thought like you for the whole time christmas has been celebrated, hordes of kids would be running around with no socks, underwear, coats, or mittens, freezing to death quite happily with their desired little toys of the moment.

I grew-up in a household where underwear, coats, mittens, etc were the christmas gifts. Let me tell you now that I am an adult. Getting kids that kind of stuff (things that should be gotten all year long, just as food on the table and schooling) is worse on them, then being truthful and telling them you couldn't afford anything.

Nothing kills the holiday spirit quicker then only being able to get what you HAVE TO HAVE to survive. Then getting what you WANT to be happy.

 

[Storm Raven]

If parents thought like you for the whole time christmas has been celebrated, hordes of kids would be running around with no socks, underwear, coats, or mittens, freezing to death quite happily with their desired little toys of the moment.

Socks, underwear and the like are not good Christmas gifts. Sometimes a coat or gloves might be, if the recipient those things. I never want clothes for Christmas. I can buy clothes myself, thank you.

(P.S. I never buy my children clothes for Christmas, and won't unless they ask for them. They get clothes because they are my children, not because I'm giving them a gift).

 

[was]

We've switched most of our purchases to gift cards.

 

[diaglo]

So, a $14 CD is a "fairly expensive gift". In that case, I'd hope you would cross me off your list. You are clearly too poor to afford to give gifts to begin with.

yes, $14 can be expensive.

does it mean people shouldn't give gifts if they don't have $14 for each person on their list?

no. it doesn't.

diaglo "who made many gifts, worked multiple jobs, and still got people gifts" Ooi

edit: there are numerous stories about this

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

No, you didn't think about them. If you had, you would have gotten them something on their list.

Do I look like Santa Claus to you? Are you saying I'm fat? That I'm a home invasion specialist? That I hang out with midgets and call them elves?

Thinking about them involves: Spending money on them. Fighting holiday crowds to get them something. To box it up and drive to UPS to send it.

Yeah, I thought about them. It goes beyond your selfish "Gimme what I want, or I'll be ungrateful!" but rather into: "I thought you might like this, and might not choose to spend your money on it."

It's a gift. When choosing gifts, you chose something they wouldn't buy for themselves, not something they want but are too cheap to buy.

Instead, you got them soemthing you wanted them to have, and not something they actually wanted.

Maybe I can't afford what's on thier list? Maybe I think asking for movies and DVD's is trite and greedy. Maybe I thought you'd like a mug from Austria. Maybe I thought that 2 Pre-War Iraqi bills that I picked up from the wreckage of a building was something you'd find interesting. Maybe I thought that having a custom made fountian pen was something you'd never buy for yourself, but would look good on your desk.

I thought about you, and bought something I thought you'd like, not acted like you were 5 years old with a list to Santa.

The selfish individual in this scenario is you.

Yeah, look how selfish I am. I spent part of my hard earned money, I spent the time and effort to get the object, to wrap it myself, to add a card, to drive it down to UPS.

You spent the time bitching and whining that it wasn't something you wanted.

[/i]

So, a $14 CD is a "fairly expensive gift". In that case, I'd hope you would cross me off your list. You are clearly too poor to afford to give gifts to begin with.

[/i]

Nice shot. Backpeddle faster.

Babylon 5: The Movie Collection $47.99
Crusade: The Complete Series $47.99
Farscape: The Complete Second Season $119.99 (these are cheaper at Costco.com)
Farscape: The Complete Third Season $119.99 (these are cheaper at Costco.com)
Farscape: The Complete Fourth Season $119.99

Yeah, $14. That's all you want, is cheap $14 CD's.

No, you have a select list, and by GOD, people better get it for you, or you'll declare them selfish.

Yeah, those ARE expensive. A $14 CD that you DEMANDED would be the ONLY gift you got, and I'm serious, if you were one of my relatives, I'd get your card, and that's it.

That represents 2 hours of work at minimum wage. TWO HOURS. Whose the selfish one now?

"If I can't have what I want, then I want nothing!"

Yeah, I'm poor, what about it? How about you appreciate what you have and what gifts you get for a change?

My desk is covered with papers and office supplies. My desk has always been that way. Placing that pen on my desk is tantamount to losing it. And the fact that I know I will lose the pen is why I do not want it.

Ask for a maid to clear your desk.

If you gave out of the goodness of your heart, you would give people things that they actually want. Not things you decided they should want.

You know, I thought the Grinch was bad.

Merry Feast of the Pig. Enjoy your holiday.

It's nice to know that the person recieving the gift should decide what they get.

 

[Desdichado]

Socks, underwear and the like are not good Christmas gifts. Sometimes a coat or gloves might be, if the recipient those things. I never want clothes for Christmas. I can buy clothes myself, thank you.

Have you ever considered that the ph4t l00t you can haul in may not be the point of Christmas?

 

[Crothian]

Socks, underwear and the like are not good Christmas gifts. Sometimes a coat or gloves might be, if the recipient those things. I never want clothes for Christmas. I can buy clothes myself, thank you.

Can't you buy the other things as well??

 

[Storm Raven]

It's at this point that I think Storm Raven is getting too snitty. Seeing a particular movie on the list and getting something similar is not buying way off list and should be accepted with grace (even if you do, ultimately, decide to return it). When it comes to lists, people often think, "Oh, someone will probably get him that but this is close and might come as a nice surprise," and that IS reasonably thoughtful.

You see, the thing is, I have told them that this is unlikely to work for me. I am very specific in my tastes. I know this, and I make sure to tell people who are intent on getting me gifts this fact. I suggest that they stick to the list. But they ignore me. The only thing I can suppose that they think that that I can't possibly not like Attack of the Clones if I like Empire Strikes Back. Or that I have to like Tommy Boy because I like movies.

 

[devilbat]

If I received an email like that from someone I spent my time and money on, I'd make a point of finding the most useless gift I could, and send it to them. "What, you didn't want a previously viewed copy of dumb and dumberer?, Cool, next year I'll go with the moose call, I had picked out first."

Knowing the level of frustration I was creating would be worth it all, and it would make me jolly at Christmas.