Christmas around the corner

[kathryn d]

We are here..and our 4 kids are in Canada.
Rob and I have never exchanged presents.
We give the kid presents...but they are told not to buy us anything.

This year, my daughter and her fiance are still having financial problems, so they decided not to give to each other either. They are making homemade gifts for his side of the family.

My daughter and one son have decided not to exchange...hoping the other siblings will follow.

When we go back...we celebrate our Xmas meal together...Turkey and Ham, with all the trimmings. Everyone enjoys that.

Christmas is so over rated..
It can be such a stress on families.

If there were little kids involved, it would be different...but they're all old (23yrs+)

 

[depreciator]

Last year we had Christmas in Barcelona, which was good. The kids were chuffed I managed to find a turkey to cook- they like Christmas lunch.

This year it will be at home, as usual. It will be big, as usual. And I will be cooking, as usual - I took over the job from my mother about 10 years ago.

My mother and favourite uncle will come. There will be us and our two girls - 12 and 14. The woman who has lived in our garage for 12 years will be there. The French couple staying upstairs in our Airbnb pad will be with us. So will the other French couple who stayed last year who are friends with the current couple and who now live in Sydney. The Ukrainian family of three who stayed with us last year for a month will come as well - they now live nearby. One of the blokes at work will come with his wife - his kids are older and have moved on. An Aussie/German couple who stayed with us might also come. And there will be a few other strays for sure. There will be 20 people at least, so we'll be eating in my wife's painting studio and I will be digging out the thing I use to extend the table.

We participate in the madness of the full cooked lunch. There will be a glazed ham, two turkeys, and possibly another species - all three ovens at home will be going.

I have given people instructions on what drinks etc to bring, the French people are taking care of the pre dinner eats, and everybody needs to bring a big candle to light the space.

It will be a fabulous day that won't end till some time that evening and I don't feel guilty.

Scott

 

[Demoivre]

We are here..and our 4 kids are in Canada.
Rob and I have never exchanged presents.
We give the kid presents...but they are told not to buy us anything.

This year, my daughter and her fiance are still having financial problems, so they decided not to give to each other either. They are making homemade gifts for his side of the family.

My daughter and one son have decided not to exchange...hoping the other siblings will follow.

When we go back...we celebrate our Xmas meal together...Turkey and Ham, with all the trimmings. Everyone enjoys that.

Christmas is so over rated..
It can be such a stress on families.

If there were little kids involved, it would be different...but they're all old (23yrs+)

Exactly this. I never really understood why its all about the presents. For me I rather have the gathering and festivities with friends, families and just being in the moment rather the expected monetary valued gifts.

 

[nomadic]

My favourite day of the year is Boxing Day because it's the most possible time until Christmas Day comes around again.

 

[hobo]

I have a *ridiculously* large extended family. My parents have chosen to host Xmas lunch (for the whole extended family, ie whoever wanted to come) for as long as I can remember.

As a kid I thought it was great - cousins all over the place to play with; aunts and uncles around to tease; and great-aunts/uncles and grandparents to tell us to "slow down and don't run near the food".

These days, my parents still host a Xmas lunch (although it's a bit smaller now as everyone has split off and moved etc). Extended family comes along whenever they are in town. We still give pressies to direct family (parents, siblings) but for anyone else we do a version of Kris Kringle called "Stealing Santa" - you still pick a random pressie off the table (as per the drawn-out-of-the-hat order), and open it, but then you can choose to either keep it, or swap it for any present already opened by someone who went earlier. Going last is a huge benefit! It's hilarious and a great interaction for the day.

I do hate that feeling of *having* to buy something for someone, rather than *wanting* to buy this particular thing for someone. Bah.

 

[travelbug]

My favourite day of the year is Boxing Day because it's the most possible time until Christmas Day comes around again.

Nah!! Due to extended family usually have to cook for both Christmas Day and boxing Day.
It got a bit much a few years ago so I booked a cruise from Sydney, around NZ and back, covering both Christmas and New Year.
Best Christmas ever.

This year hubby and I are packing up the motorhome and touring around Tasmania for a month. Can't wait.

 

[geoffw]

I'll be spending Christmas with my in laws in Mexico City. The first time ever for me to spend Christmas there.

I'm in Medellin, Colombia at the moment. The Christmas light displays are superb - over the river, extending for about a Km - with food stalls all along the way. And alcohol stalls for those so inclined.

 

[lizzie]

Hubby and I exchange gifts - but only stuff we want, but wouldn't buy for ourselves.

Hubby's getting a big firepit setup ... I'm getting the rest of a series of books I have really enjoyed for decades.

Okay - so I'm buying them but he knows not to try and choose a pressy for me as he always gets it wrong (not that I'd tell him).

We used to go all out when the kids were little but have seriously toned it down in recent years. Personally I'd rather just bugger off overseas for Christmas

 

[kathryn d]

It seems that more people buy for themselves, during the course of a year...the less meaningful the exchange of presents.


It's hard to buy for people...who really don't need anything.

 

[D_One]

I love Christmas and the idea of Christmas. Yes it costs a lot of money, but you shouldn't be obligated to buy anyone anything.

Christmas shouldn't be spent alone, it should be spent with family. How many times do you get the chance to catch up with the whole family in one spot. You don't want to leave that to funerals and weddings.

 

[Jamie M]

Instead of Christmas lunch at someone's house, my wife's family and I are going to have Christmas in New York City.

Lol - I thought you were going to say something like "we're having a picnic by the lake" but nope, just a lazy trip over to NYC. Have fun - sounds like an awesome way to spend time with family!

Cheers

Jamie

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

Lol - I thought you were going to say something like "we're having a picnic by the lake" but nope, just a lazy trip over to NYC. Have fun - sounds like an awesome way to spend time with family!

Cheers

Jamie

Thanks! It should be a hoot. After Christmas we're dragging them all along for a cruise, and then several weeks split between Orlando, Miami, Las Vegas and LA.

 

[Nemo30]

We generally do something different each year - no strict rules or traditions.

Sometimes we go out to a restaurant with friends, sometimes go interstate to visit family, one year was in Europe.

This year I'm having xmas with my sister who I haven't been on speaking terms with for about 16 years (most of our adult lives). We're both making an effort and I'm kind of looking forward to it.

As for presents, we don't buy a lot (mainly because Hubby is cheap). This year I have spent a fair bit on my son, but it is an experience gift rather than a material gift. I haven't bought anything from a retail shop.

 

[The Y-man]

... played with Lego (if you visit my office you'll understand my Lego fetish).

How do loans go if you are going to build a house out of Lego......

The Y-man

 

[Bhp19]

Man I wish I could spend Christmas in NYC. How awesome would that be!

My wife and I did this two christmas' ago, we rented a dingy little apartment on AirBnB for the 'authentic' new yorker experience (never again!) and had plans to go to an 'Aussie' bar for xmas lunch and to watch the boxing day test (time zone works this way).
Unfortunately/fortunately? we went out the night before, met some locals who kept buying us shots and next thing we know we had woken up at 4pm xmas day in no state to even leave the apartment! We ended up having pizza slices in bed for dinner, haha.

Even though we missed an xmas lunch we were invited to by one of the shot buying locals, it will go down as our most memorable xmas yet.

 

[chindonly]

Sorry, but we still love Christmas.

For our family get-togethers, we really only buy for the kids though.

The expressions on their faces as they open the presents is priceless. We have young kids. We video each year, so have something to look back at.

We also do the Christmas eve drive around to look at the lights at people's houses. Some put in a huge amount of work, and its become a tradition for us.

 

[lizzie]

It's hard to buy for people...who really don't need anything.

I like to buy my 82yr old fil experiences ... in the last two years we've got him hot air ballooning - whale watching - and paragliding.

At his age he has no need for anything else except health

 

[Television]

I enjoy buying gifts for people, because I like trying to thank those who have had a positive effect on my life.

That being said, there are some who I know have no need for a gift, so instead I'll write them a nice letter and extend my (genuine) offer to help them whenever they need it.

I try not to get mindlessly materialistic, but I don't have a problem with buying presents for people if I think they will appreciate it.

E.g. Dad loves to read, so he gets a subscription to Lapham's quarterly.

 

[Blacky]

I enjoy buying gifts for people, because I like trying to thank those who have had a positive effect on my life.

That being said, there are some who I know have no need for a gift, so instead I'll write them a nice letter and extend my (genuine) offer to help them whenever they need it.

I try not to get mindlessly materialistic, but I don't have a problem with buying presents for people if I think they will appreciate it.

E.g. Dad loves to read, so he gets a subscription to Lapham's quarterly.

I don't have an issue with giving gifts. If fact regularly do. If I know someone who needs something, or wants something, I will happily by it for them. Or if I see something which I know that they would like. If I want to thank someone I usually will with a dinner/lunch/coffee invitation.
But I see no need to do it at Christmas as a 'forced' (farced) habit.

Blacky

 

[Television]

I don't have an issue with giving gifts. If fact regularly do. If I know someone who needs something, or wants something, I will happily by it for them. Or if I see something which I know that they would like. If I want to thank someone I usually will with a dinner/lunch/coffee invitation.
But I see no need to do it at Christmas as a 'forced' (farced) habit.

Blacky

Yeah, I am much the same, but doing it in a big lump at Christmas makes it easier to budget for