My answer is basically to stop letting a calendar date guilt trip you into wasting money on me because you’ve been marketed into some obligation so send me shit I don’t need. If you happen to find something you think I’d actually appreciate, go for it, but even then it doesn’t have to be for some stupid holiday.
I’ve kinda just stopped giving a shit about things like christmas or birthdays, both for me and for the people I’d consider giving a gift to, but I give them the same treatment: if I find something they’d like, I’ll just buy and gift it as soon as it’s convenient. And honestly the reactions are much better anyway, since it shows you’re actually thinking of that person and not just fulfilling some annual ritual to send them shit cuz the commercials say it’s time.
My parents buy things for me earlier then Christmas (intending them for christmas) spoil them for me because they’re excited to tell me what they got or they think i can use it now, and then take it off me the day before just to wrap it up again 🤣
I suppose people who live in different towns to their parents avoid this, and hence the parents build up a stockpile, and if you only have time to visit one day of the year, they’ll hand em all off to you then. Does that make it more acceptable? Because instead of waiting for a calendar day to buy the gifts at, they stowed the gifts away for until a big ceremony when family is visiting.
Might be how Christmas became a thing. Though I do believe the first gift giving was more like secret santa in scale, because nobody would receive more than 1 gift from someone else.
The thing I take issue with is the obligation we’ve been trained to feel when certain days come to buy something for everyone close to you.
If you’re buying someone a gift because you see something you know they’ll enjoy, then hoard it until some gathering like Christmas because that’s an opportune time to give it, nothing about that rubs me wrong. If you buy someone a gift because it’s Christmas then it’s just a material ritual that lacks that personal connection that makes gifting meaningful.
And like, even I will send some bullshit to my nieces and nephews for birthdays and such, cuz they’re like 6 and fucking love that shit - there’s no deep personal connection or anything, but lil Timmy doesn’t give a fuck: he had nothing from me a minute ago, and now he’s losing his shit over some $5 squirt gun. It’s fun for fun sake.
But like, when my mom calls me (and I’m pushing 40) asking what I want for Christmas… Mom, love ya, but stop worrying about that kind of shit. Let’s go out for some dinner or something so we can reminisce about how much of an asshole I was when I was lil Timmy’s age.
My answer is basically to stop letting a calendar date guilt trip you into wasting money on me because you’ve been marketed into some obligation so send me shit I don’t need. If you happen to find something you think I’d actually appreciate, go for it, but even then it doesn’t have to be for some stupid holiday.
I’ve kinda just stopped giving a shit about things like christmas or birthdays, both for me and for the people I’d consider giving a gift to, but I give them the same treatment: if I find something they’d like, I’ll just buy and gift it as soon as it’s convenient. And honestly the reactions are much better anyway, since it shows you’re actually thinking of that person and not just fulfilling some annual ritual to send them shit cuz the commercials say it’s time.
My parents buy things for me earlier then Christmas (intending them for christmas) spoil them for me because they’re excited to tell me what they got or they think i can use it now, and then take it off me the day before just to wrap it up again 🤣
I suppose people who live in different towns to their parents avoid this, and hence the parents build up a stockpile, and if you only have time to visit one day of the year, they’ll hand em all off to you then. Does that make it more acceptable? Because instead of waiting for a calendar day to buy the gifts at, they stowed the gifts away for until a big ceremony when family is visiting.
Might be how Christmas became a thing. Though I do believe the first gift giving was more like secret santa in scale, because nobody would receive more than 1 gift from someone else.
The thing I take issue with is the obligation we’ve been trained to feel when certain days come to buy something for everyone close to you.
If you’re buying someone a gift because you see something you know they’ll enjoy, then hoard it until some gathering like Christmas because that’s an opportune time to give it, nothing about that rubs me wrong. If you buy someone a gift because it’s Christmas then it’s just a material ritual that lacks that personal connection that makes gifting meaningful.
And like, even I will send some bullshit to my nieces and nephews for birthdays and such, cuz they’re like 6 and fucking love that shit - there’s no deep personal connection or anything, but lil Timmy doesn’t give a fuck: he had nothing from me a minute ago, and now he’s losing his shit over some $5 squirt gun. It’s fun for fun sake.
But like, when my mom calls me (and I’m pushing 40) asking what I want for Christmas… Mom, love ya, but stop worrying about that kind of shit. Let’s go out for some dinner or something so we can reminisce about how much of an asshole I was when I was lil Timmy’s age.
you’re cool - I like your stance on this :)