I hate Christmas. Like, not in a "bah humbug" sort of way, but in the naked consumerism involved.
What's the point of sending someone a $50 gift card if they're going to send me a $50 gift card back? And buying consumer goods isn't much better, since the gift recipient could just as easily purchase it for themselves if they really wanted it.
I'd like a society where we focused more on thoughtful, small gifts for each other. It would help build social connections instead of precisely-valued exchanges. But we're all so overworked and exhausted that we don't have time to work on gifts for other people, and so it's easier to throw money at the problem.
The best kind of Christmas presents are ones where someone gets you something you didn't expect or would think of buying yourself but ended up loving. Like 4 years back I got a big box from my mom. Thought it might be a game console and was excited but surprised she spent so much. Instead it was an air fryer she got for cheap and its so much better, probably my all time favorite adult christmas gift.
Its kinda why I think Christmas lists are kind of a stupid idea for anyone really close to you because they could just buy whats on them if they really wanted to.
I think christmas lists are a good idea, but I kinda use them as more of a loose guideline. Like, I intentionally put "funny socks" or "apron with a food related pun on it" to be somewhat surprised, or if the people know your interests well enough, they can get you something you'll really like and still be surprised by.
Wifey and i are getting into zero/low waste and my hatred for this holiday has increased tenfold. Every gift card is more useless plastic that's gonna get thrown in the ground and leech microplastics for centuries. Every cute pre-packaged gift at the store is covered in plastic and is half cardboard (which at least can be recycled). And while it's very sweet when people think of you and put your on their christmas shopping list, i'd honestly rather just have some homemade treats 9/10 than some mall device that's only gonna be used a single time or some clothes that aren't to my tastes.
So yeah i totally agree. I did hand-painted cards for all my family last year and it felt much more real and like i was actually investing myself in their gifts, and i feel the same feeling when i get a gift chosen by someone who knows me really well and put time/thought/energy into it. Gift giving should be so joyous - something you do when you have excess resources to lovingly share, but capitalism actually managed to suck a lot of the fun out of it.
I hate Christmas. Like, not in a "bah humbug" sort of way, but in the naked consumerism involved.
What's the point of sending someone a $50 gift card if they're going to send me a $50 gift card back? And buying consumer goods isn't much better, since the gift recipient could just as easily purchase it for themselves if they really wanted it.
I'd like a society where we focused more on thoughtful, small gifts for each other. It would help build social connections instead of precisely-valued exchanges. But we're all so overworked and exhausted that we don't have time to work on gifts for other people, and so it's easier to throw money at the problem.
The best kind of Christmas presents are ones where someone gets you something you didn't expect or would think of buying yourself but ended up loving. Like 4 years back I got a big box from my mom. Thought it might be a game console and was excited but surprised she spent so much. Instead it was an air fryer she got for cheap and its so much better, probably my all time favorite adult christmas gift.
Its kinda why I think Christmas lists are kind of a stupid idea for anyone really close to you because they could just buy whats on them if they really wanted to.
I think christmas lists are a good idea, but I kinda use them as more of a loose guideline. Like, I intentionally put "funny socks" or "apron with a food related pun on it" to be somewhat surprised, or if the people know your interests well enough, they can get you something you'll really like and still be surprised by.
Wifey and i are getting into zero/low waste and my hatred for this holiday has increased tenfold. Every gift card is more useless plastic that's gonna get thrown in the ground and leech microplastics for centuries. Every cute pre-packaged gift at the store is covered in plastic and is half cardboard (which at least can be recycled). And while it's very sweet when people think of you and put your on their christmas shopping list, i'd honestly rather just have some homemade treats 9/10 than some mall device that's only gonna be used a single time or some clothes that aren't to my tastes.
So yeah i totally agree. I did hand-painted cards for all my family last year and it felt much more real and like i was actually investing myself in their gifts, and i feel the same feeling when i get a gift chosen by someone who knows me really well and put time/thought/energy into it. Gift giving should be so joyous - something you do when you have excess resources to lovingly share, but capitalism actually managed to suck a lot of the fun out of it.