Does Christmas suck for you?

[Norelco]

Christmas kind of sucks after you're no longer a child or not a parent surprising your kids with gifts. I don't even get excited for it anymore because my family has completely flaked out in terms of gift-giving. Don't get me wrong, I like getting money from my parents to spend on things, but it's just not exciting anymore because I know what I'm getting.

My dad emailed me yesterday and said that he'd like to get me an actual gift this year instead of money and asked me if I trust him to do so. I mean, of course I do, I don't know why he would even ask that. So here I am thinking that he's going to surprise me this year by giving me a gift I had no idea about, and then he emails me and says "Here's what I was thinking of getting you." It was a GPS navigation system. A pretty sweet gift, but I was ultimately disappointed because he spoiled the surprise. And then he says "you can have this or the cash equivalent" and I'm thinking that he just defeated the entire purpose of this whole thing.

I don't really have a need for a GPS. I don't drive around all that much and if I'm going somewhere and need directions I just go on google maps and print them out.

Should I just accept this gift or ask for the cash and put it towards something like a game system or a laptop, because that's what I really want.

And am I wrong for being bummed out about the surprise element being dangled in front of my face and then yanked away?

[Iono]

Tell ur dad to surprise u!


As for my Christmas, yah it kinda sucks. Dunno how to say it w/o being too emo, so lets just stick with I only have 1 sister for family and she annoyed me so we lost touch.

[Norelco]

Tell ur dad to surprise u!

My father is too practical to surpise me. He'd rather know that I was going to get use out of it than spend $400+ on something I don't really need.

I appreciate that he doesn't want to waste his money. I guess I just can't have it both ways. :D

[Kaisha]

I have the same problem, but it isn't my parents fault, but more or less mine, since I'm extremely particular about wants and dislikes when it comes to things, and since all my parents know is that I play video games in my offtime, I'd rather make sure they don't pick-up the current good-movie-to-horrid-game release as a gift.

Was simpler when I was a kid and had an NES, I had no expectations for what I was getting, and would be pleased with whatever, but nowadays, I got my own life, and according to my life so far, money isn't easy to come by for the stuff I would ask for.
(hell, I'd kill if my parents could afford me a GPS for x-mas, but I couldn't ask that much of them)

[Iono]

Tell him to surprise u but give u a gift receipt :\

[Intense]

Should I just accept this gift or ask for the cash and put it towards something like a game system or a laptop, because that's what I really want.

Just tell him that this is what youd prefer.

As for me, my parents have too much money. I havent lived at home in years but they still buy me shit like I was a little kid. My mom will ask what I want, and Ill tell her 1-2 things (I dont really "need" things, when I see something I like, I just end up buying it on my own) and shell force me to give her a list. Im not complaining. :]

This year though, I want all gift cards from select stores because I lost weight and need new clothes.

[sephir]

I got a Caribbean trip for 2 weeks for Christmas with a few of my friends (parents offered to pay for it as my gift). So no, Christmas doesn't suck for me anymore.

Oh, its also an all-inclusive resort, so I can drink as much as I want for free as long as I stay on the Hotels grounds.

[Creeps]

As far as presents go, Christmas for me has sucked since I turned 18. My pops basically said "you're 18 now, you're too old for presents, so here's $150." My mom buys me practical stuff since I'm out of the house now, so I get stuff like gift cards to Wal-Mart, Linens And Things, socks, cleaning products (...), and other crap I'd rather buy myself. And last year, I broke up with my girlfriend two months prior, so I got nothing on the girlfriend front either.

The only saving grace of Christmas the last few years is that we're Irish, so my pops sends me to the liquor store with a few hundred bucks and tells me to buy whatever I want. Also, I usually don't have to see my mom's side of the family, and I'm extremely grateful for that. I love the feel of Christmas and the holiday vibe but my mom's side argues non stop and completely ruins that.

On a lighter note, this year is the first time since I was like 12 that I get to have a full family Christmas, instead of just me, my pops, and my stepmom having dinner and then going to Christmas parties with my friends.

[SephYuyX]

Im the kind of person who doesnt really care for gifts, I dont ask for anything for my bday or Christmas, I usually by everything I want/need for myself. I still end up getting some cash though, and usually some sort of family / nice gesture momento. I do tend to spend a good amount of money for others cuse they seem to like it, all I really want in return is a nice thank you / i love you dealio which I usually get.

I really only started thinking this way a few years ago, I figure i've bumed off my family enough that I dont want to have them spend even more resources on me, im happy enough that they still want me to live with them and dont charge me anything. I always keep my stuff clean and never make any messes for them to complain about, and my parents tend to go away alot together so I take care of the house and my sisters and they appreciate it.

Uh, kinda off track.

[aurik]

I like Christmas because I get time to fly home and relax. It's not about the presents.

[kuronosan]

I'm with Aurik, except I really enjoy being surprised by anything for Christmas because it's challenging to see how well your family knows you.

Despite the fact that I haven't gotten anything like I used to when I was a kid (like new game systems, etc) I always enjoy it when I open up my gifts to see a new office chair, or a new leather jacket, or even just a book... and it's always something I had been meaning to buy but just couldn't get the money together.

If Christmas isn't magical for you anymore maybe you should stop bitching about your parents flaking out and be glad that they even get you anything at all.

[Tajin]

I like Christmas because I get time to fly home and relax. It's not about the presents.

Amen. it is all about the food, shitloads of food please.

[Zanz L. Barre The 3rd]

As a child, I wanted to know my gifts and not be surprised. Now, I appreciate the surprise a little more.

Something I thought sucked ass, though:

One of my friends got a fucking PHARMACY PRESCRIPTION for Christmas. It was his "main gift" to boot.

[Septimus]

Im the kind of person who doesnt really care for gifts, I dont ask for anything for my bday or Christmas, I usually by everything I want/need for myself. I still end up getting some cash though, and usually some sort of family / nice gesture momento. I do tend to spend a good amount of money for others cuse they seem to like it, all I really want in return is a nice thank you / i love you dealio which I usually get.

I really only started thinking this way a few years ago, I figure i've bumed off my family enough that I dont want to have them spend even more resources on me, im happy enough that they still want me to live with them and dont charge me anything. I always keep my stuff clean and never make any messes for them to complain about, and my parents tend to go away alot together so I take care of the house and my sisters and they appreciate it.

Uh, kinda off track.

I am an utter nightmare to shop for as well. I have everything that I need, and I buy things that I want if I want them enough. (I have told my mother and father to not get me anything because I don't need anything, but they don't listen...) Up until last year my step-mother tried to buy clothes for me, finally she figured out that she should let me pick out my own clothes because I am very picky about what I wear.

But I still enjoy Christmas. Several of my nieces and my nephew are still young enough to still get really excited about opening gifts, even most of the older ones aren't ungrateful. Watching them tear into presents is the best part of the day- it makes me remember how fun it was to be a kid and get surprised by what is waiting under the tree. It is the sort of awe and wonder that you lose as you become a bill paying adult.

[GImpers]

Christmas is quite possibly the worst day of the year. Mainly, because I'm Jewish and I don't celebrate it. The day is full of suck. Everything is closed. The only thing to do is go see a movie and eat Chinese food. Christmas sucks.

[Norelco]

I like Christmas because I get time to fly home and relax. It's not about the presents.

I agree. I didn't really mean to make my post sound like it was. I just got married last month and my parents did alot to help out in terms of giving us gifts and money, so I told him I didn't need anything. But if someone insists on getting me a gift I guess I just prefer it to be a surprise, that's all.

That's kind of why I'm looking forward to having children of my own so I can surprise them and live vicariously through their excitement. I guess that sounds pretty lame.

[XxSlusherxx]

Im the kind of person who doesnt really care for gifts, I dont ask for anything for my bday or Christmas, I usually by everything I want/need for myself. I still end up getting some cash though, and usually some sort of family / nice gesture momento. I do tend to spend a good amount of money for others cuse they seem to like it, all I really want in return is a nice thank you / i love you dealio which I usually get.

I really only started thinking this way a few years ago, I figure i've bumed off my family enough that I dont want to have them spend even more resources on me, im happy enough that they still want me to live with them and dont charge me anything. I always keep my stuff clean and never make any messes for them to complain about, and my parents tend to go away alot together so I take care of the house and my sisters and they appreciate it.

Uh, kinda off track.

I am an utter nightmare to shop for as well. I have everything that I need, and I buy things that I want if I want them enough. (I have told my mother and father to not get me anything because I don't need anything, but they don't listen...) Up until last year my step-mother tried to buy clothes for me, finally she figured out that she should let me pick out my own clothes because I am very picky about what I wear.

But I still enjoy Christmas. Several of my nieces and my nephew are still young enough to still get really excited about opening gifts, even most of the older ones aren't ungrateful. Watching them tear into presents is the best part of the day- it makes me remember how fun it was to be a kid and get surprised by what is waiting under the tree. It is the sort of awe and wonder that you lose as you become a bill paying adult.

I'm just quoting to say how much I relate to this statement, if I really want something, I buy it, and if I haven't bought it, it costs more than I really want anybody spending on me. My parents have done really well the last couple of years with still kinda getting gifts though, last year they gave me enough airline miles to go anywhere in the US, I know it sounds kinda lol having no cash value and all, but it ended up being something I was able to really appreciate.

[Norelco]

I'm just quoting to say how much I relate to this statement, if I really want something, I buy it, and if I haven't bought it, it costs more than I really want anybody spending on me. My parents have done really well the last couple of years with still kinda getting gifts though, last year they gave me enough airline miles to go anywhere in the US, I know it sounds kinda lol having no cash value and all, but it ended up being something I was able to really appreciate.

What are you talking about? Air miles have a ton of cash value.

[Kaelan]

Something like SephirothYuyX.

I don't even bother asking, but for whatever reason since like 6th grade my parents have always known the things I liked most and then avoided giving me anything related to them on purpose. I could complain, but I hate complaining, so I just figured out how to save up to get everything I wanted myself through the year, then I don't really have to care about the gifts anymore. Started doing that and just said I didn't want anything for birthday or christmas anymore. Been doing that since then pretty much, works like a charm.

[Ishido]

I like Christmas because I get time to fly home and relax. It's not about the presents.

Truth.

As far as gifts, I'm now getting random cooking implements, since I love to cook and now have my own apt.