Are You A Christmas Scrooge?

[Squirrel]

Dinner on Christmas Day is far more relaxed: we haul two casseroles - one red (lasagna) and one green (chicken Florentine) - out of the freezer and pop them in the oven. Very un-complicated.

Great idea! We're gonna do that this year!

DH suggests red chili enchiladas and green chili enchiladas.

 

[Squirrel]

We're one of those families where DH wants all the trimmings and decorations and gifts, but I like a simplified version.

I have finally figured out (thanks to someone on this board who was dealing with an older relative) that DH and one of my kids just wants a lot of packages to open. I can do that.

For me and the other (adult) kid, we'd rather one perfect gift instead of an avalanche.

I've managed to cut it down to 'something you want; something you need; something to wear; something to read.' But I wish I had caught on to the 'lot of packages' insight before DH's gifts were wrapped. His 'something to wear' is humorous t-shirts. All wrapped together, because I despise wrapping! And I'm not going to redo it!

 

[4legsgood]

I guess I'm a Scrooge. I don't enjoy group holiday get togethers (hyper vigilant to side eye and gratuitous positivity), and avoid all retail activities.

But, I enjoy the cold and dark, and small nonobligatory get togethers, fires, twilight zone, alfred hitchcock binges. And I give, $$.

 

[nancyfrank232]

I enjoy handing out gifts to family and friends on Xmas

I love meeting people and listening to their stories

I’ll be alone well enough on my death bed

 

[RobbieB]

Next Christmas I want to go Mexican style with Tamales!

 

[cooch96]

How about asking family to donate to a charity of your choice instead of giving you something you don't want or need?.

I did Exactly this for decades, but not even DW will comply. The social construct of buying junk is too strong for too many. I’ve made some minor victories: DM sends cash, DF sent a bottle of rum this year, some aunts and uncles don’t send me anything anymore.

The wanton materialism exhausts me, but the lights and cards are cheery, pretty, and gay.

I don’t consider myself a Scrooge, but I can see how many others would.

 

[DFDubb]

I could live in peace and harmony for the rest of my days if I never heard another stupid xmas song again. What terrible terrible music and to be inundated with it everywhere you go for 1+ month is a total beating. At least now it's socially acceptable to just keep my ear buds in when I leave the house.

 

[jollystomper]

How about asking family to donate to a charity of your choice instead of giving you something you don't want or need?
What about volunteering at a shelter instead of going to a gathering? "oh, so sorry I am busy that day, can't attend"
Enjoy the fact that you are healthy and alive for another year to see Christmas again.
Enjoy the wonder on a childs face when they see holiday decorations or visit Santa.

+1. These are great experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life

Today one of our sons who lives overseas asked if, instead of getting him a present, we can help out three of his friends in our area with kids who are struggling. So we are going to play "Secret Santa" for them. I like the challenge of getting gifts to someone secretly and not getting caught . And we will still give something to our son, he has always had a heart for others.

 

[REWahoo]

I won't make any claims regarding my own level of Christmas Scrooginess, but I can say without a doubt DD#2's boss is definitely the anti-Grinch.

She works for a very wealthy family as the PR person for the family charitable foundation. At the foundation Christmas party each of the six employee's place settings included a bundle of one hundred dollar bills - 100 for the employee and another 20 for their spouse. This was a gift from the head of the family, not wages, so it was tax free.

Employees didn't get out totally tax free though. As an added bonus, each employee was handed an envelope containing a paycheck equal to their annual salary.

 

[NW-Bound]

Aren't you (and most of the others posting in this thread) confusing "Christmas" with "Holiday Season?" For example, the difference between late Christmas Eve shopping at Walmart and attending Christmas Eve church services? Two very different things...

Well, the word "Holiday" has "holy" in it, and that definitely has a religious connotation.

I could be wrong, as I am no linguistic expert.

And the Europeans have used the word "holiday" to mean personal vacation time. Very strange.

 

[athena53]

The local big fancy mall is grandly decorated this time of year, but it is not decorated for Christmas, IMHO. There is no sign of the tradition or culture (religious or otherwise) of Christmas in the decorations. Really, to me they are celebrating the day of Festivus, the one popularized by a TV show. I don't celebrate Festivus so I don't do much shopping there.

I know- I actually attend church on Christmas (or Christmas Eve). I have mixed feelings about the secular, don't offend-anyone, happy-holidays approach. I know it's meant to maximize spending by people who don't actually believe or observe the Christian traditions. OTOH- I was in the checkout line at a grocery store one December and the piped-in music was the Hallelujah Chorus. It's a magnificent composition but it felt so WRONG in a grocery store.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Wahoo, what a wonderful boss your daughter has.

 

[Gumby]

I know- I actually attend church on Christmas (or Christmas Eve). I have mixed feelings about the secular, don't offend-anyone, happy-holidays approach. I know it's meant to maximize spending by people who don't actually believe or observe the Christian traditions. OTOH- I was in the checkout line at a grocery store one December and the piped-in music was the Hallelujah Chorus. It's a magnificent composition but it felt so WRONG in a grocery store.

Also, wrong season. That is in the Easter part of Handel's Messiah

 

[Bestwifeever]

I won't make any claims regarding my own level of Christmas Scrooginess, but I can say without a doubt DD#2's boss is definitely the anti-Grinch.

She works for a very wealthy family as the PR person for the family charitable foundation. At the foundation Christmas party each of the six employee's place settings included a bundle of one hundred dollar bills - 100 for the employee and another 20 for their spouse. This was a gift from the head of the family, not wages, so it was tax free.

Employees didn't get out totally tax free though. As an added bonus, each employee was handed an envelope containing a paycheck equal to their annual salary.

That’s like real Oprah money! Your DD must be very cherished and good at her job.

 

[aja8888]

I won't make any claims regarding my own level of Christmas Scrooginess, but I can say without a doubt DD#2's boss is definitely the anti-Grinch.

She works for a very wealthy family as the PR person for the family charitable foundation. At the foundation Christmas party each of the six employee's place settings included a bundle of one hundred dollar bills - 100 for the employee and another 20 for their spouse. This was a gift from the head of the family, not wages, so it was tax free.

Employees didn't get out totally tax free though. As an added bonus, each employee was handed an envelope containing a paycheck equal to their annual salary.

Wow!

 

[Amethyst]

There was a big argument over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, billing a Christmas-season performance of Handel's Messiah as "evoking holiday cheer." Most people, though, agreed that the Messiah is associated with Christmas, not Easter, in the public's mind. Besides, that's when people buy tickets to go hear it.

Also, wrong season. That is in the Easter part of Handel's Messiah

 

[REWahoo]

That’s like real Oprah money! Your DD must be very cherished and good at her job.

Truth is the folks with the big $ absolutely hate making public appearances, attending community meetings, etc. DD#2 eats that stuff up, so it is a great match.

 

[Katsmeow]

I love the holiday season. I am not at all religious but I enjoy the Christmas season as a well, secular, feel good time of year. I know, I know. It isn't the religious meaning, but I still love it.

Last year we had recently moved and we didn't have outside Christmas decorations but up and I hated missing it. This year we had the house decorated.

And the gifts, my God, the gifts. PLEASE don't get me anything. I'm so tired of receiving junk that just sits around. I can't get rid of it for fear of offending someone, but I know I'll never use it.

The good thing about a gift is that you can do with it what you want. A good use of a gift you don't really care for is to re-gift it to someone who might enjoy it. Or donate it somewhere useful. Or -- sell it at your garage sale. You don't need to announce to the giver that you have done any of this. If someone is so rude as to ask where the cup is that they gave you, then you can either avoid the issue (oh, I don't know exactly where it is right now), or tell a white lie (I hate to say that I broke it) or be honest (I had so many cups that I gave it to someone that I knew would use it and love it).

On the tree part, DH sort of didn't like the 9 foot tree and we reduced down to about 6' last year. That was much easier to deal with.

Living with cats for the past 20 years kind of rules out decorations and a tree.

My avatar shows my cat in the tree a couple of years ago. I've had cats forever and none ever got in a tree. But the cat in the avatar loves the tree. She gets in it every year... With an artificial tree (I am allergic to real trees) that usually breaks the branches so we have run through 3 trees in 3 years. This year we have no large tree (we are remodeling) and just have a small ceramic tree. Next year...not sure what we will do.

I know that cash is more useful than 99% of gifts but it doesn't show much thought.

Oh, I don't agree in many cases. Well, in some cases, it doesn't show thought. But I have bought gift cards for people and spent just as much time selecting a card as I would a regular present. I am thinking about what is the perfect place for the gift card. I personally love to get gift cards particularly when it is for the type of place that I would like to go to or that I buy from and there are so many things I might want but would hesitate buying for myself.

 

[HFWR]

Despite rumors to the contrary, I’ve yet to see any Christmas police, enforcing any particular version.

 

[Chuckanut]

Also, wrong season. That is in the Easter part of Handel's Messiah

Speaking of the wrong season, this is actually the Advent season. The Christmas season starts on 12/25. Now, excuse me while I open the next door in the beer Advent calendar somebody gave me. [emoji33]

 

[Alexi]

How about asking family to donate to a charity of your choice instead of giving you something you don't want or need?

What about volunteering at a shelter instead of going to a gathering? "oh, so sorry I am busy that day, can't attend"

Enjoy the fact that you are healthy and alive for another year to see Christmas again.
Enjoy the wonder on a childs face when they see holiday decorations or visit Santa.

I find it much more rewarding to give to charity than give to spoiled family members who take it for granted.

Years ago it was popular to pay for a stranger's Christmas lay-a-way.

This year most of my gift money is going to pay towards special needs day care tuition for two strangers - two single working mothers [of handicapped children] who have recently fallen on hard times.

Ironically, this is following in the footsteps of the original St Nicholas, a real saint who gave anonymous gifts to the needy.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Not a scrooge but we've simplified quite a bit. We used to travel for Thanksgiving and Christmas, visiting family and usually going to Disneyland. Maybe go to see a Nutcracker ballet in between. Outside lights. Big tree and lots of decorations. Tons of gifts.

So far this year my tree is a tabletop rosemary tree. We'll go out to eat with our adult kids, their SOs and maybe another relative or two and have dessert, drinks and exchange gifts at our house afterwards. I buy mostly "green" gifts - wine, chocolate, gift cards, fancy teas, plants, food gifts and books. We'll probably put up a few simple decorations inside and out. We also either went or will be going to some holiday events - a couple of parties, a couple holiday concerts and a Christmas themed play. Our big gift to each other is a wine passport for 40 wineries we haven't been to yet.

 

[Mdlerth]

You can't go wrong with chocolates filled with liquor

I was in the checkout line at a grocery store one December and the piped-in music was the Hallelujah Chorus. It's a magnificent composition but it felt so WRONG in a grocery store.

Not if you're hearing it in the dessert department. (Breaking news: I love dessert.)

I buy mostly "green" gifts - wine, chocolate, gift cards, fancy teas, plants, food gifts and books.

This is our solution for giftees who already have plenty of stuff. Consumables, such as foods or show tickets, means there won't be any lingering clutter.

 

[HFWR]

Not if you're hearing it in the dessert department. (Breaking news: I love dessert.)









This is our solution for giftees who already have plenty of stuff. Consumables, such as foods or show tickets, means there won't be any lingering clutter.

I’d be happy with consumables... [emoji41]

 

[bclover]

Wow, really you get this bent out of shape because someone buys you a gift??

Ok so I was taught to be gracious, so if someone gives me a gift I simply take it as a compliment that they wanted to spend some dough on me. If it's some thing I don't like or is useless? well that's why God invented goodwill or the thousands of other places that accept donations.

Traditions? yes, what's the problem with traditions. the real fact of the matter is most people DON'T have ham and turkey throughout the year. Most people do get pizza and chinese take out. that's what makes them "special", the fact that you generally don't have them.
Is someone holding you hostage? force feeding you? are your hands broken? if you don't want to eat leftovers, it's really simple. get up, go to the kitchen and make some thing else or get up, put on a coat and go get whatever food you want.

No I am not a Christmas scrooge and sorry you don't sound like a scrooge but more like some one who is kvetching just for the sake of kvetching.

You have to sit through a boring dinner once a year. what the hell?? are you five? You can't think up how to have a conversation to make the evening a bit entertaining?

Seriously I'm having a hard time with this. You're an adult living in your own home and you're scared to tell either your spouse or family members not to buy you any more mugs?

You've got 20 mugs and you are afraid to donate them for fear of "offending" someone. someone really gets offended over a coffee mug? Ok, this is what you do. collect all the mugs except maybe one or two in case of guest. donate or recycle the rest. when mug giver questions where they are simply say "oh I've given up drinking coffee or I don't drink coffee or tea any more" case closed.