Our family had been trying to minimize our random gift giving. Too much waste when you try to guess what someone wants. So many gifts get tossed on the trash every year. It’s actually very damaging to the environment.
This year it was all about making our favorite dishes, buying each other tickets to events that we want to see together, and only buying the things we know each other wants.
My family does secret santa where you put at least 3 things on your wishlist and they pick one to get for you. When someone this year suggested changing it to a white elephant/Yankee swap there was a unanimous NO because with secret santa you actually get something you want/need.
This is the best thing about having kids as they get a little older. I put one gift under the tree labeled, “To: Billy and Dad; From: Dad.” My wife wants nothing to do with a 2-player historic war board game about the battle of Stalingrad and the difficult choices commanders must make. My oldest, 11-years, loves military history and war games. I could not lie, though. I was buying it for me and not just for him.
Christmas gifts unless you actually communicate and confirm what someone wants (which based on my culture can be seen as rude) seems so pointless. Just buying short term garbage for the sake of “giving”.
But then it becomes pointless. If you’re both giving each other a wad of $50 for Christmas, what’s the point of doing it at all? You’re giving each other the exact same thing.
Eh, as i get older I kinda like the small gesture, and there are plenty of small things that show you care that virtually anyone can make use of:
Some good, high quality snacks or sweets they like but usually don’t buy for themselves because it’s a bit indulgent. Their favorite liquor. A pair of nice comfy socks maybe.
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