Wasn't quite sure where to post this, (and this is becoming indiciative of my life that I Feel the NEED to post this)
But I have just received my first Christmas catalogue through the post this very second.
I cannot belive it.......the 1st of June and they are sending out Christmas stuff...... :ranting: Crikey I havent even had my summer holiday yet.....

So from hence forth I want to know when you get your first Christmas stuf and when you start seeing the cards and tinsel in the shops.

Gosh that is quick. My sisters ex boyfriend used to do the photos for those catalogues of steeming roast dinners. She used to go in with him in the middle of summer and at the end of the day they would all sit down to Christmas dinner.

I hate the commercialisation of christmas. For a few years now I have sent a letter to all my friends who live a distance and told them I have donated money to charity instead of sending them a Christmas Card, the charity profits and so does the enviroment. I also just use brown paper and a nice ribbon to tie up my presents, it looks really good and the ribbon is reused. I also buy my presents throughout the year so that I don't have to do it in December - else I have a tendency to start swinging my bag around and wishing to kill. I used to live in Germany, it was great, you went to the Christmas Market and started with Gluewein and something to eat and then went on a little wander, talked to some people and had more Gluewein and a bit more wandering. That Christmas we spent a third less on presents, but everyone loved them (and they were'nt lying as they are still hanging up around their houses).

Do you know what...every year I do the Christams card thing and this year i am not going to....(Cat please remind me of this in December, thanks....) I am going to donate some money to charity instead....

Every year I say that I am going to give all my grandchildren a note saying that I have donated their Christmas Present money to a charity providing presents for children who wouldn't otherwise get one. Come Christmas I always chicken out and buy them something :blush: I wish I could be strong enough to do it. I doubt they would even miss a present from me because they get so much and by Boxing Day they don't even know who gave what!

Every year I say that I am going to give all my grandchildren a note saying that I have donated their Christmas Present money to a charity providing presents for children who wouldn't otherwise get one. Come Christmas I always chicken out and buy them something :blush: I wish I could be strong enough to do it. I doubt they would even miss a present from me because they get so much and by Boxing Day they don't even know who gave what!


I would draw the line at that, I really miss getting presents off my granny's. I still have the small bible she gave me. I did'nt think much of it when she gave me it, but she suddenly died a few months later and I noticed that she had written in it 'think of us always, we love you so much'.

Its also important to have some one in the family that gives eccentric presents and shows how little they know about the person - my great aunt gave my sister a pair of huge clip on earings this year, one year my uncle sent a bottle of wine (that says its good with fish) and a book on the cold war to my mum, dad, sisters and nephew (4 year old). Whats more amasing is that he did not put any bubble wrap around the bottle and it survived the post.

However my husband did try and give his mum a goat at christmas but oxfam had run out. Apparently they give u a gift card with a goat on it and then post a goat to africa on your behalf!!! My m.i.l has everything she needs so it was a good idea, hes going early this year - plus the goat can avoid the holiday rush on the airplane.

I would draw the line at that, I really miss getting presents off my granny's. I still have the small bible she gave me. I did'nt think much of it when she gave me it, but she suddenly died a few months later and I noticed that she had written in it 'think of us always, we love you so much'.

Its also important to have some one in the family that gives eccentric presents and shows how little they know about the person - my great aunt gave my sister a pair of huge clip on earings this year, one year my uncle sent a bottle of wine (that says its good with fish) and a book on the cold war to my mum, dad, sisters and nephew (4 year old). Whats more amasing is that he did not put any bubble wrap around the bottle and it survived the post.

However my husband did try and give his mum a goat at christmas but oxfam had run out. Apparently they give u a gift card with a goat on it and then post a goat to africa on your behalf!!! My m.i.l has everything she needs so it was a good idea, hes going early this year - plus the goat can avoid the holiday rush on the airplane.

The point is Becks, all my grandchildren are the product of split up families and thus they all have about 4 sets of grandparents at least, i.e. their previous mum and dad's parents and the new mum and dad's parents who are also split up so they get from 2 lots of grandparents there as well (are you following me?)

Whereas in normal families me and my ex husband would constitute 1 present, now he and his new wife give them a present and me and my "hubby" give them a present etc.

It's just a sign of the times that families are all split up like this. I just feel that they get so much that they really wouldn't miss 1 present out of all this. Maybe you're right though and I've never been able to actually do it.

Love the comment about the goat ;) :thumbsup:

Its also important to have some one in the family that gives eccentric presents and shows how little they know about the person.

So true, so true, my nephew [then aged 7] gave my sister [his Mum] a bible, protractor and shuttlecock for a Xmas present. He had run round the house found some 'unusual' items and wrapped them. This was actually the funniest Xmas of my life - I can still have hysterics just thinking about my sisters face when she opened this pressie.

I have recieved anything Christmasey yet, Buzz but I am not surprised that someone has!

It is really getting silly now, as it is getting earlier and earlier every year, and before long, it will be advised all year long. I personally don't think Christmas things should be advised in any shape or form before November 1st as that is plenty of time!

I really hate how Christmas seems to start earlier every year - but JUNE is rediculous.

I don't enjoy it anymore try not to be a party pooper but it gets harder each year. A lot of us at work donate £3 each to a local hospice and don't send each other cards, last year we raised nearly £200.

Had a bit of fun at christmas a few years ago, had a family party and bought them all silly pressies. Could'nt think what to get my old spinster aunt and then I found a chocolate halfpenny as the old saying was girls who didn't have sex kept their hands on their halfpenny so I gave her that. Not sure if she got the joke but everyone else did.