kimilseung

Including people who have to work at next door store till 3:30 a.m.

Anian

I went to the book store next to Toys R Us at the weekend, it was not too busy, but people were coming out of ToysR Us with several trolleys full. The car park was packed.

Given how bad it is during the day in the week before, shopping at 4am would be wonderful. No idiot crowds of people who leave it to the last minute to get ALL the toys they plan to buy (can't they plan ahead a little bit more). Plus you can sneak it into the house when the kids are asleep!

cindyabs

Naively, I went to ToysRUs (my first venture into one) last Friday morning when I was off, thinking that perhaps it would be better than that evening or the weekend. Oh silly me.

Brigette

AFter Dec 9th or 10th it's pretty much a free for all in terms of crowds of people shopping. A pain in the rear for sure

nethead

WTF is wrong with shopping online.

robin1234

Better idea.. not shop at all!!

N1cky

I do everything online, but if you aren't around for the delivery or live in an area where they won't leave on the doorstep that can be really hard.

There was a story on the local news last night about cars that are following UPS trucks around and when parcels are being left on the doorstep they are jumping out of their cars and stealing them.

kimilseung

Thanks for the tip! No crowded shops for me now

I buy the big pressies online, but go to the shops for the stocking stuffers, and the unknown gifts that need the once over in a store (I know some people check things out in a store and buy online; but I can not bring myself to do that to save a few dollars)

Squirrel

My gifts have been a mixture of shops, online and catalogues. I have really cut down this year because we have a mountain of debt. I spent like £15 on DH, a DVD from me and a book from the pets. I think you can get nice stuff without it being pricey stuff. I'm pretty confident that DH will like his DVD & book.

Mind you I got my mum a watch and a chemise top from La Senza. She loved the top but the watch was way too big! She said I didn't need to get her a replacement present, but I have got her a travel guide book to the Italian Lakes & Milan as I think her and her fella might go there on holiday some time.

Egg and Cress

I'm glad when I hear there are folks (usually the younger ones) who still enjoy Christmas and all the stress and strain that goes with it these days. Our family (3 daughters and respective husbands & children) decided that, rather than buy unnecessary or "the perfect" gifts for each other, we'd pool our funds to buy gifts and necessities to take to the Salvation Army Rehab Centers instead. Then, we'll spend the day tomorrow baking and putting together goody boxes for the guys & gals at the fire department and sheriff's sub-station who have to work on Christmas and deliver them Christmas eve. I think we're all hoping it'll restore the feelings we used to have a Christmas time. We're all tired of thinking and feeling "bah-humbug".

Homeiswheretheheartis

What I don't understand is how you celebrate christmas is up to you. No one makes you go to the shops and buy stuff. No one can make you decorate the house and no one can make you sit with family you don't like.

I would say to people who hate christmas, think about an enjoyable thing you like doing and spend christmas day doing just that. If that is having a nice bath and reading a good book, do that.

One thing I really enjoy is not getting dressed up and spending the day slobbing around in jimjams, watching the kids DVDs they got for Christmas

There are lots of aspects I don't like about Christmas so I just don't do them. I don't like shopping so I do it online, I don't do Christmas cards, we don't eat turkey and Im not keen on works Christmas partys.

As I'm not religous I see Christmas as a winter celebration, a celebration of my family and how lucky I am to have them. No one can tell me any different as I can choose how I want to celebrate this time

My advice would be just see it as a nice day off to do what you want

Egg and Cress

I have to agree. What I don’t get is why other people get so up tight about whether or not one espouses the “reason for the season”. As you say, how one celebrates this time of the year is strictly up to the celebrant. One needn’t be “religious” to celebrate Christmas, nor does one need to be a Christian. I’ve always thought it was a celebration of the winter solstice, the year’s harvests and the hope that, with the return of spring, life would re-invigorate and, hopefully, produce more good crops, children, calves, lambs, etc. Being thankful for one’s family and, again, as you say, one’s good fortune in having family and friends is all part of the winter celebration. Seems to me the “reason for the season” needs to be broadened a bit, particularly since I don’t believe the Babe was born on December 25th! Now, I was – anybody want to celebrate my birthday with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh? (Particularly gold!)

SultanOfSwing

I think this bloke puts it quite nicely, actually:

Egg and Cress

I liked that! A bottle of white wine just might become a family tradition.....

SultanOfSwing

Good song, eh?