A woman has taken to social media to share the reaction she received after presenting her family with an anti-list of presents she doesn’t want to receive on Christmas Day
A woman has sparked a debate after creating an anti-Christmas list of gifts she doesn’t want to receive from her family.
While some of her family members jumped on board the idea, others believe it’s “rude” and spoils the ‘best part of Christmas Day’. The 33-year-old said on Reddit: “I admit I am difficult to buy gifts for.
“I really don’t want more things than I have, I have so much stuff and nowhere to put it as it is (a recent move really opened my eyes to this). Plus, I’m financially stable enough and have cheap enough hobbies that I can usually just buy myself something when I want it.”
She went on to explain how her mum has already started asking her what she wants for Christmas so she can start her shopping early – and expects her to come up with answers right away. She said: “This is all done on a Google doc that’s shared with the family, and then people will message around to talk about who is getting what so we’re not accidentally buying the same thing for each other.
“I couldn’t think of much I wanted. I asked for some tickets to sports games, silly and non-mass-produced tchotchkes, scented candles, and gift cards to a few restaurants. While trying to come up with ideas for things, mostly I just kept dreading all the sorts of things I usually get for Christmas and then have to find a place for.
“I decided to include a list of things not to buy me, figuring that might be as helpful as a list of things I do want. On the list I put things like ‘fun’ socks, Funko Pops, anything I have to assemble AKA ‘Merry Christmas, I got you a chore you have to do now’, throw blankets, throw pillows, decorations, etc.”
But before she could reopen the document to add a list of items she does want, her mum phoned her up to complain about her anti-list. She said: “My mum called asking why I did that and complaining that I never like the gifts she gives me. I have told her in the past I don’t want these things and she’ll remember for a year and then buy me a pair of slipper socks the next which then join the four other pairs I already don’t wear.
“I pointed this out and she complained about how hard it is to buy me gifts and that just getting me gift cards is boring. She said I’m just going to end up with a bunch of candles and then complain about that next year. I told her that was just all I could think of at the moment and I’d add more stuff if I thought of it.”
Her mum is against the anti-list idea and wants to delete it – but some of their other family members jumped on the idea and submitted their own anti-lists. Wanting to know whether she was in the wrong, she added: “My brother also joked about a secret anti-list for their kids to avoid getting terribly messy or noisy toys.
“Others are split, some don’t care, some people think it’s helpful, and others agree that it’s negative and not in the Christmas spirit. My mum seems to be the main person against it, probably because she has bought me at least three of everything on the anti-list except jewellery and feels like I’m embarrassing her.
“I guess I just want an outside opinion on if this is an okay thing I’ve done or if I’m an ungrateful a*******.” Commenting on her post, one user said: “You’re the a******* but not for the list but the way you framed it.
“You could have just said you have enough of these things and don’t need any more – that way you didn’t make your mother feel bad for buying them previously and look a little more grateful. You literally wrote the list you wanted but framed It in an ‘I’m so misunderstood, I’m not like other teens’ and then write a post here? I mean it’s all a bit much.”
Another user added: “I think indicating things you don’t want will be seen as helpful to some and ungrateful to others. You may have been better off using that energy to come up with more practical gift ideas to add to your list. Whether that’s toiletries you use on a regular basis, your favorite snacks, a fire extinguisher, etc. Stuff that you would find useful. Heck, my sister’s list last year had batteries and light bulbs on it.”
