the holidays

[protege]

Add me to the "meh about Christmas" group. I just don't get very excited about it. Maybe it's because I turn 40 in a couple years and I'm not with anyone...maybe it's because my grandmother won't be there (she passed away in 2010, and dinner hasn't been the same since), or possibly because I know that there's going to be drama involving my paternal grandmother, my mom, dad, or any combination thereof.

As for New Year's, I can't get excited about that either. It's just another day. I already know that my parents will go to a party, my brothers will go out, and I'll be home alone.

[HYHYBT]

Generally, everybody brings a wrapped gift without any tags. All of the gifts are then put into a pile. The participants draw numbers and then either choose to unwrap a gift from the pile (#1 has no choice) or take a gift that was already opened from someone else, who then has to go back and unwrap a new gift.

Ah. Never heard of that being done under any name. Interesting idea, but as you say, too much potential for trouble if anyone takes it at all seriously or competitively.

[Giggle Goose]

It can be fun so long as everybody is essentially equal. If they aren't, however, you end up with people forming groups to ensure they get specific items among the group and there will almost always be someone left feeling resentful that someone got the nice item they had been holding and they got left with something less desirable.

^-.-^

You pretty much nailed it right here. With so many different personalities, there's always some drama no matter what.

And thank you for clarifying the terminology

[bex1218]

Thankfully I have awesome friends with gift exchanges. I love doing gag gifts. Limit was ten bucks.

I don't like the holidays much. But thats the time of year I am under a lot of stress between working in a drugstore and this year its worse with my roommate being pregnant. I usually get excited after it hits my birthday. I see some family, just hard to when I know my dad is going to be around.

[blas87]

I don't really want to go out for New Years, either. Quite frankly, the past couple of New Years that I've been at home (or at someone else's, but not out and about), I've been less stressed and happier. But, the bf wants to go out. I'm not a hermit or even that introverted, I just don't care for major busy bar scenes anymore, not to mention all the meds I'm on now, it seems like one drink has me shitfaced and feeling sick for three days after.

I feel like I shouldn't complain and I have a lot to be thankful for, but to be honest, at Thanksgiving, I was so upset over the situation with my bf and his ex wife....and the fact that I'm at home with my parents....and my brother moved out....and I feel like a maid who gets no thanks....and a drunkard dad...and I'm going into almost my 7th year at a factory job with barely anything to show for it....sure I have (nice) clothes on my back and a (very nice) car, but I feel like a loser and I feel I have nothing to be grateful for. I feel unimportant to my bf, I feel like everyone else around me has gotten a good job or has started a family and I'm just that loser girl who works at a factory and shops too much.

Anyway, done with my first world problems.

[crashhelmet]

After this year's White Elephant party, I'm now the not-so-proud owner of a Shakeweight. I tried offering money up with it as a bribe for someone to take it, but I had no luck.

[wolfie]

What is a Shakeweight? I'm surprised nobody accepted the bribe to take the item off your hands - after all, what would stop them from keeping the money and tossing the item in the trash?

[crashhelmet]

What is a Shakeweight? I'm surprised nobody accepted the bribe to take the item off your hands - after all, what would stop them from keeping the money and tossing the item in the trash?

This is the commercial for it

[Rageaholic]

No, it's because when you shop for yourself, you don't have to worry about ungrateful bastards.

That's why I think the idea of gift giving in more of a pain than it's worth. It's easiest to shop for yourself since you know best what you want.

[Amanita]

I'm glad I never get asked to play any variation of those "stealing" games, where you can steal gifts from others. I just don't have the personality for it- I would be annoyed at having a gift I liked stolen from me, and I'm not dickish enough to steal a gift from somebody else who seems happy with what they got.

[XCashier]

I'm glad I never get asked to play any variation of those "stealing" games, where you can steal gifts from others. I just don't have the personality for it- I would be annoyed at having a gift I liked stolen from me, and I'm not dickish enough to steal a gift from somebody else who seems happy with what they got.

I always hated that part of the game, for precisely the reasons you mentioned. I couldn't take someone else's gift (an offered trade is a different matter), and far too often I'd get something I really liked only to have some smirking brat steal it from me. It's just so mean-spirited. I'd prefer if everyone draws from the pile, then if they want to trade with someone else, go for it.

I'm sorry things are so rough for so many of us. I wish we all lived nearby so we could get together and have a nice dinner, maybe watch a movie or play games (Pin The AssHat On The Sucky Customer?).

[HYHYBT]

That's why I think the idea of gift giving in more of a pain than it's worth. It's easiest to shop for yourself since you know best what you want.

Expected gift-giving, at least. Giving someone something you know they'll like for no occasion whatsoever is a lot of fun, though.

[Rageaholic]

I'm glad I never get asked to play any variation of those "stealing" games, where you can steal gifts from others. I just don't have the personality for it- I would be annoyed at having a gift I liked stolen from me, and I'm not dickish enough to steal a gift from somebody else who seems happy with what they got.

I always hated that part too for the same reasons. It just seemed like a stupid tacked on part to make the game more "fun" when it really makes it all the more frusturating. Of course if you put a price limit on the gifts, it takes the sting out of losing a gift you want.

[RedRoseSpiral]

We used to play that on my Grandma's side of the family. I think I was partly the reason it was stopped. Me and my younger cousins would always make it so that I got the wine that someone brought as a present. I did make it up the last year it was played when I was 21. I brought a nice-ish bottle and some mulling spices, but my older relatives were all butt hurt over it still.