Christmas Gifts: Did You Get What You Wanted?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around personal experiences and reflections on Christmas gifts, including what participants received, their feelings about the gifts, and broader cultural practices surrounding gift-giving during the holiday season. The conversation touches on both individual anecdotes and cultural traditions, with a mix of humor and nostalgia.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share their experiences of receiving gifts, with one mentioning a retro flashlight and another discussing high-quality cosmetics they bought for themselves.
  • Several participants express that they no longer prioritize gifts, valuing time spent with family and friends instead.
  • One participant notes that they have never received a gift during Christmas, highlighting a personal experience of isolation in this context.
  • There are discussions about cultural differences in gift-giving, with references to Baby Jesus and Grandpa Frost as gift-bringers in different traditions.
  • Participants reflect on the emotional aspects of the holiday season, including feelings of nostalgia and the stress associated with the New Year.
  • Food and shared meals are mentioned as significant aspects of the holiday experience, with one participant detailing a Christmas meal with family.
  • One participant humorously describes their Christmas gifts, including a large bar of chocolate and a cross, while another shares their experience of a disrupted cinema outing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion contains a mix of agreement on the value of togetherness over material gifts, but also highlights individual differences in experiences and cultural practices. There is no consensus on the significance of gifts, as some participants cherish them while others do not.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying degrees of attachment to holiday traditions, and some mention personal feelings about aging and nostalgia, which may influence their perspectives on the holiday season.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in cultural practices surrounding holidays, personal anecdotes about gift-giving, and reflections on the emotional aspects of festive seasons may find this discussion engaging.

wolram
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Who had gifts or presents over Christmas, even though you may not subscribe to any religion, and did you want the gift you were given?
 
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Got a really cool retro flashlight...
upload_2015-12-26_3-49-0.png

Fair Anne noticed me ogling it in Walmart... LED bulb is really bright.
see original at http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/flashlights_list.cfm?method=browse&brand=Rayovac
 
We celebrate Christmas but a few years ago we decided not to bother with the gifts.
Being together, relaxing, good food and not going to work for more than a week are the best gifts. :-)
However, I've recently given myself a gift- some high quality cosmetics and I do like it. :-)
 
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No one has ever given me a present during Christmas. Greg's card I received recently is the first one I've had in my life.
Sophia said:
...
However, I've recently given myself a gift- some high quality cosmetics and I do like it. :-)
It sounds like you have not taken care of your body the whole year, now it is time! :DD
 
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Sophia said:
We celebrate Christmas but a few years ago we decided not to bother with the gifts.
Being together, relaxing, good food and not going to work for more than a week are the best gifts. :-)
However, I've recently given myself a gift- some high quality cosmetics and I do like it. :-)

I am sure you do not have to paint yourself to look pretty:rolleyes:.
 
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Silicon Waffle said:
No one has ever given me a present during Christmas. Greg's card I received recently is the first one I've had in my life.

You should have mine by now, mind you i do not know what the post is like in your area.
 
Silicon Waffle said:
No one has ever given me a present during Christmas. Greg's card I received recently is the first one I've had in my life.

It sounds like you have not taken care of your body the whole year, now it is time! :DD

I'm sure you have other holidays in your area. What are the most important holidays in your country?
LOL, I have taken care of myself of course :wink: Just trying something better now. :biggrin:
 
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wolram said:
I am sure you do not have to paint yourself to look pretty:rolleyes:.

Thank you wolram :)
That's exactly right, I, unlike most other girls, hate wearing makeup and when I do, it's only decent one.
The cosmetics I've bought is skincare (paraben-, perfume-, silicone-, coloring-, alcohol- free) so that I can avoid wearing heavy makeup for as long as possible :smile:
 
Btw what did you get, wolram?
And silicon, what would you like to get, if you celebrated Christmas?

And a question for everyone, who brings the presents in your country?
We and the Czech people are really very very special because we are probably the only countries in the world who get presents right from Baby Jesus :DD ! Of course, he visits only Christian homes, atheists get their presents from Grandpa Frost.
 
  • #10
wolram said:
You should have mine by now, mind you i do not know what the post is like in your area.
We don't use it here. Things are sent directly to company or people's home address/mailbox.
Sophia said:
I'm sure you have other holidays in your area. What are the most important holidays in your country?
Definitely new year days. But I don't like them as much as when I was younger because they remind me of how old I am becoming.?:)
 
  • #11
Sophia said:
...
And silicon, what would you like to get, if you celebrated Christmas?
...
Oh that's really a tough question!
When I was young, I badly wanted many toys from Santa at Christmas Eve, but now I think I only like Santa himself, not his toys.
 
  • #12
Sophia, i received a 1170g bar of chocolate :woot:, a cross and some polo mints, so i will look like friar tuck in the new year:eek:.
Silicon, you are only as old as you feel.:biggrin:
 
  • #13
wolram said:
Sophia, i received a 1170g bar of chocolate :woot:, a cross and some polo mints, so i will look like friar tuck in the new year:eek:.
Silicon, you are only as old as you feel.[emoji3]
Haha :-))) I had to Google Friar Tuck and the pictures are funny.
what kind of chocolate did you get?
Cross is a nice present.
 
  • #14
Silicon, do you mean the official new year, or the Chinese one?
And you are totally right, it seems that each year passes so fast! Sometimes it makes me really nostalgic.
 
  • #15
Sophia said:
Silicon, do you mean the official new year, or the Chinese one?
And you are totally right, it seems that each year passes so fast! Sometimes it makes me really nostalgic.
1/1 is the best reminder of my aging issue. o0) The Chinese new year is another extra remark.
That is seriously stressful.
 
  • #16
That's totally true. Some psychologists say that January is the most depressing month of the year. especially the first Monday after holidays is considered the most depressing day.
But let's not think about that now :) It's still holiday season! :)
Why is Chinese new year stressful for you? I guess there are some cool fireworks :)
 
  • #17
Sophia said:
That's totally true. Some psychologists say that January is the most depressing month of the year. especially the first Monday after holidays is considered the most depressing day.
But let's not think about that now :) It's still holiday season! :)
Why is Chinese new year stressful for you? I guess there are some cool fireworks :)
Chinese new year days occur yearly, It's a good occasion for so much money to be spent on foods, drinks, new clothes, etc particularly for kids in my area. Luckily after I graduated from college, my urge to decorate myself disappeared automatically while the past with sadness, sorrow and also happiness keeps lingering on from time to time.
And yes, I love fireworks, everywhere becomes quiet, peaceful and clean but boring on those days. I may need to see people passing by day in day out, someone to talk to, or better nice places to visit.
 
  • #18
Silicon Waffle said:
Chinese new year days occur yearly, It's a good occasion for so much money to be spent on foods, drinks, new clothes, etc particularly for kids in my area. Luckily after I graduated from college, my urge to decorate myself disappeared automatically while the past with sadness, sorrow and also happiness keeps lingering on from time to time.
And yes, I love fireworks, everywhere becomes quiet, peaceful and clean but boring on those days. I may need to see people passing by day in day out, someone to talk to, or better nice places to visit.

Well, that's totally like Christmas :) I guess it's the same everywhere, people just use different names :)
 
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  • #19
I got to do a course and got a license in scuba diving. It was awesome.
 
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  • #20
What did I get on Christmas day? Chicken biryani, chicken-pasta salad, tossed salad, apple crumble with whipped cream, chocolates (everything homemade except the chocolates), and the presence of three other families who joined us for the meal. Doing the turkey thing tomorrow, when we have another family over to our place.
 
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  • #21
My daughter bought us cinema tickets to see "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" today in nearby Eastleigh. Unfortunately, they were having mains power problems in the area. We got about 20 minutes of it on the backup generator (after 20 minutes of advertising) before they gave up. I don't think the Force was with us on this occasion. We will try again some time soon. I reckon SpaceX used up more than its fair share of good luck with that landing and the rest of us (especially the north of England) are suffering the consequences.
 
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