The Rant – Christmas shopping, I hate you

I do, I despise you – but I know, I’m not the only one. Christmas shopping is one of those dreaded “festive” activities, together with wearing the sad jumper your mother bought you last year – you know the one, the red one with snowflakes on it. To be honest, I’m not one of those with an Excel spreadsheet to organise who is getting what, but every year there are some presents that “I have to get” and inspiration, energy and money are just too scarce.

I personally believe Christmas would be much better without the obliged gift exchange, because that’s what it is, obliged. If someone presents you with, some festive tea towels wrapped in some fancy paper, you must produce the expected “grateful”, albeit fake, smile and reciprocate with at least some oven mittens.

I know I’m risking being called the next Ebenezer Scrooge, but sometimes we tolerate some truly ridiculous behaviour in the name of Santa – and he couldn’t care less:

• The secret exchange of the perennial gift: When one relative gives you a hideous present, and you decide to pass it along to someone else, hoping THEY will appreciate it, but really just trying to get rid of the abomination. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve actually witnessed someone (no names here, although I should really out you) receive a gift from one sibling, when she once had given that same item to another sibling, 2 years before.

• The Christmas shopping rage: Because how many broken items can one find on a shop shelf? How many baskets abandoned in shop corners due to the last minute rush? Because how many ladies have exchange “I will kill her” glances when the one at the front of the queue demands for the gift to be preciously wrapped, 5 minutes before closing time, on Christmas eve?

• The Christmas shopping road rage: normally combined with alcohol, or way too many liquor-filled chocolates. It’s a true nightmare and so many of us contribute to it by ignoring public transport and having the splendid idea to drive to the shopping centre. Oh. Joy.

• The online delivery stress: this one is a new phenomenon as we also leave this type shopping to the last. Together with bad weather and an increase in demand makes us utter the “you gift hasn’t arrived yet” shameful excuse, and curse at the postman when he finally shows up with the parcel three days after New Year.

And to think all of this could be avoided if we did no Christmas gift shopping. We would have more money, more energy and be truly more relaxed. I say we ban it completely and make stores open for cocktail and cake hour every day on the lead up to Christmas. Now wouldn’t that be festive?

Now if you excuse me, I have some gifts to wrap… oh and don’t get me started on wrapping 😉
How about you, anything you’re dreading from the crazy yet jolly season?