Say No To Santa

An interesting thing I have noticed about the Santa Season is that the closer we get to December 25 the more likely people are to criticise me for not buying Christmas presents. Keep in mind that these people are not family members or even dear friends. These critics can be lumped into the category of nodding acquaintances, perhaps I know their first name but that’s all.

Take yesterday, for example. I was at Tai Chi class (a wonderful way to escape the frenetic rush and hustle outside in the stores) and one of the more senior participants bustled in and asked the group ‘Have you all finished your christmas shopping yet?’

It was couched in such a way as to invite the question back to her, as she had finished all her gift buying and wanted everyone to know how clever she was. I refused to buy into this game, and so, probably spitefully, I took the wind out of her sails and clearly spoke up with ‘I don’t buy presents for anyone.’

Mrs Present Buyer was not at all impressed with that, and insisted that this was dreadful thing to do, ‘What - not even something for your son? That’s awful!’

Happily, to save me really jumping down her throat at her rudeness, the Tai Chi instructor, such a calm and balanced creature, piped up with her own comment of: ‘I don’t buy anything either. We don’t do christmas.’ And with that, she started class.

Now, I take great exception to anyone telling me that things I do - or don’t do - are awful. Over the past 7 years of not buying anyone anything for christmas, I have received all sorts of criticism, and I have bitten back at most of them, astounded at their insults.

Occasionally, a pleasant kind of person will politely ask why, with an air of interest and enquiry, not one of condemnation. This has lead to an exchange if ideas, and hopefully a broadening of that person’s horizons, being willing to consider a different idea.

Sadly, even though this is meant to be the season of good cheer, and good will to all men and women, most others seem to be affronted, horrified at the idea, and sure that if I don’t buy presents then I must be a bad person, unkind and unloving, and I will ruin christmas for everyone.

Excuse me? Whose business is it anyway?

Now, the more mild among us would suggest that I should just keep my mouth shut and not get involved in these conversations. I have considered this, but still come up with the irritation of - why can’t I tell people what we do without being given flack over it? I want the whole present buying world to know that there is another way to do the Santa Season. I just can’t get over the rudeness of some people, thinking it’s ok to be insulting to my face over my choices.

I have yet to come up with a suitable, one-liner response to these folk. I’d like something witty, something pithy, something to remind them next time to think first and open their minds before they open their mouths.

This entry (Permalink) was posted on Monday, December 10th, 2007 at 8:24 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site.