This Christmas Day will be the 7th anniversary of my little sisters sudden death. Understandably, I have not celebrated since then, and not really bought gifts for anyone either.
On 21st December 2023 my beautiful niece and the first grandchild for my parents was born, so we now have a reason to 'celebrate' again – we're pretty certain that the little sis orchestrated her due date.
I love giving presents, I have missed it, and so decided that I am 'doing Christmas' again this year.
I'm not decorating, and I am still running away to Spain by myself for a few weeks over the actual festive period/New Year, but the gifting, I can get behind that again.
Other than 2 photo frames and some pictures, which should be delivered this week, I am officially done now.
Anyone else sorted?

by Fat_Bottomed_Redhead

48 comments

  1. I only have a few family members, but I tend to get stuff quite early – unless someone specifies otherwise, people tend to get weird antique random stuff, or things like props from telly shows/movies they like, so I just keep an eye on eBay auctions throughout the year.

    Finished my wrapping for Christmas about six weeks ago, but there were only about 10 things to wrap. Got some good random weird stuff!

    &nsbsp;

    **E:** Got [**this exit sign**](https://i.imgur.com/7unK2qY.jpeg) from a props maker this year for a family member with a ‘man cave’, which is fun.

  2. Finished my celebrations about 10 years ago and haven’t done anything since.

  3. Thought it was one of those show-off spreads cops do after a drugs bust at first

  4. All bought but not wrapped, for 5 kids and 3 grandkids. I can’t claim any credit, my wife is a present god. I just do the carrying.

  5. I’ve not even started.
    Yet to reach the having a vaguest clue what to get everyone phase.

  6. About halfway! Partner mostly done, his family sorted (at least, the bits that I contribute to). My family remain an utter mystery as they’ve not yet responded to the traditional annual “WTF do you want????” emails.

  10. Found an ASDA gift card with £38 on it so I’m half way through my wife’s pile: bottle of gin and some Lindt chocolates 😬

  11. No Christmas for us this year, same last year, just dinner 🙂

  14. My dealer doesn’t normally put a ribbon around it…

  15. It’s. November. If I could have my way, I’d ban all Christmas advertising, shop displays, decorations, music, and social media posts before December. This extending Christmas more and more bs is pretty cruel to anyone who’s had bad experiences at Christmas, or doesn’t have anyone.

  16. I’m nearly done! I’m so sorry for your loss, I can’t imagine how difficult Christmas must be for you all. I’m happy to hear you’re feeling it a bit more this year! Be gentle with yourself though, take it one moment at a time x

  17. No one to buy for so technically I was done in January 😏

  20. Basically done and wrapped for the family.

    Need to make four personalised baubles as gifts from my son to family and he needs to make some more wrapping paper (I let him go wild with paint on brown paper) so I can wrap them up. Then I’m fully done!

  21. Completed the shopping. Wrapping is in progress.

  22. I can barley afford to survive, I won’t even be starting.

  24. I finished 3 weeks ago.

    Wrapping presents is my Christmas 😂

  25. Im done. I didn’t celebrate Christmas at all last year as SAD (seasonal affective disorder) hit hard.

    So this year, I wanted to be sure I was prepared so when depression strikes, atleast I will have the stressful part finished.

    We have a LOT of people who hate the early celebrators. But we have our reasons.

  26. I lost my mum suddenly earlier this year, she was just 56. I cant say Im feeling very festive either, so I get that. I hope, in time, I’ll get to the point you’re reaching. Best of luck with christmas.

  27. Wish I was done.

    Got 3 more presents to order. Don’t have my next payday till 1 week before Christmas. Hopefully Amazon can get here on time.

  28. We wait till 1st of Dec but will be officially “done”, as you call it, by the end of the day. Can then relax all month.

  29. Of the purchasing yes. Of the wrapping… well it isn’t 2am Christmas morning yet.

  30. Brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favourite things

  31. At a glance, this looked like a jenga-based tragedy.

    I’ll still offer my condolences on account of the monetary situation.

  34. I was very relieved when I zoomed in and saw that they are labeled.

  35. Oh lord I haven’t even the vaguest idea what to buy people at this stage, other than the generic presents I get every year, and there’s now a couple extra people I need to account for..

  36. I started last month and am mostly done, I think everyone who is getting a present has at least one now (including my parents dog and my sister’s cat).

    Might be posting them up next week as we are traveling by train to see family over the holidays and we have too much to take! I’m leaving my husband’s main gift at home as it’s rather big and I believe he is doing the same for me (I know what his is and he should know what my gift for his is, it would fill my suitcase).

    Very upset and frustratedly angry i cannot buy the thing I wanted to get for my sister and her wife as there is no way to ‘gift’ it to them. I wanted to buy both a digital copy each of Stardew Valley on the Nintendo switch but you can’t gift digital copies. Only way is to gift them a voucher each which will be for more than what they need to spend on it and they would likely buy something else but I honestly think they would both love it if they tried it.

    Anyway I have most of my gifts wrapped except a few smaller ones for my husband as I keep forgetting where I’ve hidden them and some are still coming in the post (some Wallace and Gromit lounge pants for my stepdad)

    Hoping to get the living room sorted this week to get the decorations out ready to set up this weekend.

  37. I dont celebrate it, but good for you for finding a way to manage over this season.

    And the presents look lovely

  38. To be done and dusted before December is mental, mental in a good way I guess, but still mental

  40. Only the children get gifts in our family. Prefer to spend money on good food and drink.

  41. I should be done by the 13th (that’s when the last of the presents arrives).

    Of course, because I have ADHD, I will have forgotten something and will be in a mad dash to sort it on Christmas eve

  42. I don’t move until December, then I just buy everything on Amazon and wrap it when it gets here.

  43. I am about 80% done. I tend to pick up things in the sales from January onwards for the girls, so all the stocking presents were squared away a while ago.

    We mostly focus on the kids, so it’s just been a case of picking up things I know people will like when they are on offer.

    I really can’t afford to leave everything to the last minute.

    I won’t be wrapping anything until Christmas eve though x

  44. You should be shot for doing this in November.

    I start my officially shopping the first Saturday of December.

    Though I build a mental list throughout the year.

  45. My Christmas preparations this year remind me of the time at school that I described a project as “not quite finished…”

    > #FINISHED‽ YOU HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED IT!

    Yeah, so I’ve got ~~a bit of work~~all of it to do…

  46. Downvoted as it’s too early 😅, opened, read the story, which made me both sad, happy and grateful, upvoted and wishing you all the best for you and you family

  47. I’m basically done and have been for about a month now I’ve just to got buy the chocolates for the kids stockings but if I buy them now they’ll get eaten before I manage to wrap them

  48. Nearly done. Wrapped half of it at the weekend while watching shit Christmas films (cannot in good conscience recommend Hot Frosty. It’s *really* bad, even when judged against other Netflix Christmas films) and will do the rest this week.

    We have family in far-flung parts of the country so I’m always organised in case they are in town or someone else is that i can send presents with!

    Christmas is a weird time when you’ve had a bereavement, moreso when it’s on Christmas Day. Sorry for your loss, OP. Hope you manage to enjoy your time away.

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