Woman makes 'anti-Christmas' gift list to stop loved ones gifting things she doesn't want, sparking debate

The festive season is approaching, and people are planning how to celebrate Christmas. Amid all the hype, some people are just bored with how everyone greets each other and wants their loved ones to find surprising ways to spend the holidays. Similarly, a woman recently complained about repeatedly getting the same gifts yearly. The 33-year-old, who goes by u/ChristmasListAhole on Reddit, revealed that she came up with a Christmas “anti-list” with all the items she finds not very useful.

"I am difficult to buy gifts for," the woman admitted, expressing no desire to get more things than she already has. The financially stable and well-to-do person further claimed that a recent “eye-opening” development in her life drew her to this conclusion. She added, “I have cheap enough hobbies that I can usually just buy myself something when I want it.” Moreover, a couple of weeks ago, her mom asked everyone in the family to start their Christmas gift lists so she could get started on shopping. The family usually makes a "Google Doc," listing each member’s preferences for their Christmas presents and also to avoid repetition. Furthermore, the woman asserted that she initially considered asking for valuable items such as sports game tickets, tchotchkes, scented candles or gift cards to a few restaurants.

However, the woman later dropped these ideas before making the Christmas “anti-list” to what she called an “informal registry.” “While trying to come up with ideas, I mostly just kept dreading all the sorts of things I usually get for Christmas and then have to find a place for. I decided to include a list of things not to buy me, figuring that might be as helpful as a list of things I do want,” she remarked. "On the list, I put things like 'fun' socks, Funko pops, anything I have to assemble aka 'Merry Christmas, I got you a chore you have to do now,' throw blankets, jewelry, throw pillows, decorations, etc.," she further added.

In the aftermath of making the anti-list, she got a call from her mom asking for the reasons behind the same and why she never appreciated the gifts the latter sent to her. “I have told her in the past that I don't want these things, and she'll remember for a year. Then she'll buy me a pair of slipper socks, which join the four other pairs I already don't wear,” she explained. In return, the upset mother complained about how getting gifts for her daughter was difficult and boring. “She (her mom) said I'm just going to end up with a bunch of candles and then complain about that next year,” the post read.

Despite the woman’s mom seeing this move in a negative light and as something not in the Christmas spirit, other family members liked it. “My brother and his wife have both made anti-lists now, as have an uncle and a cousin. My brother also joked about a secret anti-list for their kids to avoid getting terribly messy or noisy toys.” The woman now faced a dilemma regarding what she described as the fear of being labeled as “ungrateful” and asked the community if she was right.

u/StickLady81 shared, “My parents are the same with too much stuff. I've donated in their name to their select charities for many years now. It really helps with my Christmas shopping procrastination.” “I think indicating things you don't want will be seen as helpful to some and ungrateful to others. You may have been better off using that energy to come up with more practical gift ideas to add to your list,” u/Stranger0nReddit explained.