My “adopted” family (in-laws) and I have been heading in that direction and sending trial balloons for years.
This year, snacks, a pair of socks, and a couple bucks.
We got them gift cards for a restaurant we all adore.
We all are doing just fine, in our respective worlds. We’ve managed to stay geographically close, ish, and do holidays etc together at somebody’s house. That’s the important part.
Took me more years than it should have to realize that, but let’s say my wife’s family has taught me quite a bit over the years and largely changed my perspective on many things - this included.
No gifts, just a card. And that still caught her off-guard, because she knows I’m opposed to materialism (for the sake of materialism; I still buy nice things for the things I need).
Not ‘celebrating’ Christmas here.
Yesterday we had my wife’s parents over for diner, they areived at noon and left 4h later so the pets could be fed. Was fun to chat and have the rest of the day off. My sisters come tomorrow with kids. Haven’t had them around to visit for over a decade. We usually go to them, as some have pet allergies and we have loads of pets. Alas, I’m unable to leave town for a few months, so we haven’t seen them for a few months now, so they decided to drop by. No decoration apart from an paper ‘table cloth’ and some chrismas cookies for the kids to decorate.
When you normally see each other almost every month, why go trough all stress for the holiday season just because everybody celebrates a nice story. (is tricked into spending loads due to ‘tradition’) We had a not so simple meal with my inlaws (my wife liked to cook something special) and tomorrow it’s soup with sandwitches and pizza (the kids would want notuing fancy anyway and it’s easy for a big group).
No gifts, apart from each others company this year, although normaly we just dig inmfor the weeks and hide (with december being the only month in the year without birthdays). We already get to stressed about all the stress in/around the grocery that’s almost in our back yard.
I haven’t had money for holiday presents in over a decade, I don’t plan to waste money on it now. Majority of “presents” end up in the landfill or as returns, to be sent to the landfill anyway, so mindless consumerism wins again.
If I give someone something it’ll be cash toward whatever they intended to buy anyway.
Count my money while browsing boxing day sales and chuckling because I don’t actually need anything.