With. But not in a big money kind of a way, small thoughtful gifts mean alot.
Without, definitely!
I like the feasting and general merriment, but the whole idea of exchanging presents is dumb.
… and unneccessarily expensive.
:twisted:
Each year I spend hours looking for gifts. I then spend time wrapping them with little bows. Delivering them. What happens? Pretty paper pulled off, tossed away. A smile, then open the next.
...and I am just as bad. No one, no one person knows what I want. What do I get? DVDs I do not like. Picture sock, I wear once, just to say look how useful they are!
Xmas with nothing but love :love: the only gift. May be one day? but are you going to tell little Jimmy.
I haven't voted cos I think Christmas with gifts is wonderful - so long as the presents are small, thoughtful and only exchanged between close family/friends.
Doing rounds of buying for everyone including Auntie Ethel who no-one likes and then driving all over the country delivering them just turns it into a miserable chore. I had to do that with my ex's family and they NEVER - NOT ONCE visited us. I am soo glad I now have a handful of close family/friends and speend a happy time choosing and sharing gifts we know each other will like.
btw - apologies to anyone who has a dearly beloved Aunty called Ethel.
I cant afford much at all this year due to being out of work for a yr (in the process of looking for a job). My kids are being fantastic about the fact that I cant afford much..and if it wasnt for a charity that help children that wont receive xmas pressies this yr...my children would have gone without (thank you Toys on a Table). I have taught my kids that presents are immaterial and that having each other is worth more than that (presents can be replaced..people cant!)...even my 13 yr old has told me that this year she doesnt want xmas pressies..all she wants is for me to be happy (bless her). So I vote against pressies...as long as I have my kids and my man with me...that all thats important.
for me recieving presents is not a big thing. if i got 1 present or 1000 presents it wouldn't bother me. but i do enjoy buying presents for people. every year i over spend my about 3 times over. but still enjoy it none te less.
Christmas is.. should be a time of togetherness. being with the people you love and care about, and forgetting the harshness of every day life just for those 24 hours.
if the Germans and english (and various other nations) could settle there differences and play a game of football in the hieght of world war 1, then thats a good enough message for me.
Wanna know what made my Christmas? No? well I'm going to tell you anyway.
My Daughter desperately wanted a laptop...more than she ever wanted anything in her 12 years. We knew we couldnt afford one, but were lucky enough to have a spare desktop one once the Stormy's laptop was fixed which luckily only cost about £30. We bought her a few little bits and a cheap desk and chair. So pressies amounted to a very small amount of money. She opened her small pressies knowing full well she did not have the Laptop she wanted as I had made it perfectly clear to her. I then gave her a card which told her to go and look in my office....and there we had set up the desk, chair and desktop pooter all turned on and ready to go with her email account and MSN etc all signed up and ready to go.
She was so emotional, she cried, and no amount of money will ever be worth those happy tears for me! :smile2:
I do like to give when I can but this year was a bit tight on the pennies! So I made all mine (except for the grand childrens)and everyone loved them. Even got a few potential future sales from them which I didnt expect.
ok maybe its the idea of competing with peer groups over stuff for the kids or the mrs? I dont know. 
) 
we started off doin the ridiculously expensive gift thing at xmas. Then last year we decided to go skiing on 5th of jan 
so something had to go..ie: presents to each other. It was well worth it!!!
ops: 
iff's that's wrong boohoo tehee :twisted: