Christmas Thoughts - To Know or Not to Know?

LakeR2014

When it comes down to your presents at Christmas/holiday time - do you want to know what your getting or be surprised?

Will you give subtle hints, right out a detailed list, or leave it up to your familys/SOs imagination?


The last few years I've tried subtle hints with my SO....it hasn't worked.  I want a massage so bad, I may put it in NEON lights over our bed.

My family on the other hand always rocks at getting stuff we truly need...aka grocery giftcard, haircut giftcard, tickets to a game we love, etc that they never have to ask.

chibiyui

Surprised. Surprise is the best for christmas presents.

flutteringinfl

I love being surprised. FI hates it. Part of the fun for receiving gifts is aggressively trying to figure out what he got. Drives me nuts when I'm just trying to give him a nice little surprise.

SBmini

My family and I use pinterest boards to pin things we want. Sometimes it's pretty specific (these shoes) sometimes it is just a suggestion. I like being surprised, but my parents always want to make sure they get me what I want, so they appreciate me being specific. 

emmaaa

I like to know what I'm getting. I get all worked up and excited knowing I'm getting "this thing I wanted." But FI's family does not agree with that so they always keep it a secret.

FI and I usually tell each other a few things that we'd like.

sarawifenow

If people ask me what I want then I will tell them. Otherwise, I like to be surprised and see what they come up with on their own.

NowIamMrsKlein

FI's family does lists. It drives me nuts. I hate having to come up with present ideas for them to buy me, it makes me super uncomfortable. Im just happy that his family loves me as their own, I don't need presents, and I definitely dont need to ASK for presents.

I usually make FI make the list because I don't want any part of it. haha I'm stubborn like that.

My side of the family is surprise. We draw names now that we are older but arent allowed to ask for anything. Growing up if we were to even hint we wanted something that was a surefire way to make sure that we did NOT get it. haha.

For between FI and I it depends on the year and our budgets etc. Last year we just bought something frivolous together instead of exchanging gifts. This year we are doing a surprise exchange as we both had really good ideas for the other person

Nymeru

I like to be surprised. The good thing is that my family has a pretty good idea of what I like, so it ends up working out well.

My H's family, on the other hand, makes lists, which I'm glad for because most of them are frigging hard to shop for.  I feel awkward making a list, but I know how much easier it makes gift giving, so I go along with it.

amelisha

I'm not big into gifts, honestly. I like to give them but receiving them is not such a big deal, so it doesn't matter much either way.

My birthday is Christmas Eve, though, and I do feel really bad if I don't get something from FI or my parents wrapped in birthday paper instead of Christmas leftovers, although I don't really care about what's inside.

FI's family is forever asking what we want and I never know what to say and it makes me feel like a jerk for not going along with it but I honestly don't know! I have so much stuff! FI, on the other hand, is a champion at listening to every stupid thing I tell him I want or should buy throughout the year but don't, and then disseminating that list throughout his family. It takes the stress out of it.

[Deleted User]

I like to be surprised if possible.  Sometimes my Fiance is good about this, others, not so much.  I have told him several times that half the fun of a gift is the surprise- either not knowing it's coming at all or, if you know it's coming, wondering about what it could be.

He doesn't much like surprises as much, but I don't usually say much other than, "picked out your gift(s) today."

holyguacamole79

I prefer surprise, but even more I prefer to get something I actually like.  I have told H some of the things I'd like and I assume he'll choose something.

Funny story, though.  One Christmas (pre-husband) I had emailed a list of things I'd like for Christmas for my parents & siblings.  It wasn't anything too exciting or extravagant, but it was somewhat specific.  My mom had been haggling me to make this list, so I did.  Christmas morning I open presents and nothing I asked for was there.  I wasn't unhappy, just confused.  So I gingerly said "hey, I love what you got me.  I'm just curious what was wrong with the gifts on my list?"  They all looked at me confused and asked what list.  I pulled up my email to find that the list was still in draft mode.  I *still * get crap about it to this day.

H knows some of what I'm getting him, mostly because it involves a sporting event and I had to ask him which NBA team he'd like to watch our Rockets play

cupcait927

I prefer to be surprised, but H and I are also big fans of practical gifts. For birthdays we tend to ask the other what we want and then go with that but Christmas is always a surprise. H told me a couple of weeks ago that he has been keeping a list in his phone of things that I have mentioned that I liked or wanted.

My parents have pretty much stopped giving my sister and I physical gifts and just give us cash or gift cards. My mom is the worst gift-giver ever and my dad always just asked for lists anyway - gift cards are easiest for him/less work and we still get what we want from the stores we like.

Aray82

Surprise. That's the definition of a gift. DH and I do a good job of figuring out what each other might like/need so we've always been excited with our gifts. He got me a cute blazer from anthropology last year that I love but would never have spent money on myself since it wasn't something I "needed." I got him a nice sweater and some good tshirts since he'd talked about needing more but I know he hates clothes shopping and avoids it like the plague. My family is all about surprises too, but we also do a good job of really considering possible wants/needs. IMO, I think of Christmas gifts the same way as wedding gifts: the recipient doesn't get to tell the givers the exact way in which he/she would like them to exercise their thoughtfulness and generosity.

abl13

I like to know. My husband is terrible at gift giving. He bought me a GPS for my car for our first Christmas together which is not something that I needed or wanted at the time so now I always give him suggestions. He likes buying electronics so I think it was more of something that he wanted. The "kids" in his family are all boys, so his family has no idea how to shop for a girl. So now I always provide a very specific list to them as well.

doeydo

I make a list and give it to people who ask (which is usually my mom, SO, and his mom).  However, I love surprises and I never want to know what I am exactly getting.  

steph861

I'm the worst with surprises. Not only do I feel like I have to know what I'm getting, but I have a hard time not dropping hints to family members about what I'm getting them (particularly if it's something I'm really excited to give them).

luckya23

A gift does not have to be a surprise.

I like to know otherwise I kind of worry that I won't like whatever it is. I like buying for people, but I really really like buying for myself. I don't trust other people to choose for me.

I can't even think of a time I've been pleasantly surprised by a gift :-/

beethery

I like being surprised, and FI likes holding that he already bought or picked out my present over my head. My birthday is on Saturday and he has mentioned no less than 4 times how incredibly pleased he is with himself because of the birthday gifts he's picked out for me.

I LOVE surprising people with gifts, so I try to either BS about things or just fully hide whatever I got. Last year, FI mentioned that he really wanted this chop saw thing, and I ended up having a little trouble finding one. Well, he overheard me talking to his brother about it, and I conjured up this big story about not being able to find a good deal on one and that they were running short on them at all the suppliers, at best he'd get it after christmas.

Well I got that MF shipped to my office, waited until he was on night shift, dragged the giant heavy sumbitch upstairs and wrapped and hid it, and then managed to drag it back downstairs quietly, and get it under the tree before he woke up. He was fucking THRILLED.

larrygaga

I love everything to be a surprise, but it always works out that FI and I each pick out a gift for ourselves from the other. It's usually something we really want but the other can't really decide on it. Like FI isn't going to pick which naked palate I want, so I just told him.

We do secret santa on both sides!