Why do parents insist on bringing gifts when the invite says "No Gifts!"

[Andy B]

What I am referring to is the American iconography of Santa Claus in use in modern times that is absolutely a creation of an advertising campaign.

Certain people were calling me out because I refer to a celebration with term created by writers of a sitcom. I called it out as ironic when some of these same people are using an icon today created for an soft drink company.

It is pretty straight forward.

You may be referring to that but you are wrong, it is not absolutely the creation of an advertising agency.

 

[BelleWDW]

A yuku is a term for the worst of all cyber bullies. Some of them not only take it just to the net, but take it offline as well.

I never heard that used in that context. I thought yuku was simply a way people can have their own message boards-for any reason.

So at this "toys" board you used to post at-people contacted posters in their real life? like work?!!!

 

[diznygirl]

Moving on:
Ironically DD13 got an invite to a birthday party today which is asking for no gifts but please bring dried food (odd to me, why not canned?) to be donated to a food pantry. DD's response is that it is a great idea to help people but she still wants to get her friend a small personal gift. So, OP I think I know you feel it would be rude for DD to give her friend a book they have talked about and her friend has set she would like to read (which we ordered last week knowing the party was comming up). How about other posters, do you think that is that rude? (DD is 13, friend is turning 15 and does not lease a cow, have a big house--lives in a studio apartment with her single mother--or even a car. DOES have a book shelf with room on it for more books when English titles can be found if that helps you decide).

I think giving the book is a lovely idea. Hopefully it will be received in the spirit it's intended - a gift of friendship.

I admit to being the one who gets the kids the things they want, not the things their parents want. Sometimes it's not about the parents - that poor kid has no choice but to live with them until they are 18, I might as well make it a little more pleasant for him. The therapist is going to have his hand full some day with these kids coming to terms with their childhoods because of what their parents believed.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Well DD has presents from last birthday that have never been opened or played with, presents from Festivus 2008 that were never played with or opened.

If you cannot understand it, I won't bother explaining it to you. The party is her gift and having her friends spend a special girlie day with her are part of that gift. We don't need material things to show we care for a person or that we are cared for.

DD will be getting plenty of gifts from DP and I and we see no need nor we want gifts for our child. We are not about to say please donate to this charity. We happen to believe donation to a charity is a personal choice and we will not presume what charity is important to us is important to another.

I'm kind of late getting to this thread and I admit I have only read the first 3 pages but this is what my Dsis did with my Dniece.

All relatives were allowed to bring presents that were put in the house. All friends were requested to bring food for the local food bank. DSis and Dniece then visited the food bank with all the donated food. She's done this twice now (she's 10). She loves the fact that she gets to help others and still gets family presents. And because it is something so easy to do for the parents, people bring a bunch of food! It's a win-win for everyone.

 

[testifyoncruises]

You may be referring to that but you are wrong, it is not absolutely the creation of an advertising agency.

I am afraid you are wrong, but we will just agree to disagree. The modern iconography of Santa Claus is nothing more than an advertisement and the irony that people take issue with those who refer to our December celebrations as Festivus is striking!

 

[SundaeAfternoon]

I can understand that but let's turn it around and I would say that the person making any request about gifts is rude.

Exactly! In my opinion, anyone who is insulted by a gift is the rude one.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Just know that talking about any other place gets the ones that are still here silently and hidden to expose themselves solving several issues of cyber bullying again.

Hmmmmm.......wouldn't this just make YOU a bully? Pot meet kettle.

Or- do you want me to send you the kettle as a gift?

 

[SundaeAfternoon]

I also don't understand why somebody would put "no gifts" for a child's birthday party. Seriously? The gifts are part of the fun. They are kids for crying out loud - let them enjoy some gifts.

THIS!

 

[crashbb]

Moving on:
Ironically DD13 got an invite to a birthday party today which is asking for no gifts but please bring dried food (odd to me, why not canned?) to be donated to a food pantry. DD's response is that it is a great idea to help people but she still wants to get her friend a small personal gift. So, OP I think I know you feel it would be rude for DD to give her friend a book they have talked about and her friend has set she would like to read (which we ordered last week knowing the party was comming up). How about other posters, do you think that is that rude? (DD is 13, friend is turning 15 and does not lease a cow, have a big house--lives in a studio apartment with her single mother--or even a car. DOES have a book shelf with room on it for more books when English titles can be found if that helps you decide).

Any chance your daughter could give her the book (discretely) at some time other than at the party? I think it is lovely that your daughter (and you) went out of your way to get the book and I'm sure her friend would love to get it.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

THIS!

Silly! Why would the kid want gifts? She got a Swiss Cow!

 

[Andy B]

I am afraid you are wrong, but we will just agree to disagree. The modern iconography of Santa Claus is nothing more than an advertisement and the irony that people take issue with those who refer to our December celebrations as Festivus is striking!

While Saint Nicholas was originally portrayed wearing bishop's robes, today Santa Claus is generally depicted as a plump, jolly, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots. This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast.

In 1821, the book A New-year's present, to the little ones from five to twelve is published in New York. It contains Old Santeclaus, an anonymous poem describing an old man on a reindeer sleigh, bringing presents to children. Some modern ideas of Santa Claus seemingly became canon after the publication of the poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (better known today as "The Night Before Christmas") in the Troy, New York, Sentinel on December 23, 1823 anonymously; the poem was later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. Many of his modern attributes are established in this poem, such as riding in a sleigh that lands on the roof, entering through the chimney, and having a bag full of toys. St. Nick is discribed as being "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf" with "a little round belly", that "shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly". The reindeer were also named: "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen, On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem".

One of the first artists to define Santa Claus's modern image was Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist of the 19th century. In 1863, a picture of Santa illustrated by Nast appeared in Harper's Weekly.

In the United Kingdom, Santa—or Father Christmas -- was historically depicted wearing a green cloak. More recently, that has been changed to the more commonly known red suit. One school in the seaside town of Brighton banned the use of a red suit for erroneously believing it was only indicative of the Coca-Cola advertising campaign. School spokesman Sarah James said: "The red-suited Santa was created as a marketing tool by Coca-Cola, it is a symbol of commercialism." In reality, the red-suited Santa was created by Thomas Nast.

Images of Santa Claus were further popularized through Haddon Sundblom’s depiction of him for The Coca-Cola Company’s Christmas advertising in the 1930s.The popularity of the image spawned urban legends that Santa Claus was invented by The Coca-Cola Company or that Santa wears red and white because they are the colors used to promote the Coca-Cola brand. Historically, Coca-Cola was not the first soft drink company to utilize the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising – White Rock Beverages used Santa to sell mineral water in 1915 and then in advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923. Although the Coca-Cola advertising campaign had the effect of popularising the depiction of Santa as wearing red and white, in contrast to the variety of colours he wore prior to that campaign; red and white was originally given by Nast. [Multiple sources].

 

[robinb]

Silly! Why would the kid want gifts? She got a Swiss Cow!

I bet it's my favorite breed of cow too ... a Brown Swiss.

 

[Andy B]

I bet it's my favorite breed of cow too ... a Brown Swiss.

Tasty!

 

[Jennasis]

How in the world is this thread still open? I'm baffled.

 

[lillygator]

How in the world is this thread still open? I'm baffled.

why would it close? I don't think anyone has been really nasty - unless I missed some posts.

 

[Jennasis]

why would it close? I don't think anyone has been really nasty - unless I missed some posts.

I've seen threads closed for a lot less than what's going on in here. Mostly having veered way off topic.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Any chance your daughter could give her the book (discretely) at some time other than at the party? I think it is lovely that your daughter (and you) went out of your way to get the book and I'm sure her friend would love to get it.

Is is supposed to arrive tomorrow. She was hoping it would show up today and she could take it in to school tomorrow on the actual birthday (it is truly a birthday gift and not just a party gift), but no luck (at least I am assuming if it has not arrived yet it won't). She will probably take it in in her backpack and give it to her friend discreetly at the end of the party, or when she arrives if she arrives first, but I think several girls are going up on the same train.

Andy B--thanks for the full Santa story. We have a handmade felt Santa tree topper that my grandmother gave me when she was dying of cancer. I was 7 at the time. She told me (and wrote it in a letter she gave me with it) that it had been on every one of her Christmas trees and her mom made it for her the year she was born. I always kind of wondered how that could be since she was born in the 20s. Stupid me I did not think to question the "common knowledge" about Coke and always just figured she had little to give her only granddaughter at the time and may have exaggerated a bit. BTW that red felt Santa with white trim has been on the top of every tree I have had since--it is one of the few belongings I brought overseas with me.

 

[hedgehog2owl]

my favorite breed of cow too ... a Brown Swiss.

My favorite breed of chicken is a necked neck!

 

[DMRick]

I'm late coming to this thread, and actually decided to skip most of the pages (so many were the same type postings) and just refer to the original postings. If I was invited to a party and it said no gifts, I would not bring gifts. Mostly it would be to not make those others who did listen to the invite feel bad.
Do I think that is nice to do to the child? No, but I would figure the parent talked to the child and the child knows gifts would not be a part of the party. I would feel bad, and might visit within a few days with a gift, however.
I have been invited to birthday party's for adults where it was requested we bring food or gift certificates to the local market, which was then given to our local food pantry, but they were always adults. I also went to a party where the suggested gift was dog food for a rescue group. I've never gotten this request for a child's birthday. My grandson did get in addition to Christmas gifts, a gift of a goat, to a third world country. He was about 10 and thought it was cool. Although all of my family believes in enriching lives by traveling here in the US and overseas (we have close relatives in both Ireland and France, which helps in the traveling overseas, and I'm in Ireland right now visiting my newest grandchild), he won't be visiting that goat anytime soon.

 

[ICF]

My favorite breed of chicken is a necked neck!

my favorite is chick-fil-a chicken!