Christmas gift giving dilemma- How to get people to stop?

[Wcross]

I thought I had it settled last year. We are all adults yet my brother & sister still insist on exchanging gifts. I explained a couple of years ago I didn't enjoy that aspect of the holidays. Last year I showed up empty handed as a "last resort".I thought that would have ended it.
What happens this year? They sent me a gift. One was a gift card to a chain restaurant that they enjoy. The problem is the nearest one to me is over 40 miles away & I don't eat at chain restaurants.
I don't WHY they insist on giving me a gift every year. Why do they FORCE me into something I don't enjoy? Even if I do not send one in return I will still feel guilt. It has nothing to do with the money, it is the WASTE that gets me. I still have the crap I got last year sitting in a closet in the bag I toted it home in.
I was thinking that I should send the gift card back to them seeing as I will NEVER use it. I know they would use it though.

What would you do? I have always thought Christmas gifts should be for children only. We are all adults, we have our own money and know exactly what we need. I wish it could be limited to Christmas cards only.

[Skittles]

1. ask them to donate to your favorite charity

that way they are still giving but someone who needs it is receiving

[Wcross]

4. Unfortunately they insist on gifts.

I would LOVE it if we could do that- just name the charity.

[China_cat]

8. You could always donate the things they give you

to a charity...homeless shelter, women's shelter, etc.

Then let them know what you did. It might take a while, but eventually you might get through to them.

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. "Why do they FORCE me into something I don't enjoy?"

Have you asked them that?

[Wcross]

3. Not yet.

I am getting "fed up" with it though. I have made my decision & thats it.

[LibertyLover]

5. I have a similar problem - a large extended family who give

us gifts every year. This year I did Heifer International. My one cousin has several bee hives so I donated money for each of the cousins to give bees to families in a developing country. I figure that I'll do the charity thing for several years and then propose that if they would like to give some small thing to my daughter, who is 5 at the moment, that would be fine, but why don't we adults just exchange cards.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. Learn to enjoy it.

You've made it clear to them that you don't consider it important to gift other adults at Christmas and nothing in your OP suggests that they were upset or mad at you, so if that's the case, accept their gifts and pass them on to someone who will find them useful. Gift card to a chain restaurant? Send it to a shelter or food pantry in their area where someone may find it very useful. Clothes, household items, etc -- same deal. There must be someone who would be happy to have them.

Trying to make your also adult family members agree to Christmas exchange on your terms is a fruitless endeavor. The "Christmas gifts should be for children only" idea is hardly universal and in fact is less common than the notion that Christmas is when all are recognized with some token of gratitude. That said, you are free to celebrate it the way you wish. Let others do the same.

[Blue Diadem]

7. I wish I knew a way.

without ticking them off. My side of the family was never into sibling gift exchanges, except we all gave to my Sis who had Downs and loved her toys. Years ago, during a really bad time financially for us, we told Dh's family that we would no longer be able to participate in the adult gift exchange. We still gave to his parent's, our 3 godchildren on that side, as well as our 3 kids participated in the kid's gift exchange, we just could no longer afford the extra gifts for adults. It wasn't until several years later, after a family squabble, that they told us how cruel, awful, insensitive blah blah, that it was for us to not participate. They just never understood..I doubt they ever will.

Is there someplace you could donate the gift card/gifts they give you?

[Book Lover]

9. Maybe you're not the only one who feels guilty

Maybe they feel guilty if they don't give something to their beloved sibling during the time of year when they always did so growing up. Maybe they embrace the joy of giving, and they love the feeling they get when giving a gift to you.

Can't you be gracious about the whole thing? Regift all that "crap sitting in a closet" to someone who will enjoy it, rather than letting it rot in the dark. If waste gets to you, don't let these items you have temporary custody of go to waste.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. It might not be all about you - they might simply enjoy giving gifts.

Some people love giving things to other people.