Ok, I'll start:

Every year for the last three years, my Dad calls me and says something along the lines of "we're having a lean Christmas this year", which would be fine, be he waits until the week before to tell everyone. Then he wants to make it so that my adult sisters and I also have a shitty Christmas (gift-wise) and tries to include them too. Well, Christmas comes and we show up with our $20 gifts instead of doing what we normally do-get that person something they really want. Wouldn't you know it, Christmas Eve celebrations come and having a "lean Christmas" really means "We're not exchanging gifts, so don't make us uncomfortable by doing it with your sisters and their husbands in front of us"

Now, before people get all uppity, my Dad makes over 100k a year and has a paid for house and lots of investments. Last year, when I went over for Christmas he wanted to show me how proud of the $300 model airplane he just bought with "his" allowance money.

I don't know what happened, but it appears that my Dad has found a way to skimp out on Christmas. If he doesn't want us to have gifts to exchange without them, he really needs to rethink having the family gathering at his house. I know that Christmas isn't about gifts or material things for most people (it's about family for me) but it really ruins it for me.

Bah Humbug!

We don't even give gifts anymore, we just get together and steal from each other.  

There's an idea,.... "Say Dad, that sure is a nice table saw you got there...."