Sure, Christmas isn’t all about presents – for those lucky enough to afford their own treats | Letter

Those who suggest ‘not doing presents this year’ tend to be people who already have all the socks and candles they need, writes one reader

There’s a very particular phrase that circulates as Christmas approaches, usually delivered over a glass of wine: “Shall we just not do presents this year?”

This is almost always suggested by people who already own everything. The sort of people who, if they fancy a new coffee Thermos at 8:42am, simply buy one. Socks? Ordered. Pyjamas? Bought in October. Candles? Seventeen already, none ever lit. These are also the people who believe a £10 gift is radical generosity, holding it out proudly as if they’d made a personal sacrifice, when it costs roughly the same effort as tapping their card at Pret. They mean well; they’re not villains, just living in a different festive universe.