If you spend any amount of time on TikTok around the holidays, you’ve probably seen a lot of posts concerning Angel Trees. Every year, businesses including the Salvation Army will adorn a Christmas tree with names of families in need of gifts. It’s incredibly sweet — no kid should go without opening a gift on the holidays. However, one Georgia woman said some families are being ungrateful this year, and doesn’t particularly like how Angel Trees are being exploited on social media.
TikToker Debee immediately starts off her video ranting about how she’s “tired of these ungrateful Angel Tree receiver hauls.” She explains people will pick up their Angel Tree bag from Salvation Army and record themselves opening it. On TikTok especially, these end up devolving into disappointment because, as Debee puts it, the haul “doesn’t look like what they see on the Internet.”
Debee argues part of the problem is these families are comparing themselves to lavish influencers and celebrities: “Ya’ll was crying and happy about the other people being blessed. But then when you look at your kid’s stuff, you’re comparing it to other people’s [expletive].”
Of course people are going to be a tad jealous. Another problem Debee brings up is “people are spending their hard-earned money,” only for that person to disregard their gift. “Everybody ain’t an influencer,” Debee says. And sadly, those kinds of people will never be satisfied.
For the most part, Debee is pretty spot on, but I think there’s a deeper problem. Some families have so little, and their parents work so hard, they’re lashing out any way they can. They’re comparing because they want their kids to have the same lavish gifts. It’s not exactly paradise in the US, especially when millions of Americans are working two or more jobs.
As an example, one mother commenting on Debee’s video said, “I pray my little guy liked what we put together for him. We did our best,” and trying is all you can do right now.
Another commenter stated, “Skipping angel tree this year and the next and the next. Giving to animal shelter instead,” which just struck me as cruel. A small subset of families being greedy is enough for them to stop donating to children altogether? As if spreading more suffering is the answer.
To any parents who feel they shorted their kids this Christmas, know that just being there is something they’ll always remember. It’s all about the love that you put into the holidays!
