I use all the gifts I receive due to never buying myself anything, but this is definitely an issue I can see. I have spent countless Christmases telling family to donate to charities (and provided a list), buy me food (specific foodstuffs) and in one instance organized Christmas and said they could bring booze and desserts and nothing else.

And they kept on with the (bulky, usually mass-produced) gifts.

I don't hate gifts. But I would love a way to share that ritual with people without encouraging consumption. One problem I've had is the alternatives I suggest, like food, some people don't think cost enough money so they don't like giving it. Are there expensive consumables that people would feel higher status giving?