Is it just ME?

Or are Christmas lists for grown-ups just ghastly?

Whatever happened to picking the perfect gift, unwrapped in delighted surprise?

AS Christmas hurtles closer, the texts and emails come thick and fast. ‘Hello! What do you want this year? Send me your list please. Here’s mine.’

And so it begins, the requests rolling in for this Charlotte Tilbury bronzer, or that new Zara top. How convenient — and boring.

What happened to picking the perfect gift to be unwrapped by the tree to cries of delighted surprise?

Now, present-giving is a drearily efficient exercise: I’ve got that Liz Earle moisturiser you need, I’ll have the White Company slippers, size 5.

So last year, I rebelled. I’d spotted something perfect for one sister — a sparkling bobble hat that was as silly and festive as it sounds.

When her gift list dropped into my inbox, I bit the bullet. ‘Actually, I’m getting you a surprise this year, it’s more fun,’ I announced.

‘I hope I like it,’ she replied dubiously. The cheek! How could she doubt my taste?

Where has this need for controlling gifts come from? I suspect the crazy world of weddings.

It’s been a long time since I naively assumed my carefully selected present would reach a happy couple, after learning that they can now tally up the spending on their gift list and do with it as they like at the store where they registered.

I admit it’s a selfish impulse to want to pick out presents myself. But it’s half the fun of Christmas. That’s why this year, I’ve gone rogue.

Save your gift lists for Santa. I’m making up my own mind: everyone’s getting surprises, me included. At the least, it’ll give us all something new to row about over the turkey.

And that surprise hat? My sister loved it. Or so she says. Because if they don’t like it, you need never know.

There’s just one rule of a list-free Christmas — always include the gift receipt.