Christmas is such a time of confusion for me. We already don't "do" Santa, but I also have other points of confusion about the season. There is a lot of good that comes about with Christmas season reminding people to give to those less fortunate. But there is so much about it that I think makes Jesus cringe.
Forget why it started, but would Jesus want us celebrating his birth like this? Going into debt, buying commercial things for everyone we know, spending, spending, spending? Parties and debt?
I get more and more disgusted each year that we have Christmas. People decorate earlier and earlier. The presents get bigger and more expensive. The real reason we are "celebrating" gets smaller and smaller.
It isn't even something Biblical that we need to celebrate. So why are we doing all this? Tradition? But when should tradition be dropped?
I would love to stop celebrating Christmas. Not the getting together with family and friends or even remembering Jesus coming to Earth and becoming human, but the crazy spending has got to stop.
My family is not doing much in the present department. (as in my parents and siblings) The grandparents are giving to the grandkids, but donating to a needy family for all of us adult children. That is something I like and can totally accept as the spirit of the season.
Do I dare boycott Christmas at my house? What would my in-laws think of their already crazy in-law? lol
I really would love to not decorate a tree and buy presents for everyone. Just getting together to eat and watch some great movies about the spirit of the season. Just being together. Kind of like another thanksgiving.
November 23, 2009
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Great post!!!
I wonder if Christmas is such a commercial thing in different part of the world!
You are so right about how crazy it is getting. I was doing groceries and saw that Christmas stuff was out (that was 3 weeks before Halloween ` another thing that we do not celebrate!!!!)
We do not but decoration up but do have a family get together and enjoyed each others company and eat lots of good food :-)
I have 6 sisters and 5 brothers in law (plus 5 in law spouses) and 4 nieces and nephew and 2 more on the way!!! My own brother is engage and my sister starting a relationship.
So to be able to get gift to everyone I think we would need to win the lottery or something!!!
I do make knitted stuff for the young sibling (hats, mitts, scarf thing that they outgrow or loose during the winter) but we are not spending money (we can;t afford it)
My parents are big on decorations and gifts, and spent lots of Christmas I always feel bad not being able to give back but I try to remind them the reason of this celebration is Christ birth and He is the most perfect gift of all.
Thanks for sharing this post!
Love your post. Christmas this year is the start of something new for us. We have three children all under 7 we buy for NO BODY else. Last year I spent well over $1000 on store bought junk. This year my kids are getting all handmade homemade presents (mini blackboards, geoboards, blankets, rice table, photo books, barbie house from an old book shelf and art drying rack) other then stocking stuffers which will be educational DVDs and arts and craft supplys from dollar store. We only spent $400 it is such a hugh wieght off my shoulders knowing that we are not going into debt. As for santa I just try not to mention his name and we don't have reg TV to watch so I don't think they really know anything about him. As for decorating we only do a tree and this year we are making all of our own decorations. I want us all to spend time as a family doing fun things rather then worrying about what we are getting or how our house looks decorated to the nieboughrs.
We don't do a whole lot of Christmas at our house either. We have never really done Santa (but when the kids were little, and to this day, we do have stockings filled with little things like pudding cups,a special chocolate bar, a CD, or other little things they don't get very often.) We do give the kids a couple of gifts each...often clothing is involved. For us, the biggest thing is a large family meal and spending the day together...like you say, watching movies, playing games, enjoying each others' company, etc. Lots of years I don't feel like decorating or setting up a tree...sometimes I get away with it, and other times, my family "pressures" me to be more festive. I do enjoy the festivity part of the holiday as far as getting together with friends and family around awesome food, but I'm with you...get rid of the commercialization and focus on the love and caring for others part of the season.
Michelle
True, I dislike the commercialism. It's discusting. I do like the simple decorations we do put up. A few lights on the house too. I'd like to downsize and dh want's to upsize. LOL
We have stopped getting presents for dh side except his mom and dad. We have a nice dinner, open presents from Grandma and Grandpa and, give them their gifts also. The kids play and we talk or play a board game or watch a movie.
I am now in a war unfortunatley with my family's side on this issue this year. It is so much less stressful not having to find a present for someone that they aren't going to like anyway. Besides, the gift budget isn't fair anyway. I buy a $20 gift for them and they give back a dollar tree gift. I'm the only one with 6 kids and the tightest budget too.
I hate all the work that does go into it and this year I'm going to try to make it simple for the children's sake and mine. I ask them whats most important to them to celebrate and that is what we're doing this year.
Good luck
For several years now we have had a gift exchange by drawing names amongst the adults and then one for the kids. We call it the "Make It - Bake It - or Take It"
You can make something for your exchange or bake something or you can take something you already have that you think that person would like to have. You cannot buy anything. It is amazing how creative everyone is, coming up with such clever things for gifts.
My SNL, who is an amazing handyman, had my name one year so he gave me a gift certificate for calling on him for three tasks that I needed his help with. However, the certificate came with a three page disclaimer written in all this legal verbage. My SNL just cracked up when he saw us reading all the reasons and circumstances that would prevent the certificate from being redeemed. My daughter said he spent a week on writing it and just sitting at the computer belly laughing at his cleverness.
It was one of my favorite gifts.
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