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Ho, Ho, Help!

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Christmas gifts.
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Tis the season to be jolly, but for many the holidays are a time of frenzy and stress.

The good news of the bad economy is that it has brought us face to face with our rampant appetite for excess. We discovered that we had accumulated much more than we could ever need.

Ah, but now the holidays are here and budgeting isn’t so much fun. Jolly tunes are playing and we are assaulted with buying messages everywhere we turn.  Our children’s eyes have grown wide with desire and our hearts long to fulfill their wish list. Not to mention the wonderful deals that will allow us to have that shiny new toy of our own at half the price.

Gift giving is a wonderful tradition but when the giving leaves you filled with everything but joy it’s time to reevaluate.

A great way to take back this wonderful time of year is to celebrate the true spirit of the season.  Talk to your family and extended family about the traditions you have established. Suggest creating new traditions such as:

  • Rather than spending money on each other, pool your funds to help a local needy family. You do not have to look far to find a family that would be blessed by bags of groceries, winter coats for their children, or even toys to put under the tree. Make it special by shopping for the family together and then surprising them with your gifts. Your own children will experience the joy of helping others in need, guaranteed to last longer than the temporary high of shiny new gadget.
  • Support a favorite charity. As we have cut back our own budgets, many charities are struggling with shrinking donations. What may seem a small amount to us can make a huge difference to a charity.
  • Create a lasting family member. Take an extended family portrait, gather your family stories and make a book, visit a place that is significant to your family.
  • Ditch the gifts and keep the togetherness. Isn’t that what this time of year is truly about? You can enjoy the warm traditions of faith and family without the stress and added pressures.
  • Volunteer together. Your service does not have to be limited to the traditional acts of charity. Surprise an elderly neighbor by cleaning up his/her yard. Clean up a vacant lot in an area that can use a morale boost. Be creative and find something meaningful for the whole family.

My warmest remembrances of Hanukkahs and Christmases past have nothing to do with gifts. I bet that is true for most of us. We remember the stories, the laughter, the people who are part of our loving (or humorous) holiday moments. That is the best tradition of all that we can pass on to the next generation.

How about you? Any creative suggestions to celebrate the holidays that alleviate the financial pressures?

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Comments

  2. The very essence of Christmas is giving, not of gifts but of ourselves to our fellow human beings, be it stranger or family and friends.

    You have cited some of the best here. Mine will always be to give a little of what I have to those who are needy. 🙂
    .-= Walter´s last blog ..Deep understanding =-.

  3. Andrew, I absolutely love your family tradition. It is practical and as you said does not put undue strain on anyone’s budget. You all get to enjoy the magic of gift giving during this season in this way. This is such a great idea especially for large families. Thank you Andrew for sharing it!

  4. Lillie, thank you for blessing me with your comment. Knowing that I was able to inspire you truly makes coming to the page such a precious joy. Bless you dear friend!

  5. Karen,

    These are wonderful ideas. Whilst the gift giving associated with Christmas can be a lot of fun, more important is the spirit of Christmas (especially thankfullness for the birth of Christ).

    And Christmas should not, as you say, have to become a big strain on family budgets.

    In my own family, this year, instead of everyone buying presents for everyone else, we decided to operate on a Chris cringle system, where each of us has been allocated one other person who we are to choose and buy one present for on behalf of the whole family. That way, each person gets one present each (from the whole family) and each person only has to buy one present.
    .-= Andrew´s last blog ..Should jumps racing be banned? =-.

  9. Susan, what a clever idea and a great way to promote local business. Not to mention a nice way for families to spend time together.

  10. Where we live, in Edinburgh, Scotland, some of the local businesses have special offers. My son loves to visit Dynamic Earth, and they published a voucher yesterday where ‘adult goes free’ with every child. He’ll enjoy the visit and I’ll get in for free – a little stocking filler which will mean we get to spend some time together too, which is part of the spirit of the season.
    .-= Susan McNaughton´s last blog ..Is swing your thing? A novel way to promote Edinburgh! =-.

  11. Heather, that’s such a wonderful tradition. There’s something really special about cooking and baking together that creates lasting memories. And nothing beats fresh baked cookies! I know your neighbors really appreciate it. Hmmm, I am going to steal this idea, thanks Heather!

  14. Karen,

    It’s so easy to get caught up in the gift buying frenzy. Everywhere we turn all you hear is “Buy! Buy! Buy!” and it’s easy to forget the real reason we celebrate. One of the things I like to do is take a day baking cookies with the kids and then wrapping them up and giving them to our neighbors. The neighbors are always so appreciative and the kids get the joy of giving something they made themselves.
    .-= Heather Villa´s last blog ..Not all Butts are the same. Mine is picky! =-.

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