Are you tired of a hyped,
glitzy, materialistic, stressful Christmas that has lost
it's true meaning? Are you spending beyond your budget
and still finding that your children want more brand name
toys every year? Does anticipation build from Halloween
when the stores start to decorate, until Christmas day
when its all over after a short period of frantic gift
opening?
We have felt that Christmas hasn't
been quite what it should be, but weren't sure what to do
about it. Some answers are suggested in a book, "Unplug
the Christmas Machine," by Robinson and Staeheli. The
book was developed from workshops given by the authors to
help families improve the quality of their Christmas
celebrations.
In the past, Christmas was a much
simpler affair. Preparations for the holiday didn't start
until about two weeks before Christmas, and the
festivities lasted for days. Small homemade gifts were
given to children, with no exchanges between adults. The
focus was clearly on the religious aspects of the
holiday. In addition, each family had its own ethnic
traditions that added to the magic of the holiday. When
families gathered at Christmas, there were many group
activities that spanned the generations, like singing,
dancing, playing games or charades, and putting on plays.
Some time was always spent outdoors; sledding, ice
skating, skiing, building snow forts, or just playing in
snow.
To simplify your Christmas, the
authors of the book suggest that you first analyze your
celebration and set priorities. What are your favorite
parts? What would you like to change? You should discuss
these questions with your family. Men are often left out
of the process, which leaves them feeling apathetic about
Christmas. We also forget to include children in
planning, giving them the materialistic role of deciding
what they want to get, instead of what they want to do.
As a result of this exercise, most
families don't revamp their whole celebration; but change
a few things that make the holiday more meaningful. You
might want to reduce the cost and number of gifts given,
focus more on religious or charitable aspects,
incorporate old ethnic rituals or invent new ones, spend
more time on family activities rather than outside social
events, include outdoor events, and spread the
festivities over a longer period of time. If you'd like
to make changes that will affect other relatives, now is
the time to make decisions for next year.
We wish all a peaceful Christmas; a
Season of Giving, Love, Joy, and Wonder.