Did you miss Gidget's Christmas Manifesto, Part 1?
When a family close to us decided to stop giving/receiving presents at Christmas a few years ago, I'd say we were surprised (but not really surprised) and in a way, disappointed. Especially me, as my #1 Love Language is definitely Gifts (which means I like receiving, but equally I love giving!). It was hard for me to imagine not getting to pick out that perfect gift for those that we love at Christmas, as we've always been conditioned to do. It never dawned on me that perhaps my perception of Christmas was in need of some tweaking.
For this family the decision was simply an outward expression of their desire to celebrate Christmas for what it should be, Jesus' birth, and not for what it has become, American Consumerism. I definitely could understand this side of the argument, although for me, I didn't feel like I could give up on the giving/receiving completely.
Fast forward to the present, where I've been reading and thinking a lot about simplifying life-- in many forms, be it ingredients (real vs. artificial, for example), products I use, space I imagine I need to live in, amount of energy I use, things I own, etc.-- basically what I like to think of as a more "green" and simple living philosophy. So in all my research, I stumbled upon a book that caught my interest, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Cause for a More Joyful Christmas. I checked it out at the library, read it in one sitting (it's pretty small), and agreed with almost everything in it. I'll elaborate on this book as I continue this series, but for now, let's take a quick look at our Christmas priorities...
What are your gut reactions to cutting out gifts at Christmas? Could you do it? Would you want to do it? Come on, be honest... no arguments/judgments, please, just your own opinion on the topic.
Read Gidget's Christmas Manifesto, Part 1.