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Bring the Meaning of Christmas Back to Your Family this Holiday Season
2 Comments · Posted by Mark in Parenting/Family
For me, the Christmas holidays lost it’s meaning ever since I realized there was no Santa. The fantasy was shattered. As I got older, Christmas became a stressful time where you feel you should be full of joy and happiness even though all you want to do is runaway (from the cheesy work Christmas party, the family obligations, the chaos of shopping). I wish I could just go about my merry way but after working in retail for years and witnessing people (literally) fight over that last 25% off gift item, I started to really question the true meaning of Christmas and how I would like to spend it. Christmas, religion aside, is suppose to be a time of goodwill, peace and love toward mankind. Somewhere in time, this was lost and it became the quintessential commercial celebration. Just go to any shopping mall on December 24th, and you’ll know what I mean.
Here are some things my family and I do, to bring the magic and meaning back to the holidays.
1. Not make it about the presents. It’s hard with a young child to not give gifts. Although I don’t want to deprive my three year old of gifts at Christmas, I also want to start introducing him to the idea that Christmas is about something more. This year will begin a tradition for him – he will buy a little gift (from money in his piggy bank) and give it to a child who is not so privileged. We are also making gifts for one another or giving each other something that is meaningful; such as: more ‘personal/me’ time, more play time etc. Let’s face it, how much more ‘things’ do we really need?
2. Share experiences. As an alternate to gift giving, we participate in experiences. There are so many fun things you can do together over the Christmas Holidays. Some of the experiences we’ve shared included participating in winter activities (snowshoeing, tobogganing, skating, dog sledding, making snow angels, snow ball fights etc), renting a cabin, baking cookies, and taking pictures of Christmas decorations around town. The possibilities are endless. For us, there is nothing more fun than sitting outside in the snow, on a sunny day, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies.
3. Do some good. For the Man Evolved, service to others should be one of those things that is second nature. During this time, it is a good opportunity to involve the family. There are many things one can do in the community from helping at a ‘soup kitchen’ to conducting a clothes drive.
4. Relax. Forget the Boxing Day sales. Say ‘no’ to events you don’t have to attend. It’s all about the family and spending time together. This is a good time to put your feet up and just enjoy doing nothing.
I’d love to hear things you do to bring the meaning back to Christmas. To all of you from my family and me, have a Wonderful and Peaceful Holiday!
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ChessFanMan · December 22, 2009 at 12:27 am
Hey Mark,
Your post is timely. I have grown to loathe Christmas. It is meaningless really. My family and my wife’s family go completely ballistic on gifts. The materialism is completely out of hand. I find it ironic that a society that identifies as Christian on national surveys holds materialism in such high regard.
I heard a commercial on the radio that seemed to explain it all. The ad said “grab the gift that get the reaction YOU want”. In our society, gift giving often is a selfish activity. Often, we give gifts to make ourselves feel good. Why do we feel the need to do this? Are we so empty that a massive pile of gifts represents our attempt to feel important?
When one gives a gift, ask this: am I doing this for myself or for my loved one?
I am encouraged to see a number of newspaper articles this year about limiting gifts and creating gifts from one’s talents. I have often written poems or built gifts by hand. And despite the most avid buyers, these handcrafted gifts are rarely ridiculed when opened around the tree.
Unfortunately my families continue to overspend and incur debt in pursuit of the perfect pile of presents. My wife and I try to speak out, and each year we are silenced. It seems we are fighting against an enchanted force. If we were to push any harder we risk a major family conflict. As of late I have told my wife this: Perhaps it’s time to bring it on and risk some conflict for the true spirit of Christmas. I’m sick of the useless pile of presents that neglects the time we should be spending together. I don’t want any part of Christmas if this is the way it is.
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Tamyra · November 18, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I know it is hard to see the real meaning of Christmas when it is so crazy this time of year. We made it a priority in our home to limit gifts and to do for a less fortunate family this year. I even told my whole family who we see Christmas Day that we were cutting back and just wanted to hang out and not stress out over gifts. I encouraged them to do the same. Alot of them agreed. It’s time for us to enjoy Christmas. We celebrate the birth of Christ and enjoy each other as a family. When we all learn this lesson I believe more people will enjoy Christmas again.
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