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A nice tradition that might make the holidays less stressful might be to turn off the television beginning at Thanksgiving. Fewer commercials might be just the ticket to a peaceful holiday. Spend the time baking, Griswolding (driving around looking for extreme holiday decorations...the name comes from the Chevy Chase movie, Christmas Vacation), playing board games, etc. We haven't had TV in years, and it really cuts down on the "gimmes."
WHAT!?!?!?! For me, I look forward to one Christmas movie after another on ABC Family, Lifetime and Hallmark Channels. That's not even including the new ones...Shrek the Halls, etc. My DVR is absolutely smoking by the time New Year's Eve rolls around. My husband calls himself a "Christmas Movie widow". Plus, DVRing the movies means I can speed through the commercials.
P.S. Since you mentioned it, Chevy Chase is the classic movie we watch on Christmas Eve. When we decorate our house with lights, we all jokingly do the "drumroll" and my husband sings, "Joy to the World!" as he lights up the house.
But...I do know what you mean about the non-stop Christmas propaganda. My favorite are the car commercials and the jewelers. Even in good economic times, I cannot name a single person who has ever received a car with a bow on it for Christmas.
I think Christmas, like everything nowadays, has become too much "let's impress the neighbors." I totally enjoy the holidays and I am the person who bakes, decorates the house and yes, even has the Christmas towels in the bathrooms. The reason I do this, however, is because I love how our house gets transformed in December and I like the tradition of my husband, kids and myself opening up the Christmas rubbermaid containers the day after Thanksgiving and "oohing" and "aahing" over the stuff we forgot we had. Plus, sitting in the living room with the lights off and only the Christmas tree light illuminating the room brings back so many memories. It makes me remember when I was a kid, sliding under the tree so I could look up at the lights.
That being said, our Christmas does not go overboard, nor will it ever. Christmas is the time to get one or two things that you don't really NEED but would love to have. It's the time for my kids to get a few toys that I know they will love (and not what Toys R Us declares is the must-have toy of the year) and little things like journals, fresh new boxes of crayons, markers and play-doh, and most importantly (and seriously the thing they always look forward to), a few new games. Last year it was Yahtzee and Candy Land. This year, it's Life and Twister. We turn on the Christmas music and play the games for hours.
There are ways to make Christmas memorable without spending a lot of money. Once you do it, you'll realize it's such a better way to live your life. It's also a huge gift you can give to your children who will then pass it onto theirs. It's easy to go shopping...it's more of a commitment to sit down with your family and play board games for hours, to make hilarious sugar cookies that only they will want to eat, or to really spend time listening to what your kids say they have wanted for the last 6 months.
Ok, has anyone ever just cancelled Christmas? Perhaps that sounds a little drastic, but we're just getting on our feet financially after 3 years of unemployment & underemployment, and are just rounding the bend into being in the black. we're not there, but on our way. Now there's Christmas staring us in the face.
We really don't need anything, anything we'd buy would just be a bunch of stuff for the sake of buying something. I'm trying to get rid of stuff, because we want to put our house for sale and hope to move within the first part of next year. We really don't need extra stuff.
Also, we have 20 boxes of Christmas stuff in the attic. That tree is a monster that demands to be the center of attention each year. I feel I've become a slave to it. Half the holiday is spent putting it up, half spent taking it down. This year I found a cute little table top tree, that's it. Really, nothing else. No, I mean it, that's it, no wreaths on every door, no bows on the mailbox, no special santa towels in the bathroom, no cutsie decorations in the kitchen, really, that tree is it!
Also, no gifts! Ok, the kids are getting a gift certificate, amount to be determined (depends on how they behave between now and then). Christmas Eve we go out to dinner, no shopping, cooking, cleaning, who needs it? Then a church service, then perhaps we exchange one gift (ok I'm relenting a little) then Christmas morning, I get to sleep in. Yippie! We just wake up when we do, no free-for-all under the tree, no big mess to clean up, we give the kids their gift card, I have a store-bought prepared dinner, we eat, then perhaps see a movie, then, well, the day's over, we had a nice time, and while the rest of the world is exhausted, cleaning up wrapping paper, cleaning dishes, etc, and wondering how in heck they will pay for all that stuff, we just go off to sweet dreams until next year.
Sound like a plan? So, whadda ya think?
I'm sorry, I missed the "CANCEL" part. It sounds exactly like Christmas to me. What do you usually do anyway? Ride a herd of reindeer down main street?
I would say that probably ten bajillion people in this country celebrate Christmas exactly as you describe it. I kind of figured you meant cancel=nada as in "no Christmas". Sorry what am I missing here?
3D's I've always wondered how many people actually get cars for Christmas, when I see those commercials! My DVR is already at it's max with Christmas shows. Mostly for the kids, but I enjoy them too. We finally bought a Christmas Story last year, and watched it twice Thanksgiving weekend!
@3D...I completely understand wanting to watch Christmas movies. I just thought I'd suggest eliminating regular commercial broadcasting for the month of December. In my own life, I've found that a constant stream of advertising detracts from the peace and contentment that so many of us desire for the holidays.
@3D...I completely understand wanting to watch Christmas movies. I just thought I'd suggest eliminating regular commercial broadcasting for the month of December. In my own life, I've found that a constant stream of advertising detracts from the peace and contentment that so many of us desire for the holidays.
And what is interesting is to see the children's shows pushing the big stuff...Dora kitchens, Disney Princess Vanity Tables, that huge T-Rex.
My husband was in the military and we were stationed in Germany for 4 years. There was one channel of television that we got that served the entire military community and in order to provide certain shows, they had to eliminate all advertising. We didn't see a single commercial for 4 years and it was lovely. When we got home, we couldn't believe how many ads are out there for pharmaceuticals, gas relief, constipation and headaches.
That's the beauty of DVR. Not only can I watch the shows I want to watch when I have time (usually after the kids are in bed), but I can speed through the commercials. When we are watching something "live", my daughter always says "fast forward!"
We started a tradition with our kids many years ago, and thou they are now "grown" it is tradition that I hope remains in our family...and our childrens" hearts for eternity.
When our kids were all very young (6 or 7) we would take them to the mall, to first see Santa. We then went to the "Angel Tree" where each of our children got to pick an "Angel", but there was a catch.
Prior to selecting an "Angel" they each had to forfeit (1) gift that was very high on thier personal wish list...because it was a way of both sacrificing and giving...In the beginning our little ones were a bit skeptical on this "tradition" however....our children are now all grown and each year they, apart and individually go to the Mall....and find an "Angel"...they now hang thier "Angel" on thier own tree....
I have asked my kids, out of all thier memories about Christmas....which one meant the most, and will remain with them forever....They each answer..."the trip to find an Angel".
It's a neat "tradition"....and thou times and economy might change...I hope that this is one tradition that will always remain...
A nice tradition that might make the holidays less stressful might be to turn off the television beginning at Thanksgiving. Fewer commercials might be just the ticket to a peaceful holiday. Spend the time baking, Griswolding (driving around looking for extreme holiday decorations...the name comes from the Chevy Chase movie, Christmas Vacation), playing board games, etc. We haven't had TV in years, and it really cuts down on the "gimmes."
We did limit TV about a month ago, just weekends, and that has helped a lot! We're not bombarded with commercials constantly badgering us to buy this and that. You're right, it does make for a more relaxed feeling.
What I remember the most was going downtown with my mother and grandma to see the decorations. I never realized it was done on a budget---10 cents for bus fare, we ate at a cafe for 25 cents (this was a long time ago!), and looking was free!
I still yearn for those times, just being together with mom and grandma, both are passed away. But when I try to do something similar with my kids they expect me to buy everything we see, they aren't content to just soak up the atmosphere. someone said I'm somewhat hostile towards Christmas, perhaps so, I just see it as the gimmie season.
We do need some items, like a new printer, but I just can't see spending money for the sake of spending. Nothing else matters to my kids but the gifts, anyways, I don't think they really care about the rest, so give them a gift card, let them shop after Christmas sales, spare me the hassle!
Nothing else matters to my kids but the gifts, anyways, I don't think they really care about the rest, so give them a gift card, let them shop after Christmas sales, spare me the hassle!
That's very sad. Perhaps the focus has been on the wrong thing for quite some time then. People have given you fabulous ideas and you keep coming back with reasons why it wouldn't work in your family...I suppose you can just keep griping about how ungracious and ungrateful your kids are (how did that happen?) and just throw the towel in and give up OR you can make the effort to reclaim the real meaning of Christmas. .
So next year, assuming finances continue to improve, will you just go back to the way things were "before"?
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