newhomebuilder: "Am I the only one that has no Christmas spirit this year? I don't mean of the religious kind, I am speaking of all the commercialism, decorating, shopping, wrapping of gifts and DECORATING..."

Heck, no! My husband and I are like this EVERY year! We've traveled by car for Christmas every year since we met (10 years), except for last year because we had just been out of state to see my mother (who was failing in health in a nursing home) in late October. Last year we had a very simple Christmas at home, a New Mexico style Christmas with home made tamales and green chile stew, and I put out 1 wreath and the stockings. We were not really in the holiday spirit because of my mom. In other years we've just been turned off by all the commercial hype which starts up earlier and earlier each season. YUK! We don't watch a lot of T.V., so that helps reduce the holiday burn-out, and we are 80 miles from the nearest mall/shopping complex. We go to the little Christmas lights parade here in town, go to a beautiful Christmas concert if there is one, and that's enough.
This year is the first Christmas since my mom's passing, and as we always stayed with her for Christmas it will be difficult. We'll go to the holiday historic building tour, and probably do the other things we did last year. We bought a new Christmas tree last year, but I don't know if we'll put it up because the 2 younger cats are still in the wild stage and would surely think it was a great big kitty toy!

Christmas always has added stresses if we have critters. Just a little tip -- if you discover your dog or cat has eaten some broken glass from a Christmas ball and you can't get to the vet right away, feed him a couple of cotton balls soaked in milk. That grabs the glass. A friend of mine was on a camping trip miles from nowhere when she discovered her dog had eaten her disposable razor, blade and all. She had a can of beef broth and some psyllium with her and she fed it to him... he passed the whole thing safely in a pile of genatinous goo. Sorry to be graphic but it's good to save a life.

I always worry about the dogs and the Christmas tree. I've been thinking for the last few days I might want a small tree that sits on the coffee table, more out of their reach. The fantasy is one that I could just grab from the space under my staircase, plop on the table, plug in and voila! hehe

Kim, I'm sorry about your mother. I always miss my mother at Christmas too. (((((hugs)))))

I definitely think having 6yr old DNiece spend so much time with us is helping to keep it all so fun for me. The paper snowflakes she cut out and taped up to the slider in the living room just make me grin ear to ear. She must've asked me 20 times if I thought this particular one (which looks like a solid circle) was cut. Nope, it isn't, I answer, to which she gleefully replies you have to look closer. Then I get really close and see all the slits she cut into it and proclaim that she tricked me again!

She lost her Dad (my 30 yr old BIL) on x-mas eve last year, and making this season extra special is even more important.

I enjoy a more handmade/crafty/kids project kind of look to my holiday decor as of late, but I just made a big exception that I cannot wait until Friday to share with her:

A big pink tinsel tree complete with pink lights and a huge assortment of uber girly ornaments for decorating it. Lipsticks, crowns, ballerina slippers, it goes on and on. I'm literally counting the days until she gets here and gets a load of this thing. It is going to be a blast helping her put it up.

I do a bit of decorating for every holiday...but, perhaps I'd feel differently if it was only for x-mas, and there were no munchkins to ooo and awwwwwe.

I'm finding this thread to be so refreshing, as we are another family who has decided to do some major downsizing at Christmas. I put up a few simple decorations--basically candles in the windows, a decorated mantle with wreath above, fresh evergreen centerpieces, and some selected special items that the kids have known all their lives. I do an artificial tree in the bay window of the living room (and I only do this because it lights up the front of the house so I don't need lots of outside ornaments) that is decorated with gold ornaments we have collected from vacations and special events over the years, and then our "family tree" in the family room. We have a ritual of cookies and egg nog as we decorate the real tree and every year I give each child a new ornament which will be theirs to take when they move away. When it's finished the tree is always a real hodge podge, but it seems that every year we find ourselves saying "this is the most beautiful tree we've ever had".

The gift exchange thing isn't a real big thing either. Youngest DD (7) watches little to no network or cable television, so she hasn't been groomed by the child marketing industry to want everything. I buy her an assortment of items from local businesses and she's always thrilled with whatever she gets. Older two are 18 and 21--they're also not big consumers and appreciate the items I find for them on ebay (vintage concert t-shirts/photos or gift cards). We draw names for sibling's kids (we each get three) and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve.

I found once I learned to simplify Christmas, I began to love it again. I do enjoy the music and having a houseful of relatives on Christmas Eve. But I don't get into full swing until the week before Christmas, and don't feel the least bit guilty if things aren't perfect weeks in advance. Like Les said, until about mid-century most families didn't even put up a tree until Christmas Eve. I work with young children and families, and definitely see the toll that commercial holiday pressures put on everyone.

O.K. the tree is up, the indoors are decorated and the outdoor lights are up!

How? Why? Because this year I just did exactly what I wanted to do and then STOPPED. LOL! I took a deep breath and stopped.

Even my DH said "Thats it???" Hard to believe that most of decor came from a few drawers in the very old buffet in the bedroom AND a few small shelves over the laundry. Small tree, outdoor garland and one outdoor star was in the attic.

Put up the garland around the door; leaned the star against the window in the dining room and added lights to a floral display in the dining room. Put a wreath around a large hurricane light on the dining table. Put a wreath outside with a large basket of pine cones. The small topiary trees (on each side of the front door) always have lights in them ....

The tree goes together in three sections. Plug in lights and fluff the branches. Add ornaments (this years' theme Old World Gold) and throw a tablecloth around the base.

Yes -- thats it. Its pretty, its fun and it is JUST RIGHT.

Same with presents. A few. My mum is staying with us -- so we'll do a few presents. And thats JUST RIGHT. I send checks up for each family (which goes to the children) in the family. And a floral centerpiece to his Mum. She is delighted!

Tonight the fire is lit -- and there is hot spiced apple cider. Dinner is done -- and the kitchen is clean. Thats it!!

The war, the election, poverty and homelessness all around us (my beautiful city that I love is now 60% poverty), two kids in college, daughter and son-in-law and grandson all having birthdays and other daughter having her out-of-town wedding -- all within a few days of each other in mid-December, son and daughter-in-law in China and won't see them until sometime next summer, mother in nursing home, brother acting like a maniac because mother is in the nursing home, we're caring for mother's elderly blind dog which makes four dogs at our house, I'm still putting things back together after 25 Thanksgiving guests, DH is out of town working one full week out of every month, we've moved three times since last December 23 and I'm still exhausted -- these are a few of my unfavorite things that make Christmas so very unappealing this year, and I wasn't crazy about it to begin with. My heart races and I almost cry thinking about it all.

My husband, on the other hand, just looooves everything about Christmas, and he's Jewish for gosh sakes.

Holey moley, girl! Come here. We'll have pizza for Christmas. hehe Hang in there honey, and repeat after me, "No I can't. Not this year. But you're welcome to do it if you like."

Waaay too early to be thinking about Christmas. I love savoring the feeling of Fall and Thanksgiving....which has been totally overlooked this year by the gluttony of merchants, eager to entice people into spending money for Christmas. Bah humbug, for sure!

I never think about Christmas until December 15th, which is when I put up the tree, start listening to Christmas music, decorate, and begin the annual baking and candy-making....which I use as gifts for the neighbors.

And, as been the custom the last few years, there will be few presents under the tree, and limited money spent on gifts. Instead, the focus will be on family, friends, and entertaining people you care about with home-made food.

Until December 15th, I savor the feel of Fall creeping towards Winter, the change in the night sky, and the increasingly brisk air. I do so enjoy this change in seasons, and it has nothing to do with Christmas.

I am 100% in revolt against the crass commercialism and all the pressures trying to get me to spend and be part of this artificial, unsatisfying, increasingly unfeeling period leading up to December 25th. I am so glad I was raised in the 1950s, when the pre-Christmas season took longer to arrive, and didn't pummel people senseless.

Not that I have a strong opinion, as you can see. :)

Happy Fall, everyone!

I didn't mean to say that the birthdays and the wedding are on my list of unfavorite things, just that they are a bit in the way of Christmas. And of course I'm glad the girls are in college, and we do love our new house, and we, personally, are very fortunate in so many ways. :)

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Thanks so much y'all for making me feel better. Maybe I did jump the gun this year. I'll take my time getting things up, but I am still going to downsize.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Good food, wonderful blessings and being with family without the pressures of over decorating and gift giving.

Anyone on this board a Jehovah Witness? My three housekeepers are and I always feel bad for them when they have to clean around my decorations during the holidays. I know I shouldn't, but since they don't have the same beliefs, I get embarrassed for the "over-the-top" decorating. Another reason why I will cut down this year.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Family gathers, special meals enjoyed, lots of love and sharing and no gift giving!

I remember when people had a certain amount earmarked for gifts - does anyone remember $10 weekly payments to Christmas Clubs at the bank? You spent the cash you had, and stopped buying when you ran out - period.

It seems these days people are buying huge amounts of merchandise that others don't need or want with money they don't have...and they call it "Christmas." It makes me really sad, and it takes a lot of energy not to get caught up in it.

I try to keep the focus on family traditions, but it seems I'm swimming against the tide.

This year I'm exhausted from our house build, maintaining the current home, helping my older parents and planning my daughter's upcoming wedding. If someone told me Christmas was cancelled this year, I confess I would be pleased.

BTW, I would never share that sentiment without the shield of anonymity that this forum offers. Thanks for letting me vent.

I'm with you girls!!! I am putting up the Nativity set and we are doing Advent and giving to others who are in actual need. By Christmas Eve, we will be refreshed and refocused for the real deal. And it will be a VERY merry CHRISTmas.

And ohhhhhh, the woman on the Lowes commercial.....painful to watch!

Thank you, oceanna, I appreciate it very much.

My DH and I both SERIOUSLY think Christmas should be every other year!Wouldn't that make things better! Last year we went down the street to a local tree grower and cut a little tree-about 4" and it was so easy to put the lights on and to decorate! and to take down--did not even need to be put on top of the car-shoved it into the trunk. It took some getting use to but the lights are the magic anyway. Also-we always splurge on Christmas Eve and the 4 of us go to out to dinner somewhere beautiful and festive. Now- my only big job is the 24 loaves of pumkin bread that is a "secret" recipe (too funny as I just got it out of a cookbook)...now that takes some time....but it is not a lot of $$ and trying to figure out the recipe has become a ritual among our friends.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday too. It's the one day of the year when we know we'll see our entire extended family plus some in-laws, a real reunion, and it's all about sharing. We all bring our special dishes and pass around the compliments. No fussing, no feeling short-changed, no disappointments. I love it!

This Thanksgiving, I deliberately sat next to a distant cousin whom I've never liked in all the years I've known him, he's just always rubbed me the wrong way. Well, we had a good time together and now I'm not even sure why I didn't like him. This made me feel better than any gift ever could.

I'll bet you meant 4', huh? I can see why a 4" tree woudn't need to be strapped to the top of the car, but I think it would be hard to decorate. ;-)

4th of July is my favorite. We have a big ol' family reunion with 50-75 people and our family has been doing it in the same place for 100 years, they say. It's overlooking the water and we have a vollyball net, and a fire pit just at the edge of the beach with big driftwood logs to sit on. There's lots of picnic tables and umbrellas, and my cousin's house. We start out about noon and everyone brings their best cooking and pop, beer and wine. There's old folks, and babies and everything in between. We party until about 1:30 AM under the stars. Folks bring incredible fireworks, and we can see the fireworks all up and down the shore and on the island across the water. We don't worry about fire as all the fireworks get shot out over the water. We cheer the neighbors' fireworks and they cheer ours. The kids do weenies and smores on the campfire. Everyone is super nice and we have a blast!

As I said on a different thread, DH trying to be very helpful, cleaned up his construction mess in the media room and put up the Christmas tree. This was to prepare for DD's 16th birthday on 11/21. I kind of like where the tree is, it's out of the way and only visable when you sit where you wish to see it.

I had, in my past life, always had window candles all winter long. I finally got some again. I thought asking X 10 years later for the old ones might be a wee bit much, although he doesn't use them. I've been collecting these taller brass window candles from ebay purchases and one from Goodwill on Sunday and have enough (plus several) for all my windows. It "feels" more like Christmas than it has in years to me.

DS is moving from Georgia to Portland at Christmas time and is bring a motorhome full of other travelers with him, it will be an odd Christmas. There won't be many presents. We're going to give them excess things. A laptop, an ipod, a digital camera, etc. Things they've always wanted, but things we already have. I do plan to get all the travelers a Christmas stocking. How strange would it be to wake up in a strangers home at Christmas? My goal is to make it a joyous Christmas for them, far from thier own families. It will be complete with trimmings, lots of baked things, the turkey, stuffing, etc.
DH has gone nutso the past few months with purchases. There isn't anything else I can even think of to buy. He's the man who has everything and buys everything for me too.
So, in a nutshell, I am SO excited about Christmas this year. My son is coming home and our family will all be together. That's what Christmas is.

We've been spending the holidays in florida for years; we used to "do" a proper Xmas and leave on the 27th, but I much prefer leaving before hand and making Xmas a non event. Our 2 adult children join us so it's just immediate family. We left on the 24th last year; this year we are leaving on the 17th.

We leave our house decorated with outside lights so that it looks like we're there.

I used to be the host of both sides family parties , xmas eve and xmas day ; so I did more than my share for over 30 years and I'm done.

DH hinted the other day that next year we could stay and host yet another xmas eve party for his family of 13 brothers and sisters, (hosting means mitchdesj would make everything happen magically) which means over 50 people ; I just looked at him, and said, " ah, no, I don't think so".

This Mrs Scrooge is lying by the pool on xmas day. Joy to the world.

I get tired from putting all the stuff up, but I love it. Last year I was just too spent to do much. We managed to get a tree, and managed to throw a few ornaments on it. But we all commented on how it just didn't feel like Christmas because we got stuff up so late. (Toward the middle of December....we all felt short-changed. We traditionally take everything down Jan 2, so in my mind I was thinking "why bother?".

We've always done Christmas stuff right after Thanksgiving. The holiday is so dang busy, I want to be able to enjoy looking at the soft lights and decorations for longer than a week or two.

Bah, humbug - I totally agree that all this holiday stuff is just too draining on my spirit. All the forced gift giving is way out of line. I buy all year round - so I see no need for Xmas presents. SO, here I sit wondering what to get my two grown up sons who work and say that they don't need anything. But, I feel bad if I have nothing under the "norfolk" pine (I stopped buy a tree last year).
Every other year sounds good!

My trees & decorations have been shrinking every year-lol

I no longer participate in the crazy Xmas shopping. TG kids are grown. My relatives, nieces & nephews have so much that I couldn't make them happy with my gifts. ALL of my relatives are doing better financailly than we. Good for them. We don't exchange gifts anymore because EVERYBODY can buy whatever they please. Why look for extra work with exchanges? You cannot make people who have everything happy with gifts.
We only get together for the Xmas Eve & Day dinners. We sit around & talk.

So glad to hear from all of you "Bah Humbugs" I have felt this way for years and years. I have been trying to convince my family, to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, a tree, a wreath on the door, Christmas music, and cookies in the oven and all of this in December! (And I do love Christmas Eve mass.)Especially the "Live Nativity" scene.

My favorite time of Christmas is on Christmas Eve and all the kids are home. We go to one of the church services and after the hearing the nativity story and music, everyone lights candles and sings silent night and the church goes dark. I get choked up every time! After that, we go out to eat and come home to open one package each before heading to bed. :)

We don't have anything Christmas until after my son's birthday on the 15th. It's been a rule since he was tiny, and I love it--the tree is still fresh, we're not sick of the decorations, etc. And we all decorate everything together, with cocoa, special treats, etc. I shop on line, have everything sent.

The stores and media hype have about killed Christmas - and people are really getting annoyed at the pressure. I just do what I want to do (and am able to do without killing myself) baking, wrapping, plastic pine boughs, etc. are out. I shop online, no malls or post offices. - if other family members want a lot of stuff, they can do it. Maybe if we all just stop, the insanity will abate.

I did a little better today. I cleaned up all the pumpkins and topiaries, to make room for the Christmas stuff on the porch. I went to target and bought some new wreath hangers for the windows (which are not going to work without some modifications.) I also bought 4 boxes of clear mini lights, because I remember that we didn't have enough on the tree last year. My husband helped me bring up the two boxes of wreaths tonight, so I can hang them tomorrow while it is nice out.

We figured out, sometime in the early 1990s, that Christmas has changed drastically for us. You age, life changes you; time to go with it.

We have since done the following decorating: greeting cards go on the mantle, standing up behind Grandpa's old mantle clock. Sometimes I trim up the hollies and nandinas in the yard and stick short branches in a clear vase for the table.

We have a running joke with a neighbor about antlers for our mailbox. Every year at the dollar store I buy some extremely tacky antlers or antler headband and attach it to the mailbox. The rain destroys them, so I don't have to pack them away. If I feel very motivated, I pull out the two puffy red bows for the lantern lights on the house.

We buy little gifts for family, nothing over $10. Heavy on thought; light on cost. All that shopping is done before fall so we stay out of the crowds and general hoopla.

We ride around a couple of nights when traffic is light to see beautifully decorated houses. Come home to hot chocolate and marshmallows and cats who get a tiny splash of cream.

That's about it. We hold most of our charitable giving decisions till early November. That's important to us.

The extended family has dinner with my parents, with Mother still cooking at age 84. She insists on hosting; she tells us every year that she wants to do it as long as she can. And that she never knows when it will be her last year.

I'm glad to read so many people acknowledging that Christmas, outside of the spiritual aspect, is primarily a media and merchandising event. I'm pretty seriously "over it" and have been for some time now. If I can get any free time in the midst of this agony of planning the new house, I'm going to return to my piano and play, very badly, "Ave Maria" and some of the beautiful Christmas carols that are so moving when my hands are on the keys. DH said he actually recognized a couple of them that I played last year!

What was the name of that movie with Tim Allen and Jaime Lee Curtis - the one where they decided to just skip Christmas that year? I loved that movie.

I love Christmas decorations but I hate getting them out and them putting them all back. And wrapping and cooking and shopping, all while we both work full-time and have two school-age kids.

Maybe when I retire I'll enjoy it.

We're Jewish, so we're a bit outside all the fuss anyway. But I totally agree with the OP and everyone else here. All the hype about Black Friday and the news coverage about shopping makes me feel vaguely guilty that I'm not out with the 3 a.m. hordes, buying something mega-colossal (well, relieved, too, to be honest). But our boys will be delighted with Pokemon cards and little pirate action figures and books and chess sets, and that's mostly what they're getting. The menorah for Chanukah, and DH's luminarias on Christmas Eve (he was raised half-Catholic) are the extent of our decorating. A big dinner with family on Christmas Day, also for DH. I am allowing myself to skip the latkes this year -- I *hate* fried food, traditional or not! It's nice to find a thread full of like-minded folks: makes me feel a bit more confident about my choices.

Now if Starbucks would only turn off the Christmas music, I'd be content...

Mareada, I'm with you! While there is still much to be done in my house, DD is super excited about decorating, baking, shopping and generally enjoying the Christmas season. I think back to someone near and dear that almost died from cancer this year, and how much she would love to decorate, shop and fuss over Christmas (but she can't) and that makes me even more determined not to feel the "bah humbugs", but to smile, look for ways to bring joy to others, and darn it, bring some cheerfulness into my home!

Enjoy the season, and it's wonderful to read that you're feeling much better this year M. :-)

Mari

Maybe the absurdity of buying stuff for adults is getting to you. Christmas gifts should only be for kids for the most part. Problem is, years ago kids just got gifts on their birthday and xmas, nowadays go into your local cosco and you will see kids sitting in carts with toys piled up as an everyday experience. Getting gifts isn't "special" anymore, this nonstop consumerism is trying to fill a void that we're not getting elsewhere. You can't take a country to war and the biggest sacrifice you ask from the citizens is to buy plasma tvs to keep the economy going--that's gluttony and we're all starting to react and say enough is enough as far as this insatiable consumerism is going. How can we keep purchasing more and more without having a conscience that we are benefiting from the almost slavery of others?

I'm certainly not saying don't celebrate the holidays, that wouldn't be fun, but I think we're starting to see ourselves (Americans) as worshiping shopping and the reflection isn't too flattering.

First off I don't bake anymore. Period. I made a decision to change my life 3 years ago and that included eating better and exercising so no way will I bake cookies and the many batches of fudge I used to. I'll have a piece at a party but that's it. Dh is OK with it though he loved my cookies, but well, he's healthier too! Kids wish I baked but they understand.

We've cut back on decorating a bit. No longer do I tie a ribbon on everything that doesn't move. I do a lovely mantel display and hang stockings, and a nice tree. I'm not sure when we'll stop doing stockings...the kids are 23, 29 and 31 (all married) but I continue to do it. I never had a stocking growing up...

We have a very nice tree, I think it's a Barcuna?? I lit it myself 6 years ago when we bought it -- took me 4 hours of back-breaking labor but it's gorgeous. I will never do it again though. When the lights give out, that's it -- we'll switch to a pre-lit tree.

I love Christmas...when the candles are lit and the tree is glowing, I think of that first Christmas in a stable and I feel a tremendous amount of love for my Savior and my family.

I'm with Teacats, I just decorate until I feel like stopping, and then I stop. I don't feel the need to pull out every decoration I own anymore, in fact I'm going to let my newly married daughter go through my stuff and take what she wants.

This year I too have been sort of bummed out by the rampant consumerism associated with Christmas. Going out and buying things just to have something to give just isn't cutting it for me anymore. It's so hard to buy gifts for adults that really hit the mark. Most of our friends and family are capable of buying what they want when they want it, so gift options are slim.

This year I'm giving gifts of frozen meals. I'm cooking chili, stew, vegetable soup, and chicken noodle soup, freezing them, then packing them in a cooler and giving them as gifts. People like my in-laws, who almost never cook anymore, and my best friend, who works long hours and can't cook a thing for herself, will (I hope) be thrilled to get some ready-made dinners than can just be defrosted and heated up for a home cooked meal. I'm actually excited about the prospect of cooking the meals and giving the gifts, so I think I'm on the right track.

My sister just had a baby in september and although of course she is still too young to really know what's going on around her, it does make christmas (and pretty much everything else!) a lot more fun... or at least a lot more interesting. :)

How could you not get in the christmas spirit with this looking back at you?

I probably won't decorate much this year either because we're doing a bathroom remodel and the supplies are sitting in my living room. If we get to the point where they are out of there I can bring out the prelit tree, which looks pretty from the street whether or not I put ornaments on it. My parents will do their usual big tree for the first grandbaby though!

kgw, what a sweetheart she is !!

stbonner, I love your idea ; I would be thrilled with frozen meals.
Baked goods I like but could live without; a main course is really what you need on a busy day !!!!

stbonner - I am also making frozen meals for my parents. That's what they have asked for. I did it last year, although I went to one of those Chef's Secret places that have everything ready for you to make up the meals. This year, both my parents have decided they are allergic to MSG and my Dad is diabetic, so I am making everything from scratch! They will each get one gift in addition to the casseroles.

What a timely thread. DH and I sat down this morning and had a grumble about how much the world has changed. Christmas represents profits for retailers. I think I read somewhere that for some businesses, 40% of their annual revenue comes from Christmas shoppers.

The average person is brainwashed into being a consumer from about the age of two. What is life all about and why are we here? Simple - to buy things. Good, better, best, big, bigger, biggest. More and more things, and when they break, or we're tired of them, chuck them out and buy new ones. Name brands. Sony, Pepsi, Reebok. Farmers fields with MacDonalds billboards perched on rustic fences. Cars that cost more than houses.

My house is bursting at the seams, full of things that no-one needs, wants or cares about until it's on the way to the dump or the Goodwill store at the end of the street. (Time to make a midnight trip when no-one's looking!!)Christmas presents, hurriedly opened and forgotten about, clothes never worn, books no-one has time to read, DVD box sets no-one has time to watch, I even found a $30 gift card that had fallen down the side of the couch last year. So unimportant and not needed that it was never even declared lost. Sweaters in the wrong size, wrong color, returned to the store. Or not!! Lost cell phones, iPods, digital cameras. Sigh. Fights between siblings on who got the best gift. A turkey dinner that's taken hours to prepare, eaten in 20 minutes and leaving the kitchen looking like a disaster.

LOL. I need the strength to make changes. To stop buying gifts, or place a limit - love the $10 maximum idea. Who the heck needs a new microwave oven for Christmas? Or a new set of sheets? I'd be happy with a little glass Christmas tree ornament that cost $7.99 (made in China and full of lead?)

Does anyone here feel guilty about recycling presents? As long as you remember who gave it to you in the first place, so you don't give it back to them. It's a bit cheeky though, isn't it? LOL. Or how about giving someone one of your favourite things? A book you read and loved, that you know they'll love too? Or would most people feel insulted unless you give them your whole new philosophy on the meaninglessness of commercially driven Christmases?

I hope I can make a change in my family. If not this year, then next. But in the meantime, I will tell them to spend a maximum of $10 and see what happens. (My stepdaughter MSN'd me during this post, and asked me for my "Christmas List."

Thanks, Mari! If you're nearby your friend, maybe you can help her decorate and shop a little? If it wasn't for my friends, I never would have made it through.

The more I read here, the more I feel blessed that my situation (being on my own raising two kids, with no living parents or siblings nearby) meant not being in a position to spoil my kids, limiting what I could buy them, and always focusing on what the holidays are really about. I don't think it's consumerism that's spoiling Christmas because consumerism has always been bad this time of year. Christmas is what YOU think it should be. If "all the stuff" has spoiled your holidays, I'm glad some of you are realizing it. Have a luncheon for your friends without exchanging gifts, write letters to your children explaining what the holiday does for the heart, go volunteer your time. I promise if you do these things, Christmas decorations put up right after Thanksgiving won't be such a big deal and consumerism won't be part of YOUR holiday.

Well, I finished hanging all 11 wreaths on the outside. Still have a little garland to put up and then I will start tackling the inside tomorrow. If I do a little each day, maybe I will have it all done (including the tree) by Sunday.

Pam - Your post actually depressed me more. LOL You are so right!

We bought our first house for $35,000 in 1979. The last car we bought in 2005 cost over $60,000!!!

Mareda, you're really my soul-friend,lol

I agree so much with your post. Many folks around me grumble and complain about how commercialised Christmas is, and how greedy their kids are! Who the heck encouraged the greed??? These are the SAME people who line up for hours and torture themselves to buy, buy, buy!

I love Christmas and go all out with cooking, baking and enjoying re-runs of movies, listening to carols from the middle of November and generally ignoring all the whining around me. Life is way too short, so I am not going to let anyone spoil my Christmas joy.

All the best to you my dear, and may you have the merriest, happiest and fun filled Christmas this year :-)

Mari

Backatchya, soul-buddy!!!

Maureen (see, even our real names start with the same two letters...lol)

Just an example of why decorating for my husband is a waste of time...
I spend all day putting up the outdoor decorations, working on lighting, etc. It looks almost perfect! While I am outside, our lawn guys come to cut the grass and trim. They didn't come last week, so the yard needed it.
My husband comes home, walks in the door and while I am expecting him to say something about how good the decorations look, he says nothing for a while and then he says "the YARD sure does look good!" WHAT!!! After giving him the evil eye, he says, "oh, the house looks good too. I was saving the best for last." Bah Humbug !!!

stbonner - I would love to receive good home cooked frozen meals. That is a great idea - I wish someone in my exteneded family was a good cook.

It used to be hog wild at my family's for XMAS. Every year, for the past 7 years, I decreased what I would buy. I would send an email out in early Oct announcing we were cutting back, as some in my family do keep track of who bought what for who and how much it cost etc...oh I hate that. Anyway, we went from spending $100 per person on extended family to just $25 on each immediate family member and am seriously considering buying just one toy for the 3 and 5 year old nephews and one thing for my mom. The nephews have so much junk they don't even appreciate the toys. And they think all kids have tons of toys. Its sickening....and I don't want to be part of the problem, KWIM.

Going forward we are planning to go on vaction with the more immediate family, at XMAS every year.

Darling baby, kgwlisa. This is my Christmas spirit right here!!

We had a little accident with my holiday decorations this year and I spent a better part of Saturday trying to find replacements. I had a snow globe leak in a rubbermaid tote full of decorations. It sat and sat all year and when I opened it up, everything was covered in this horrid black mold.
:( Some of those decorations I have had quite awhile and I felt really bad.

But I still put up the tree and garland, my holiday houses and my nativity set. My kids got so excited for the nativity set. The older two both wanted to be the ones to put baby Jesus in his place. THAT is what Christmas means to me. I was worrying a little about what gifts to get for people, how was I going to get all the decorations out, when would I get the Christmas cards done??? Who cares. If someone misses my card or doesn't like my gift then boo freakin who. It's not about all that.

Life is so complicated that I just really have to do what really counts this year. My baby has been in the pediatric ICU several times this past year and I am just thankful to be together at home. All those kids and babies in the hospital for Christmas makes my heart break. I so hope we can get through the holidays without her going in again.

I think when we get stressed, it's because we're focusing on what other people make Christmas out to be instead of what it really is and should be.

Here's that guy now! Scrooge

Here is a link that might be useful: BAH HUMBUG

Beautiful children and I am glad the baby is doing better.

Sorry about your decorations...YUCK!!!

I too have the bah humbugs. DH put the tree up this evening only because it pre-lit and only takes about 5 minutes to put up. I will decorate later!. We usually do outdoor lights but this year we decided not to until our granddaughter who is two told me on the phone that if Gammo and PaPa don't but lights on their house Santa won't find them!!! So for her and Santa we will put up lights! I guess I better get over the Bah Humbugs!!!!

I love seeing the pics of the little ones that kgwlisa and citymomof3 posted. Citymom, I'm so glad your little one is back home now.

Newhomebuilder, I love the fun stuff Officemax puts on their site. Did you also see www.elfyourself.com? Fun for those who have kids or silly loved ones. You just put their faces in the bodies, shrink their face to fit the body and save it so it can be emailed out. Easy holiday fun!

Take a look at my post "Merry Christmas from my family to yours."

Although I love Christmas and my cherished ornaments, it has to stay something that I love and that I do not feel "forced" to do. This thread seems to be a lot less about anti-holiday and much more about anti-commercialism. It's nice to see.

Everyone in my extended family has agreed for the past several years to a $10 limit per person (and $5 for the kids to spend on each person). It does make it a lot more interesting to shop and open each item. The kids (16, 12 & 8) are fine with it, too. Helping the kids figure out their $5 gifts is quite entertaining and lets them participate more - it puts more emphasis on giving instead of just getting, I think.

The frozen meal idea is really great - what a thoughtful & helpful gift - nothing beats giving someone "time" for a present.