Xmas and why I suddenly feel like the grinch!!

[PintoPasoFino]

Christmas is all year round, making sure bills are paid, food is on the table, family is clothed and comfortable. If needs are met, that is certainly something to celebrate on Christmas day in this economy. Anything else in terms of presents under the tree is a special extra thing to be happy for, that there is that bit of spare cash when bills are met. Teach the children the meaning of Christmas and celebrate family. Kids get too focused on what they are getting to see the joy in what it's all really about. Creating new traditions and family rituals is the present that last forever, and gets passed on through generations. As an adult, I certainly don't remember what presents I got every year, rather, I remember the things we used to do as a family.

I love getting the homemade gifts, esp cookies and things. I would rather the giver be baking with a smile then trudging through the mall to get something because they feel they need too. Not much thought in some gifts.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I forgot to add - what are you teaching your children if you skip paying bills to buy Christmas presents? You're teaching them to be in debt their whole life. I'd rather teach my children that bills come first, then what's left over is able to be spent.

We were in debt for many years when we first got married, and worked our butts off getting out of it. We will not go back there again. It's so much more rewarding to pay cash for things and it causes you to think more about your purchase.

 

[EweSheep]

For the last eight years, we didn't have much. When my daughter was six years old, SA gave us a toy that was for a two year old! Thankfully, it was not what my daughter wants or needs so she took her gift to the fire department here in town and donated her toy to them so they can, in turn, give it to the kids that needs it. And I no longer want anything to do with SA because my cousin specifically gave a computer toy FOR my daughter one Xmas, we never got it! They assured her that my dd would get it...liars! AND whats worse, an ex-employee of SA told my family that when they get a bunch of gifts from the mall or big priced areas, they can pick the toys in what they want and whatever left over will go to the needy family! Oh that got my goat BIG time! I complain to the chaplin at that time and he said there isn't much they could do because there were no witnesses to the "theft". Karma is going to come back and bite them in the butt sooner or later!

This year I'm being the grinch...using only ONE paycheck after bills paid this month for all of us to spend on Xmas gifts. Hubby and I will EACH get our dd a Christmas gift like this (thanks to one BYCer that said something like that)...one gift of need, one gift of want, one gift of read, one gift of a $ limit expensive gift (not more than 25 dollars). So dd will get eight gifts from us total. My extended family (my parents, sis, nephews, etc) we all want FOOD...nothing but FOOD! Gifts only to the kids if we want which we will give nephews a gas gift card, a neice some hamster toys or care package or a Breyer Classic horse. I am going to give my parents a $20 gift certificate to their favorite restuaraunt, Olive Garden!

Yep we have gone cheap! And happy to say, we dont have credit card bills or anything outstanding bills to pay either. THAT alone I am thankful not having the stress and having my family alive and well for another year.

 

[Stephanie739]

Quote:
I know your post wasn't meant to be funny but it made me laugh anyway. Look at what we (society) have become because of Christmas. It is ridiculous.

 

[EweSheep]

Which part is funny? The SA or FOOD?

Yeah I love to eat a big dinner with my family...nothing like a good feast with good people you love and have a merry time of togetherness and love!

 

[sourland]

Not a grinch.

We do what we as parents can do. Sourland thinks that your priorities are set properly, and I applaud you.

 

[Stephanie739]

Quote:
Nope. Not being a grinch. The Christmas season has become a joke, one in which many families cannot afford. I'm sick of it already. Perhaps I am the grinch....we will be doing very little, if anything. What IS the true meaning of Christmas? Its nothing to me anymore other than additional stress and heartache.

The Christmas season has become far too commercialized, I agree, and many of us do put far too much pressure on ourselves. It wasn't until I realized that I was wearing myself out making work for myself that hubs and I decided to simplify. We put up one Christmas tree (what's the point of one in every room anyway??) with ornaments we've collected over the years that have special meaning. A simple green wreath with a red bow is on our front door. We don't have a bazillion lights on our house, but when our porch light is on, it shines on that simple wreath. Our holidays have been much better as a result.

We put up a huge, beautiful train garden in a spare bedroom for our grandchildren. Our friends bring their grandkids to see it and we let them run the trains. It takes hours and days to do it, but it's a time that hubs and I enjoy. We spend the time together talking about the year that has past...sometimes bad things happened (loss of our parents) and sometimes good (birth of our grandchildren) but time together is precious. Our family celebrates on Christmas Eve with a meal and small gifts. Beautiful time together that we all look forward to.

Have you heard seen the picture of the Wise Men following the star with the caption, "Wise men still seek Him?" That's what it is to me, a time to anticipate the birth of the Savior. The rest is just fluff.

Thanks for sharing...when the "holidays" become too stressful to enjoy, it is no longer a holiday. The times you describe sound lovely. Good for you

On another note, Christmas isn't really about Christ to me either. The season was given a Christian overture by the Roman rulers, but the season was already being celebrated by the pagans and non religious. I'm pretty sure the birth of Christ happened at a different time of the year. I used to adhere to the put-Christ-back-into-Christmas theme, but it is incorrect. The original celebration revolved around the winter solstice as far as I can tell.

The holiday season, imo, should focus on family and love, some time out from the hustle and bustle of life, the simple pleasures of good food, kindness of strangers, the bountiful blessings we have in this country....I'll be working on it. Until then happy holidays everyone.

 

[Stephanie739]

Quote:
It was just the whole message. The craziness about Christmas presents, the expectations, the I don't really want to do this, but for some reason we are supposed to (I kind of read between the lines there, perhaps incorrectly...) It is just the whole ridiculous holiday message. I cringed when a lady at the store asked me a couple weeks ago if I was getting ready for Christmas.

 

[EweSheep]

I agree with the winter solace part..after all Christmas is all about FUN LOL! Christmas was named after the pagan holiday of winter solace, not the actual birth day of Jesus.

I dont think I want to have the Christmas I had when I was growing up...my parents gave us (me and sis) Christmas presents like no tomorrow. The more and the better. I cherish those fun days! However Dad could afford the presents so Mom had an account sit aside each year out of Dad's paycheck to get the presents we wanted. When they retired a few years ago, they are no longer able to buy big presents and we told them, its not the amount of presents you give us, its the LOVE and family get together we WANT so we asked them this year, since most of th ekidsa re much older, we simply want a HUGE meal, everyone brings in covered dish and Mom and Dad can get the turkey or whatever they got in their freezer.

Now I'm looking forward in EATING! Bringing the knives, forks, spoons and plates and tucked in napkin in my shirt top! (licking lips)

Movies are a bonus! Who is bringing the popcorn?

 

[donrae]

I didn't realize how broke my folks were growing up. I now realize most of our Christmas gifts came from money from grandparents, and that wasn't much. Do I remember most of my Christmas gifts? NO. Do I still have any of my Christmas gifts? No, with one exception. One particularly "broke" year, my father made very simple wooden boxes, probably ten by ten and four or five inches deep. They are lined in simple felt and he chisled/carved our initials on the lid. They're stained a dark brown. To this day, and I'm forty this year, my sisters and I treasure those boxes. Why? Cause Dad made them, of course! I remember going back to school after Christmas break and feeling like I had the best gift in the whole wide world. I mean, no one else's dad did that for them, I felt so special. Still do, tell ya the truth!

I'm going to put in a little plug for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University here, it has helped us so much! Teaching us to budget ("Did you hear about Christmas? It's in December this year"), learning to say "that's not in the budget", and realizing how much we actually spend on things like food and animal feed. If you have a chance to take one of those classes (they're usually offered through a church, he is a faith based speaker), jump on it!