Simplifying Christmas

I think I have always been horrified about how commercial the Christmas season has become. Several years ago, when living abroad and realizing that many developing countries had adopted many of the commercial aspects of Christmas (gifts for extended family, elaborate cards, staff parties, secret santa gift exchanges, ubiquitous boxes of peppermint bark and awful fruitcake) without also bringing in some of the better aspects; I decided unilaterally to stop celebrating.

Now, with a full blown global recession, and frugality selling like hotcakes, so to speak, it seems a bit easier to uncelebrated Christmas.

Here’s what I did this year:

• I declare that I am not accepting or giving gifts this season.
• Instead, I select charities and donate money in people’s names.If someone inquires about giving a gift, I offer them 3 choices of suggestions of wonderful organizations that they can give money to instead.They are of course welcome to make their own suggestion of an organization. This year, in light of increased demand at local food banks, I added the group Feeding America (formerly Second Harvest) to the list.
• I do a short holiday letter about the hubby and me and email it to all of our friends and acquaintances.In my younger days, I thought these letters were kind of meaningless, but the older I get, the more I enjoy keeping up with everyone.
• Last year, I gave out gift bags of spiced tea instead of homemade cookies.
• Given the huge headache of air travel during holiday times, hubby and I now prefer not to travel, choosing to visit family or relax on off-holiday times.Seeing the problems with airport delays and snowstorms, I ‘m glad we do that.
• I skip the tree, lights, wreath, santa on roof, blinking Rudolph part altogether.If fresh flowers are available at Trader Joe’s, I might pick up a nice bouquet for the coffee table.
• On Christmas Day, hubby and I prepared a leisurely breakfast of migas and refried beans (hubby really likes Mexican food). Late in the day, after a long walk, we enjoyed a nice homemade dinner for two of roast chicken w/ roasted garlic, roasted carrots and sautéed spinach.
• The one exception that I make to the gift rule is for very young children, so the nephew received some cool stuff.

On the 26th, I don’t feel bloated from eating too many cookies (since I didn’t bake any cookies), nor wringing my hands over the credit card bills.

I’m planning on doing the same next year.