Living Simply Part 3 - Christmas

When you have no fireplace the stockings have to go somewhere!

Living simply at Christmas can be hard but something it seems more people are getting on board with. We all know that our North American consumerism is at it's best (or worst) this time of year. People spend hundreds of dollars and get stressed out to the max buying more stuff that we don't need. Joel and I do stockings for each other but haven't bought gifts in awhile. Instead we choose an experience to share that we normally wouldn't do. My side of the family only buys gifts for kids and on Joel's side we draw names for one stocking and one gift, so gift-buying is fairly easy.

But as we've been getting closer to Christmas I've started to question why we even buy gifts at all. Then last night I read this post and the wheels started turning even more. For those of us who follow Jesus (I know not everyone reading this does) isn't it really him we are celebrating? Shouldn't we be giving gifts to him and isn't what he really wants is for us to give to those in need? Why do we give gifts to each other? Because it makes us feel good? Then it's still about us. Because we want to show people we love them? Why does it have to be with stuff? I know many people are changing the way they do Christmas, making handmade gifts, giving time instead of things or honouring people buy giving gifts that matter. So many great organizations have gift catalogues now, it's not hard to find one you align with.

I think over the next few years, while our kids are still young, will be the time to figure out our traditions and how we'll do Christmas. Will we give any gifts to each other? I don't know. I'm certainly not claiming that gift giving is evil. But I've just been challenged to think more about the "why" and how I can make Christmas more about what really matters. I want it to be less about us and more about others and while doing that, not unnecessarily contributing to the accumulation of stuff. What are your traditions at Christmas? Have you changed how your family does it over the years?