A Happy Christmas.

[tinkerbell41]

I have decided to only buy gifts for my niece, nephew, and daughter. I have been unemployed for 15 months and really don't have much choice. The strange thing is, although I was very happy to overdo past Christmases I am very relaxed and am looking forward to the season, without a to do list. I am actually spending my time planning family activities, cookie baking etc..
I have only spent 45.00 so far, add to that another 60.00. I love this holiday and am considering
volunteering my time for those in more dire circumstances. I'm almost happy to have the luxury of time to do it. Anyone else feeling this way???

[gopiscrap]

1. FUCK CHRISTMAS

The God damn fundies have hijacked...I am appalled and offended everytime some puplic entity spends money on XMAS decorations, or activities...I thought we had a seperation of church and state...that includes "holiday" trees...it's just a back door way to put up a fucking christmas tree on the tax payers dime. I would much rather have that money go to feeding the poor or universal health care!!!!!!!!!!

[tinkerbell41]

3. Agree.

I do not think of Christmas of being religious in any way. For me it is not. It is really a time to connect with my family, and enjoy the lights and decorations. I've never been to church, and feel organized religion is just a way to control people.

[Fire1]

8. I know the reason for the season thus, don't share that

sentiment. However, I do agree that the season has been exploited to no end. I put up a tree, a wreath on the door and put my joy and merriment into FOOD AND DRINK (my homemade egg nog). I haven't had Christmas debt in the last two years and it feels great! The stress has been significantly diminished.

[FSogol]

9. And what does this have to do with the original post? Go dump on

some other thread or start your own. The original poster showed no inclination to follow the Fundies lead, why give her a lecture?

[Bluebear]

15. +12

(for days of Christmas :)

[lynne]

16. + 26

For the number of days in Advent this year. I think! ;-)

[mdmc]

2. my medical bills have made purchasing gifts impossible

since everyone knows my situation, I feel a great burden removed as well..

[tinkerbell41]

4. Sorry.

Yes, it is a burden. And somehow I feel free.

[mdmc]

12. I feel free as well .. and my love ones are just glad that I am alive

So it is all good, all in all..

peace and low stress..

[classof56]

5. Happy Christmas to you and bless you for helping those in desperate circumstances

You are to be commended! I hope your situation will change soon and you will once again join the roles of the employed. I'm guessing, though, that the ways in which you spend Christmases future may be somewhat different from now on.

Continued blessings!

[tinkerbell41]

6. thanks

Probably. I feel good actually. Almost glad I have an excuse. Being free from having a job has really allowed me to enjoy simple things. I am happier.

[FSogol]

7. Volunteering at Christmas time is a great way to avoid stress during this season.

Paring down the list of gifts to only the most essential is smart also. Encourage your family to do the same. We give a gift to my Nephews, but not my (adult) sisters and encourage them to only give gifts to our kids and not us.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. My family adopts other families and doesn't buy gifts for each other

We started doing this once our kids were grown and past the Santa Claus stage. They are now 26 and 31 and we don't even put up a tree. It's a much better way to celebrate the holiday and we look forward to it every year.

[tinkerbell41]

11. We still do the tree.

And the lights. My kid is in College and still looks forward to cutting our tree down. We make cookies, go ice skating sledding, and see the zoo lights. I explained to her to not expect much, we have always had an overabundance of gift giving, she has been "middle class spoiled" and knows if I could I would. There is nothing anyone in my family needs.
My birthday falls right before Christmas and a few years ago one of her High School teachers had something stolen she was giving to a bed-ridden family member over the x-mas break, along with credit cards and cash. I was having a great year, financial wise, so on my birthday I went and bought the item, wrapped it and gave it to her, explaining my mother's death the year before and all the neighbors that helped, and how she worked at the school district and admired all the teachers. I wanted to give back, it was the BEST birthday I ever had!!!!! I felt sooo good and I'm sure the ill relative was thrilled as well.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Giving has such great rewards.

As for the tree, etc, my kids were the ones who said no. One year they just decided they were too busy to get all the stuff out of the attic. So we had no tree. It became a habit after that.

[cali]

14. Christmas is a huge deal for me and the people I spend it with and I love it.

We go out and get trees, talk, drink champagne, have mountains of gifts, most of them very inexpensive or homemade, play charades, put on skits, do a Smorgasbord Christmas Eve with lots of aquavit and funny toasts and on Boxing Day we have a bonfire and fireworks in the snow. I never spend more than a hundred bucks on gifts- start making them in the summer.