The REAL Meaning of Christmas

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:52am

ten reasons to not give formal gifts for Christmas

1. We all say Christmas is too commercial, but no one ever does anything about it.
2. Lots of charaties need the money you are spending to get bad gifts for people who don't have room for the gift
3. Regifting is embarrassing
4. Giving only means something when someone is in need.
5. Charitable gifts are not just gifts, they are miracles.
6. The meaning of Christmas is about someone who had been given the world giving that up for those in need.
7. It might catch on, and Christmas could start to be the holiday where people give to those in need -- and big problems would be solved much faster.
8. Giving in someone's name is always a better gift -- even if they don't see it now, they'll thank you later.
9. Children don't need Santa, they need Saints.
10. No more dealing with shopping!! Spend that time researching what charities are the best gifts!

So, take the money you would usually spend on Christmas shopping and give that money in people's name to a charity!!

[mateo]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:54am

Is that what your doing?

[tazber]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:56am

F*CK that! I want presents.

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:58am

I love how we can curse on here now!

okay back to the meaning of Christmas.

[scott68]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:59am

I'd happily forgo all gift-giving and instead give money to charity! Except.. I don't want people who'd be giving me gifts doing the same.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:59am

Only if you capitalize, Jane.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 2:02am

Seriously, giving gifts does not preclude giving to charity. I give to charity all throughout the year, and I love giving gifts to loved ones as well.

[cturtle]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 2:04am

i'm proud to say i gave up years ago the whole idea of giving something just for the sake of giving something. i'm not a good gift shopper, and i used to really stress out on just what to get for every person on my list. i haven't had a list in years. if i think of something nice for someone special, then i do it. and most of the gifts we give here at home are things we would have gotten anyway. we just save them up for christmas day, and they're very much enjoyed and appreciated :)

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 2:38am

I BEGGED my extended family to do that this year. I wanted to donate to charity or adopt a local family and some folks from a nursing home. They refused. They enjoy exchanging names and getting craptastic gifts that everyone ends up hating. Seriously, my dad rides a Harley and has tattoos on both shoulders. Every year my aunt buys him a sweater. He doesn't do sweaters. I couldn't be at the Thanksgiving dinner in Tennessee yesterday, but my parents voiced my opinion. It was still shot down. Now they want to do a dirty Santa instead. So what? I will end up with a Hickory Farms platter and a bottle of wine that I will have no way of getting back here? I am all Bah Humbug this year. Give the money or gifts to someone who needs it.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:12pm

I so agree. For the past few years, I've been so annoyed with the process and mindset of being forced to buy gifts just because it's what everyone does and what we've always done. You might know what your immediate family would want and need, but for the most part, couldn't they just buy it for themselves? I love the getting together part, but the whole gift thing just seems mindless and ridiculous. How many gifts do we get that we really want/need?

[Mamamia Sammy2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:16pm

Fine.

I will return the life size Monk blow-up doll that I bought for you.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:17pm

heh.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:17pm

Gift-giving should be a joy, not a chore. The excitemet comes from finding that perfect something for someone, not just any old thing for anyone.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:18pm

Right, Sue, and I love that. It's the mindless, endless LISTS of people that makes that part of it impossible. We're obligated to give so many gifts to so many people.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:21pm

That used to be what was so much fun. I love spending time picking up things that are perfect for the person. Now that we do the whole name exchange, I usually end up getting a boyfriend/girlfriend/kid-I-don't-know and it gets impersonal. I would rather just spend the time together.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:51pm

Of course we always put the pressure on ourselves to BUY things, as if that will prove our love. But when I realized that the people I care for don't give a crap if I give them a car, a sweater or a freaking hug, it took a lot of the "Oh, I can't AFFORD this, I hope she likes it..." pressure off and I was able to relax and enjoy the holidays as a time to enjoy family and friends. Think about it, do YOU really care what you GET? I hope the answer is, "No!"
So why put that kind of pressure on yourself? Let it go and relax and enjoy the spirit of the season.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:02pm

I give to charities all year round, so I don't feel like I have to give to charities now. At the same time, I don't feel like I have to give presents to anyone at this particular time of year either. That is part of the reason I decided to not go home at Christmas. I love giving presents, when I find something just perfect for someone I love, I buy it and might save it for a birthday, or just give it/send it to them right then. BUT I also love the White Elephant gift exchange at the office. I already have the gag gift for that.

[mominator]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:21pm

My son keeps on asking me what I want for Christmas. My answer is simple, I already have it, you are able to be here. Next year he may be in Iraq. So this year we are celebrating everyone good health and being a family.

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:24pm

The few days before Christmas I always try to get together all of the almost-brand-new "stuff" (clothes, books, etc.) that I have lying around and know I won't use, and donate it. I might not like this time of year that much but it doesn't mean that there aren't people out there who deserve to have a good Christmas that wouldn't necessarily be able to do it otherwise. It's always one of the few parts of the season I enjoy.

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 2:50pm

>>Gift-giving should be a joy, not a chore. The excitemet comes from finding that perfect something for someone, not just any old thing for anyone.



I agree, Suleen. I've always had a job that lent itself to a tight budget, so while it always feels good to give a gift to someone, it's not a joy when it breaks the budget.

I'd rather get gifts for friends and family for their birthdays--then it's specifically for them and not because the Retail Gods say so. And we're the kind of friends who, if we see something in a store one day and it makes us think of that person, we'll pick it up and just brighten their day with it, regardless of the season. Or I'll bring stuff for my little cousins who are small children when I visit them out of town every so often. My family is sooo large, that when my cousins and I were small, my folks and aunts and uncles on that side deemed we stopped receiving Chanukah gifts when we hit 18 and went to college. Makes sense to me. It stopped being an obligation to get stuff for everyone years ago.

Same with charity throughout the year--I don't always give during December specifically, but rather when the budget allows. And it's fine not to broadcast where, when and how that's done, as long as we all feel we're sort of doing our part at some point. Charity doesn't feel the same when it's majorly publicized, and I kinda feel like...in most cases, it shouldn't be. JMHO.

Updated On: 11/24/07 at 02:50 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 2:54pm

I'm going to make a donation to my favorite charity in the name of each person with whom I exchange gifts. It's knowing I've done something of value with that money this year.

[cturtle]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 3:11pm

i'm really enjoying what each of you is saying. there is hope yet :)

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 3:23pm

my family does this every year since i was 13 (so, a while). I'm starting to get pretty militant about it. I don't want gifts. I want someonoe to give to a charity. of course, that ****e better be in my name, though.