By David Burton
One of my holiday resolutions has been to do
my best to maintain the true spirit of Christmas. It's too bad that, with few
exceptions, all traces of Christmas music vanish on Dec. 26. Although falling
snow and Christmas lights add to the mood, I haven't found a month when I
couldn't appreciate Mannheim Steamroller's version of Silent Night.
Music, trees and gifts don't provide a
lasting holiday spirit. Only the real Christmas can do that. The real Christmas
is the best of all possible times because it brings out the best in all of us.
The real Christmas is the one where money is dropped into Salvation Army
kettles, persons are generous to their neighbors and church congregations
gather food, clothing and toys to share with those that would otherwise have no
Christmas.
The real Christmas is a time of miracles. If
there had not been a miracle birth at Bethlehem, no star in the east, no shepherds
keeping watch over their flocks by night, no "Silent Night, Holy
Night," humankind would have missed the reason, intent and purpose of the
Christmas season. After all, Christmas is a birthday celebration of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The blessings of hope, love, joy and eternal life that our Lord
can offer is the real Christmas.
That is why my family has, for nearly 10
years, tried our best to concentrate on making Christmas less commercial. If
you are interested, here are 20 ideas:
1.
Begin a noncommercial Christmas
tradition. Your family traditions don’t need to be elaborate to be meaningful.
Perhaps your family tradition is reading the Christmas story from the Bible
before a single gift is opened. Maybe it involves having a day without the
television on, volunteering at a shelter or attending a special church service.
Maybe it includes having every family member give an example of something they
are thankful for before opening each gift. Whatever your tradition, keep it
noncommercial.
2.
Pray for someone. Whether or not you
normally take time to remember others in your prayers you should especially try
to do this at Christmas time. Pick out someone and devote an entire prayer for
his or her sake. Call upon the Lord for them in every way— physically, economically,
mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Say a special prayer for those who lost
loved ones during the year or experienced some other hardship.
3.
Avoid the Christmas shopping frenzy. The
Christmas shopping frenzy can make anyone a Scrooge. In order to maintain your
seasonal happiness try to avoid those hectic “holiday sales” or purchase gifts
before Thanksgiving. That way you have time to enjoy the Christmas holiday
without making trips to the crowed mall.
4.
Change your perspective. It is not the
size of the gift, or its cost, that matters. What matters more is the personal
touch or the thought you put into finding or creating a gift for a family
member. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to “match” other people’s gifts.
This is an area where you can lead by example. It is the attitude of giving
that is most important, not the gift itself.
5.
Start Christmas with a prayer. Even if
your family is spread out across the globe, call some of them and have a prayer
of praise and thanksgiving for the birth of Jesus Christ. Promise to stay in
touch more regularly with your family in the upcoming year, especially any
elderly members of your family.
6.
Adopt a family. Make another family's
Christmas special by giving them gifts. Take your family shopping specifically
for another family. Try to find out from neighbors or mutual friends what the
family needs.
7.
Remember lost loved ones. Set aside time
with your family members to talk about and remember deceased relatives. Ask
everyone to describe what the person meant to him or her. Ask each person to
describe the times you spent together, good and bad. If possible, plan a visit
to the gravesite, and take some flowers.
8.
Make your gifts. If you can't make all of
your gifts, try making at least some of them. There are zillions of homemade
gifts that can be made. You might even try making a “gift certificate” to
provide a full meal or some other type of service for a family at a time other
than the busy Christmas holiday.
9.
Give the gift of time. There is a lot of
discussion about quality time and making room for family in our hectic
schedules. Christmas is the perfect time to reevaluate priorities. Consider
simplifying life so that you can spend more time with those you love. Pledge to
spend an evening with either your spouse or the entire family.
10.
Give a unique gift that requires your
time. Does anyone have a grandparent that needs more knick-knacks for the home?
Try giving a gift of time to others by promising a quiet meal for them, free
baby-sitting or perhaps an offer to mow their yard five times during the
summer.
11.
Set a Christmas budget and stick to it.
Allocating a certain amount of money for gifts helps you keep the holiday
season in perspective. Financial stress is a big part of Christmas for many
people, because they spend more than they can afford. If something doesn't fit
into your budget, don't buy it. Believe me, life will go on.
12.
Save and buy gifts for Christmas
year-round. Most credit unions and banks offer Christmas savings clubs. They
help you avoid the temptation of running up your credit cards with debt that
you'll still be paying off when Christmas rolls around again. And although we
see stories every year on last-minute shoppers, it's not written in stone that
you have to wait until Christmas Eve. You can save money and stress by
purchasing gifts throughout the year. This practice also takes the emphasis off
shopping and keeps you alert when you see something that someone might like.
13.
Invite a guest for dinner. We all know
people who are less fortunate than we are. Christmas dinner is a joyous
occasion for families, yet many people don't get enough love or enough to eat.
Christmas provides an opportun time to reach out. Show some compassion and
share a warm meal.
14.
Spend time with an elder. Our seniors can
often use company and a helping hand. Maybe there's an elder in your
neighborhood or at your church who is going through a tough time. Offer to run
errands on occasion or perhaps buy groceries.
15.
Volunteer at a shelter. Just because it
is a holiday doesn't mean people in need take the day off. You can brighten the
life of the homeless or battered by taking time to share part of your Christmas
with them.
16.
Go caroling. As corny as caroling may
sound, chances are your neighbors will love and appreciate it. This is something
that can be done with loved ones and friends and it doesn't cost a thing. A
group of cheerful carolers can warm even the most cynical of hearts.
17.
Give someone a hug. Slow down and give
someone a good, warm hug, not a fake, one-second embrace where your arms barely
wrap around the person before you're removing them. Christmas is about love, so
be sure to show some to those around you.
18.
Make up with someone. If you're angry
with someone, or estranged, now is the perfect time to reconcile. Forgiveness is
a gift for both the giver and the receiver. You get the blessing whether the
person accepts your peace offering or not.
19.
Keep a promise. More than likely — and it
might have been a while ago — you told someone you would do something that you
never got around to doing. Now is the time to make good on that promise. Or, if
you've done all you committed to, think of something else that would make a
loved one happy, and then promise to do it.
20.
Spread the joy. Christmas is a joyous
time and your face should show it. If you enjoy keeping Christmas noncommercial
tell others about what you have done. But, above all, don’t fall into the
“ba-hum-bug” trap by telling others you hate the Christmas season. Work first
on your internal joy and then share it outwardly.
David Burton is a
free-lance writer and communication professional who lives near Willard, Mo.
with his wife Stacey and their children Matthew and Lauren.