With the Gregorian calendar nearing another year-end, that religious holiday — you know, the one often celebrated by trips to crowded malls and overbooked shopping schedules — is almost upon us. What to do?
First piece of advice! Avoid the malls. Take that time spent looking for parking spots and standing in line and re-invest that back into your family and friends. I'm not sure what Santa thinks about the idea of us spending time with loved ones as opposed to shopping, but based on the history of the holiday, I'm sure he wouldn't mind.
Secondly, don't fret about the gifts you get — or those you give. It's cold, dark and possibly lonely for many people during the holidays. Not surprisingly, the simple gift of kind company can bring warmth and happiness to those less fortunate ones.
It doesn't have to be a competition to buy the most expensive thing or the newest technology — the holidays can be about giving what you can to those around you. The gift of time spent together can sometimes be the most valuable gift of all.
It's been said before and it will be said again here — Christmas is being eroded by an unnatural human need to make material goods and commercial success the epitome of the holiday.
A holiday will never be perfect, but to be conned into Christmas shopping months in advance for purely commercial reasons does not portray a Christian outlook (what Christmas is historically based on), nor does it encourage time spent together.
Christmas means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Therefore, all of what was just said can be thrown in the trash if you prefer a holiday based on material goods and the money spent on them.
However, if you have even the tiniest notion Christmas should be based on spending time with, instead of money on, loved ones and caring for the community you call home, then go for it. Try something different this year.
The holidays are what you make them, not what your money can buy.
