A simpler way to celebrate Christmas

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

When I realized a couple of weeks ago that the date of my next scheduled column to write would fall during the week of Christmas, I was slightly unnerved. What could I contrive that would be worthy to add to that which has already been written or said about Christmas?

I couldn't think of any intriguing personal stories or memories to retell that related to the season and, to tell the truth, Christmas isn't the holiday I enjoy the most, anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of things about Christmas -- the biblical story of hope, the gathering of families together, the festive lights and music, the food and happy wishes, the cards with notes and photographs from those who send them -- but I can also stress out over the hustle and bustle required to celebrate the season the way I have felt programmed to do it in the past. I barely keep my head above water on a regular day-to-day basis, so throwing in all the extra things to get done this time of year really made it difficult for me to focus on the "true meaning of Christmas." So, for the last few years, I have made a conscious choice to find meaningful, yet significantly simplified ways in which to celebrate the spirit of the Christmas season.

It has been an interesting journey, and surprisingly easier than I expected to just say "no" to some of the things that I used to feel were mandatory. Yes, Christmas has a lot less glitter and shine than it used to, but I have found that, for me, less is more when it comes to having a more satisfying holiday season.

For starters, Thanksgiving is a heavy focus for us. Earl and I have hosted our big family gathering for dinner and a hay ride every year for 15 years or more. Thanksgiving has all the components of a wonderful holiday without the stress. We open our home to family members (sometimes as many as 70 of us), take time to be thankful, and eat wonderful homemade food. That fills my cup to overflowing.

Then we move immediately into the Christmas season and, as I see it, most of what is blared at us from then until December 25th creates some challenges for my "Simplify Christmas" model. To keep with my plan, I do things like minimizing the number of decorations I drag down from the attic (because packing them up and putting them back won't be nearly so much fun) and avoiding getting sucked into stores by crazy holiday sales. I know shopping is part of the fun of the season for some, but it doesn't fit into my model very well, so I don't participate much. I do love a good bargain but not enough to lose sleep and/or stand in line for hours to try to beat someone else to it. Learning that shoppers can now get online and take advantage of many of those same wonderful sales has made me a happy holiday camper.

With my kids and grandkids, I have worked out a clearer gift purchasing method which still allows me the fun and joy of giving gifts but minimizes the stress of deciding and searching for just the right gift for each person. It means that sometimes they know ahead of time most of what they are getting from me, but I try to add a surprise here and there, as well.

My favorite new idea this year came through my sister, Elaine. It worked so well at our big family Christmas gathering a few days ago that I am passing it along.

Elaine suggested ahead of time that we each bring a gift, as we have done in the past. But this time, instead of a gift exchange, we have a silent auction. Each unwrapped item was placed on a long table and we made bids on what we wanted to purchase. We wanted to involve everyone, so for those too little to participate we set up a game where they paid a small amount to fish for a prize. The money received from both activities was donated to a local cause that we, as a family, had agreed upon. This activity was both fun for us and helpful for others, putting a little heartwarming spin on our usual family celebration.

I hope your Christmas, however you choose to celebrate, will be meaningful, relatively stress free, and chocked full of simple pleasures. And may the spirit of the season be present each and every day throughout the New Year.

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer from rural Gentry and a speech-language pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by email at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 01/01/2014