Thank-you so much for this thoughtful, helpful article. Having spent many years giving multiple gifts to the people in my family and several friends, I have reduced my efforts and costs in recent years. This year I have bought 6 lovely scented candles which I will put in pretty bags, one for each family and friend, and still leggo for the young children. Whew!
Thank you for this article. There are so many holidays in December including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, not to mention birthdays, Solstice, New Years, and others. And the idea that we measure our love for one another by how many or how much, is really taking away from the spirit of all of them.
Your article resonates with me a lot. I down scaled gift giving to zero years ago due to financial difficulties. I explained my decision to those I cared about, and everyone completely understood. Nowadays nobody expects a gift from me at all, and I don’t expect a gift from anybody either. I make up for it in non-monetary ways throughout the year. There has never been any push back or criticism and I have been able to avoid debt, stress and feelings of guilt and obligation. Happy Christmas to Healthy Seniors and all the subscribers here!
I use “holiday” to be inclusive—since not everyone celebrates Christmas and there are other holidays in December (like Hanukkah, for example). The pressure and excitement around celebrating (and gift-giving) can be similar, though. Merry Christmas!
❤️ ❤️ ❤️!
Thank-you so much for this thoughtful, helpful article. Having spent many years giving multiple gifts to the people in my family and several friends, I have reduced my efforts and costs in recent years. This year I have bought 6 lovely scented candles which I will put in pretty bags, one for each family and friend, and still leggo for the young children. Whew!
Thank you for this article. There are so many holidays in December including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, not to mention birthdays, Solstice, New Years, and others. And the idea that we measure our love for one another by how many or how much, is really taking away from the spirit of all of them.
Yes - December gets so packed, and it’s easy to lose the point. Glad it resonated with you, and thanks for commenting.
Your article resonates with me a lot. I down scaled gift giving to zero years ago due to financial difficulties. I explained my decision to those I cared about, and everyone completely understood. Nowadays nobody expects a gift from me at all, and I don’t expect a gift from anybody either. I make up for it in non-monetary ways throughout the year. There has never been any push back or criticism and I have been able to avoid debt, stress and feelings of guilt and obligation. Happy Christmas to Healthy Seniors and all the subscribers here!
❤️💚❤️
Thank you for sharing this, Irena. That perspective is powerful and refreshing. Wishing you a peaceful Christmas as well ❤️
Holidays, Season? Why don’t you call it what it actually is, CHRISTMAS?
I use “holiday” to be inclusive—since not everyone celebrates Christmas and there are other holidays in December (like Hanukkah, for example). The pressure and excitement around celebrating (and gift-giving) can be similar, though. Merry Christmas!