Christmas

Although both my husband and I are Atheists and have never raised our children to be religious we still observe the Christmas ritual of exchanging presents and having a nice dinner. I put up a tree and trim it, send out cards and buy gifts for close friends and relatives. This year, I've really cut back. Since my children are 15, 19, 23 and 29; I've decided not to go broke this year. We used to spend close to $3000.00 each year. No kidding, we were slaves to marketing and mass consumerism. Of course if you ask me what that money was spent on, I couldn't tell you. I look in my kids rooms and I don't see a thing I've given them from years past. For the past two Christmas's (What is the plural of that resident editor?), I've given my 23 year old a leather car coat. He's managed to lose both of them. How does a 23 year old lose a coat? An expensive coat? I was a mother at 23, in the army at 23, in charge of people and millions of dollars of equipment at 23!!! ggrrrrrr. So aside from my 15 year old, I resolved to spend no more than 300 on each kid. That's it. So far I've stuck to it. I've chosen one nice thing that will last long after I'm dead and they can pass on to their kids, a couple of items of clothing, a few stocking stuffers and that is it. Do any of you observe this holiday? Do your kids drive you crazy also? LOL

Hi Barb!! I haven't ever posted on this board but I read often and identify with the posts. I can totally relate to you on being slaves to the marketing and mass consumerism. I hate it! Especially all the advertisments about what to get your mailman, UPS guy, teacher, blah blah blah. Hurry, buy now! Sale ends soon! Ugh. Usually my Mom buys me and my siblings (I'm 24, my brother is 25, my sisters are 16 and 13) a lot of stuff, she says she spends about $500 per kid every Christmas. This year she opened up a savings account for my son's college fund, and is getting only one gift per person. She said that the money she would have spent on each of us, she is donating to the local food bank. And I usually buy lots of presents for my son, who is now 6. This year it has felt like the mass marketing and advertising were just so overwhelming and way too pushy so I feel like Christmas is being turned into something it is not: making the rich richer and consumerism. It is supposed to be about spending time with your family and having fun, IMO. So this year I am only getting him a few things, and I am concentrating more on the traditions of baking cookies and a nice ham dinner, decorating the tree, and driving to look at lights. We do celebrate Christmas even though we don't believe in God and we are not religous at all, but we celebrate it because it is fun to have a Christmas tree and lights up, and having a nice family dinner is fun. Plus the whole Santa Claus thing too, I wouldn't want my son to miss out on that childhood experience. But we don't involve any of the religous aspects in our celebrating. Last year we went to a neighbor's house for Xmas eve dinner and they were constantly praying and singing "happy birthday jesus" oh my was that uncomfortable. Needless to say we aren't going back there, just as they wouldn't want to come to our house because we don't do any of that stuff. OK I think I rambled enough lol! Tiffany

Christmas in my family is all about the gifts and the food. I get to see family I only see once a year. I go to parties and eat and drink. I am even staying off the pain meds this weekend(or trying too) so I can have a ****tail. We are slaves to marketing I am afraid. Matt and I are not exchanging gifts as I am currently out of work. No one in my immediately family is religious, so our holiday is not about that at all. It is about Santa for the kids as well. I do not have children though. I belong to a group of child free couples *****ally do not celebrate all that much. I think as we age, that will be us. Once my nieces are grown I am sure it will be different. Oh, a 23 year old loses his leather coat by getting drunk and leaving it at the bar. Pretty standard behavior really. He shure would be buying his own coats from now on. Happy Holidays! Terri