Skipping Christmas

Last year my family began a new Christmas tradition. No gifts! It all began with me. I have everything I need. When my family would ask me what I wanted for Christmas, I couldn't come up with anything. I'd rack my brain and finally make out a list of stuff that I really didn't care if I got or not. Then I had to go through the grueling task of finding gifts for everyone else. We are all so blessed. No one can come up with any ideas or things they want. And buying for my dad? Forget it! He's like the hardest person on the planet to buy a gift for. He has everything, and the stuff he does want usually involves something he will spend two years researching and comparison shopping to get the best deal because it costs so much. After several Christmas' of this, I decided I'd had enough.

Last year I made the proclamation that I thought we should forego gifts since we all had too much junk anyway. That would save everyone from getting the inevitable gift that you know you hate but you smile and say "Oh, wow!" because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. And when you get home, you toss it right in the yard sale pile. My mom was all for it. In fact, I think she breathed a sigh of relief. My grandmother was on board once she realized the idea really had come from a grandchild who wouldn't feel slighted with no present from Grandma. We had a hard time selling the idea to a few family members, but in the end it all worked out.

What we decided to do was play "Dirty Santa." Everyone brought a $15 gift and we had the best time stealing from each other. I think there was more laughter in the house that Christmas that ever before. We all spent time in the kitchen together, cooking the big meal. The afternoon was spent watching Christmas movies. Later we attempted to assemble a gingerbread house. I had found one of those pre-baked kits that just had to be glued together with frosting. We spent forever working on that, and when we were done it looked like a condemned building on the edge of town. The roof kept sliding off. We didn't care. The kitchen was filled with laughter and jokes. One of the gingerbread men kept falling over into the "bushes." We named him Uncle Lloyd and decided he must have been hitting the egg nog. When evening came, we piled in the car, loaded in some Christmas cd's and took off to ride around looking at Christmas lights. And not one gift was among us. No tangible gifts anyway.

That was probably one of the best Christmas' I've ever had. No pre-holiday stress of getting assaulted at the mall while fighting with someone over the last Cabbage Patch doll. No fretting over whether or not Uncle Fred will hate the electric socks I bought him. No strain on the budget.

I tell you this, I can't remember what I got for Christmas 2 years ago when we were still doing the gift thing. But I can remember almost everything about last Christmas. The warmth, family, laughter, love. It was better than any shiny gift anyone could have gotten me. We plan to continue with our tradition again this year. I encourage you to consider having a "giftless" Christmas in your family. You'll be amazed at how much more you enjoy the holidays!!