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Anyone not making a big deal about X-mas?

457 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  bluekittydoc99 
#1 ·
I'm just wondering if anyone is deciding to do a very low-key kind of day? Few or no gifts, not a huge emphasis on the day itself, etc. I'm mainly wondering about mommas of little ones too young to understand that X-mas is anything.
 
#2 ·
26 mth DS saw people lining up at the mall for pictures with Santa, and of couse, chrismas light decoration at people's houses. So he is associating X-mas with that. We are buddhists and do not plan to do much with X-mas. We do not plan to do gifts among ourselves. For us, the real significance of x-mas is the birth of Christ and how he lived his life with compassion and love. We would like to share that with DS when he is a little older.

On the actual day itself, we are getting together at my inlaws, we are inviting friends who do not have family in town or in the country and have a potluck of some sort.

We do participate in gifts exchanges with the rest of our extended family, not that we have much of a choice. How can you not give back when every one buys a present for you? I have yet to think of a economical but meaningful way to give back.
 
#3 ·
I'm not a big christmas person at all, and neither is DH. We don't have a tree or anything like that and frequently don't exchange gifts.

DS turned 1 on 12/3, and we don't really plan to change how we handle Christmas unless, when he gets older, he wants us to (I'm open to celebrating it more if he wants us to).

I'm not Christian, so it doesn't have a lot of meaning for me, it just seems like a whole bunch of materialism, stress, and family fights. Blech. Hard to avoid the family stuff, but I can get out of the materialism.


I don't really have anything against Christmas, and nothing against people who celebrate it, it's just not a big deal to me.
 
#4 ·
Our little guy is 18 months old. My DH's middle name is "low-key" so I can't imagine us ever doing too much at this time of year. I was thinking we shouldn't get a tree b/c DS might pull it down! But, DH is going to get a real one at some point. We'll do a bit of decorating when we have a chance. Several years ago, I told my in-laws we wouldn't be doing gift exchanges. Our personal view is the holiday season is about friends and family and celebration of being with people and helping people. Plus, we can't afford gifts for everyone! I'm just never too keen about buying things for others (or receiving things) that no one really truly "needs". So, I think, perhaps our house may have some decorations by Christmas day and we may have a tree. DH and I will likely buy 2 or 3 gifts for DS and maybe something for each other. My own family has a low key celebration too. When I drive by houses and see tons of decorations and lights, I feel a twinge of "I should be doing that too" but then I realize I just don't have the time or desire to do the same. And, I'm not sure I see the point in bombarding a young toddler with a commercial message this time of year. I'd rather, in the future years, we do things at Christmas time to help others and celebrate with only a few special gifts. I can't control what my in-laws buy or do but this is what we're doing here. Oh and in our house there is no particular religious traditions followed by anyone. I may take DS to a church on Christmas eve to hear music but that is up in the air. I am not a member of any particular faith.

I hope this helps!
 
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