How is everyone doing with Christmas this year?

My family, this year, decided not to participate in Christmas. No gifts, no tree, no lights, no nothing. I hear that stores are really hurting, so I guess my family is not the only one "not participating."

Has anyone else here opted out of Christmas? or is it business as usual for you?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I'm going to send a few cards out this week. That's about it.

:rofl:

Everyone in my family agreed that buying gifts for everyone every year is pretty much a waste. Most of the stuff ends up in Goodwill anyway.

That said, I went to Target on Sunday and there were about 50 people in the whole store. It was dead as I've ever seen it.

Too many memories of my single Mom struggling to make Christmas special every year for me not to enjoy the season and to relive those memories. Just got back from shipping some packages to friends and my daughter out of state, and we enjoyed buying or making every gift we sent them. I'm glad to be OK financially this Christmas, and to give gifts and donations again this year.

I'm also going to enjoy some time off, quite frankly.

God Jul.

not broke yet, but there is still a week to go.

I don't decorate, or celebrate it as a religious holiday, but I buy presents for my and my husband's immediate family and their children. I buy a bunch of shit for my niece and nephew, and have to ship all the stuff for my in-laws to England. Have a couple of parties I've attended annually since I was a child.

I'm normally anti-social and a procrastinator, so actually having to get off my ass and buy and send presents, and leave the house to be social kinda wears me out.

No gifts.

I'm taking the money I would ordinarily spend on gifts and making a donation to a local charity.

We will get together for a few hours and have a good time, but nothing fancy. The children will get gifts, but none of the adults even want them.

We have not really celebrated the holidays with gifts in a few years, and it's really nice.

even my daughter & her husband are not bothering. we have decided to start our own tradition. we will cook & bake & then eat till its all gone and watch christmas movies. that's christmas. it always has been for me anyway. when i was a very young child, we had a tree, but it was always about the food, not the gifts. and the food was wonderful. i'm trying that this year. if it stuck in my memory all these years maybe we can start a new tradition.

That is exactly the kind of holiday celebration that would mean something to me.

This year will be very low key. A family member has cancer. The main goal will be to keep it light and positive, and just get the hell away from the idea that money or "things" matter at all.

after finishing a MISERABLE re-plumbing project, I looked at the family and said "Merry Christmas."

I'll cook the traditional meal Christmas Day, but we simply can't do much more than that right now.

Cherishing moments with the young ones, plenty of pictures. Fellowship with friends, good food, and drink.

spending time with loved ones. Christmas gives an excuse to get together.

Merry Christmas to you :hug:

I'm not a big gift buyer during any Christmas. I think last year I gave money to my nieces, but they aren't getting anything other than a card each this year.

I'm staying with my mother as her caregiver. She has lots of indoor decorative things which I helped her put up around the house. I usually only have one or two decorations to put up.

I listen to Christmas music almost everyday on the music choice channel for traditional holiday music. I'm enjoying my low stress Christmas very much.

I'm sending electronic cards to family and a few friends.

I bought myself a new pair of slipper socks and a new coffee mug, each for a dollar.

We may put up our small fake tree tonight or maybe Thursday. It depends on if we feel like it.

So far, we don't feel like doing it. But we did talk about it! :P

One of my sisters called and wants to meet for lunch Thursday afternoon.

My brother, SIL and niece want us to come to dinner some night this week. When is undecided as of yet.

I'm not making a big deal of it this year but I wanted to decorate at least because it makes me happy.

It brightens up this place and so in turn, brightens up my mood. I like red in winter! ;)

I may cook a roast on Dec. 25th and some cookies and a pie.

grandmother sent to get the kids' presents went into the gas tank today. We won't be going shopping for food any time soon, either. Fortunately there's a nice food bank nearby that hubby volunteers at, so we can pick some stuff up there.

No money , no desire , no family near us and all our friends have moved away .

We have only done the diner for the two of us . It seems like years ago the real true christmas spirit has died around here where people used to walk the blvd when all the old stores existed not these abominations called malls with cheap crap and huge parking lots .

Year ago we used to get our tree from a very old flower shop that has been gone for many years .

Things were just different years ago at least in my view .

Relax and recuperate.

i look forward to the time off ... 12 days of R&R. i'm hoping for snow (we're in Las Cruces, NM) but so far that seems unlikely. the only thing we have shopped for is necessities. food & pet supplies. that's it.

Christmas is for children, and the grandmas that dote on them!! I'm not letting the fact that I'm broke beyond anything I've experienced in the last 15 years stop me from finding a way to celebrate the holidays with my kids and grandkids. People throughout our American History have had wonderful celebrations with far less than what we have today and shared the holiday spirit, the wonderful sense of giving and the joy of recieving with each other with simple and wonderfully creative efforts.

Fortunately my kids are not too proud to have a refurbished gift or carefully selected, cleaned, ironed, and beautifully packaged thrift store item. I found amazing deals at Savers and they look as new as off the rack. It's silly to think that once somethings been worn it's not worthy of being purchased (as pennies compared to retail prices). I got two complete outfits for my Daughter In Law for under $20.00 and I doubt they were even worn once. One of the tops had the original price tag still on it but at Saver's it was $6.00. I don't understand people who are too proud to buy second hand things. I'm proud that I didn't pay retail.

This year I'm making many of the toys for my grandchildren. I'm making a growth chart, some wooden blocks, a doll and doll clothes, and my husband is making a wooden wagon for hauling toys in. I've decided the best way to go green is to make things from existing products or second hand revitalized things. If they need paint I'm painting them with non toxic latex paint and sealing them with a safe sealer to keep any chance of toxic stuff away from my grandbabies.

Some of the best gifts for kids of all ages are books. There's plenty of book manufacturers and producers here in the US, England, and Europe where they comply with the kind of standards we require in the US. Your local thrift stores often have some really cute books for very good prices and it's a way to recycle something that would other wise be thrown out.

Toddlers like simple things like a set of stacking bowls made from butter and whipped cream bowls (there's spray paint that will stick to plastic and brighten them up)or wooden blocks made from well sanded and painted 2x4 chunks. Little boys often like anything that resembles a gun. Theres some cool patterns for marshmallow guns made from pvc pipe and they're cheap to make. Older kids often like sporting equipment. I made a great jumprope from some heavy duty cotton rope from the hardware store and some wooden dowells.

Gift subscriptions to good kids magazines is the gift that lasts all year long and many of them are published right here in the US. They often have games, crafts, and lots of great stories that educate and entertain. Many of the illustrators are US citizens so it's a way to support our own as well. Go online and you'll find hundreds of these that are published right here in the US.

Consumers are spending 6% more on Christmas presents this year. :-)

Great victory against Eastasia! The chocolate ration has been increased from 40 grams to 25 grams! :-)

we'll decorate the inside when she gets here, the outside is done

we're gonna eat like pigs and hang out for a week, it'll be great!

last year we were both unemployed and we spent all the Xmas $$$ going to visit her the week before Xmas so this year it's all about boxes, lots and lots of boxes under the tree. we're not going spend much but there *will* be a ton of presents wrapped pretty for Xmas morning.

I'm really pumped, we can afford a bit this year and hubby got word today he's starting a great new job after the first of the year.

It's good this year. the last three years sucked so this is a nice change.

might say I was Good Will hunting. I found one sweater, for my brother, with a $23.00 price tag still on it, from an outlet mall. It had a small snag which I repaired with a crochet hook. I spent about $60.00 and covered about a dozen relatives for presents. It's like recycling all over again.

Few odds and ends here and there... we bought a foreclosure.. the house is our present.. and it feels good to be able to spend a christmas in our own place.

After the grandkids turned pre-teen, I started giving them money (our taste in clothing didn't mesh), which I always hated when I was a young adult. However, everybody loves it, as they can go shopping after Christmas and get twice as much for the dollar. Whatever flies your kite!

On beyond, everyone brings a gift for an exchange. The first selects a gift and opens it. The second can either take the #1 gift or select a gift. It goes on and on like that where you can select any gift already unwrapped or choose a new one until all the gifts are unwrapped. It gets pretty crazy, especially when there is a gift everyone wants.

but my wife and I can't afford to buy gifts.

We're barely managing as it is, if we were spending money beyond the necessities...

It was originally out of protest, but I'll probably not do the Christmas thing again, as long as it continues to be largely about running ragged to buy people stuff they don't need. I don't like what it's become, but know it doesn't have to be this way. Christmas seems to be stressful for a lot of people. I noticed that with my co-workers and friends, anyway. Good riddance (for me, anyway).

I simply don't have the courage to do that with my kids.

Although they are asking socially/eniviornmentally responsible gifts.

I did adopt a seven year old angel gal off one of those angel trees and bought her clothes and toys. And I do send Christmas cards.

I have no idea what anyone wants. Well, that's not true. My husband's truck needs a new engine. Seems fair since my car got new brakes for my birthday.

Kids will get gift cards unless inspiration strikes me.

Great family, Great jobs, great home....The only bad thing is my property taxes went up 40%.

sliding. Somehow with the torture and killing and so many in distress...I can't quite get into the showy stuff this year. Trying to avoid China products. Buying local and handmade. Just not into it..with the dark times out there and the message of Christmas and Christ about poverty and helping your neighbor and not killing and doing unto the least of those... The message corrupted by the very far right Evangelicals that seem to have taken over the message of Christ and Christmas making it about hate and greed and shop and show.

I'm giving more to the food bank and some to internet folks like Buzzflash who have had their funding cut and the "Consortium" that does great indy reporting. Trying to give things that are useful and money to those who really need it in the media and around.

But...not to sound too gloomy...I have my Tree and my ornaments from years ...handmade and gifts. And, my wreath is on the door and outside lights up. I will cheer up when I get the tree decorated. I don't want what's going on out there to completely get the best of me. Because what good does that do...

It's primarily because we don't have a lot of money this year, and we're fine with the.

For me, the best part of Christmas will be going to see my mom, who has been very ill, and was in and out of the hospital and a nursing home. She's home at her own house right now, and I swear, that was the very best thing for her. She has some home health care, and my 4 siblings who live near her are taking turns staying with her at night (she has to have someone with her 24/7). I'm taking off Thursday to spend several days there with her, and to spell my brothers and sisters. I am so looking forward to this.

who have been providing care.

You will never regret your "gift."

I'm totally looking forward to it.

Christmas carols, church choir (my wife is a member), a choir party, local Christmas programs. Mainly coming up with ideas for cards and gifts. Deciding where to go for Christmas. We have a quite large extended family. Lutherans have a heavy investment in Christmas though I dislike the "contemporary service" and much prefer the historic old liturgy.

to friends and family. I have no one to celebrate any of the holidays with anymore and I'm not too happy about that as that's the best part-but I do enjoy the handful of greeting cards that come in the mail. As for gifts; I figure that this will be the last year that I can send anyone anything nice, as the recession will probably hit me pretty hard next year.

Put up a tree and decorated it with painted pine cones and dried flowers and whatnots.

Feeling,...like,...the appreciation that this holiday was suppose to be about is somewhat lacking.

However, there are still moments of gratitude to which I cling.

Only the children 12 and under will be getting presents in our extended family this year. Everyone is hurting.

But the lights and the tree? Those I must have. It does wonders for my S.A.D. I usually leave the indoor lights up till Valentines.

I love this time of year.

... and even though I quit the high pressure job a year ago and knew I'd be making far less money doing something else (and happier about it), I don't think I'd spend as much, where things the same income wise. I've noticed that home-made things (baking for sibling, putting together excersize and diet calendar for niece, feeding friends with good Italian food, buying crafts made locally for others) contributes so much better to the local economy.

So... going back to basics.. We're basically getting all debts paid down (mortgage, no credit balances left, building up the nest egg, as we can).

They still do get a nice haul of presents (from us, Santa, and grandparents and aunts & uncles -- it adds up!). The whole thing kind of makes me sick, but I'm just waiting it out. My son has already given up birthday gifts at his party (he asks for donations to the Humane Society), so I think he will see wisdom in cutting back on presents soon. My daughter is younger and she's another story. :)

I keep telling my husband I DON'T want a gift, but he always says: "Well, maybe just a couple little things" and then gets me too much, so I feel I have to keep up with him. Really, my best gift would be cutting back on the shopping. I can't seem to get through to him, though.

but without too much success. At least we kept it to immediate family. I've had discussions with my daughters about cutting it back even further next year, and everyone seems in agreement...just presents for the little grandsons next year, maybe small gifts for the daughters. We're mostly grateful that we will all be here together at Christmas.

I enjoy getting together with friends and family over the next week, and eating too much, but I couldn't give a frog's fat ass about commercial Chri$tma$.

Kids are home from college for a few weeks. I love having them home again. We decorated the tree this weekend. Our days are filled with lots of food, friends and family activities. My 2 week winter break starts on Friday. For all of these reasons, this is one of my favorite times of year. :)

This sounds silly, but Henrietta the (pet) Chicken got very sick and I took her to the vet on Saturday. They did an x-ray, diagnosed her problem and gave her several shots. She is now officially a Very Expensive Pet. She is on the mend, slowly, but will live. Her presence is a good enough gift for me.

Hubby's congestive heart failure is getting worse. The docs will need to remove more fluids from around his lungs. And the dialysis is no longer able to remove the fluid buildup in his legs. He sees another doc tomorrow, and we are both hoping he does not wind up back in the hospital.

I decided not to add any more stress to my life. Holidays of any kind must be very low key.

And ... you are indeed a good person to spend so much on Henrietta the Hen. :hi:

I just read a memoir called "A Girl Called Zippy" and she wrote about how when she was a kid she had a pet chicken named Speckles who she was incredibly close to. :)

I hope everything works out all right. What a trying time for you. I can see were the holidays would be pretty low on your list of priorities. :hug:

I usually only spend $20-25/per person. I found some great gifts for my 2 nephews (one was $30 with shipping). They're 6 & 4 so it's most important to get them gifts. I'm sticking within my budget.

My boyfriend's dad is dying, so I'll try and find something nice for him, he needs a little cheer in his life right now.

I've spent about $100 so far, and only have a couple more things that I need to pick up.

but my oldest son (of 4) and wife are into christmas bigtime, so i have to do something for them. my mother also expects something, so i sent her the same thing she sent me - handmade items.

i don't give a rat's ass about christmas, gave up the xmas decorations, cookies, tree, cards a LONG time ago.

My husband died 4 years ago and my son was 10 at the time. He's going to be 15 and he getting drivers training for Christmas. Other than that, I'm just looking forward to it being over.

buy a tree or decorate. We continued on in the family traditions of flying here there and everywhere, rental cars, gifts for everyone.

Not this year - at all. We can't even afford right now to buy gifts for our one daughter (who in 2000 @ the young age of 13 was given a camcorder and a trip to California-Disney Land and the San Diego Zoo along with her first experience with a Santa Ana wind), nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters, and moms and dads

We opted out long ago on the consumerism. This year when Christmas was up and being sold before Halloween was over we said, that is it! No more.

Christmas is not what is is "supposed" to be and what is "Christmas" "supposed" to be? Someone recently here at DU put up a post about how Christmas was not allowed in the early days of "america" - how the "puritans" did not practice it. Our society really needs to get back to some basics, someway, somehow. It is a damned shame we could not have got there on our own, the financial meltdown is "forcing" it, which when you think about it, is probably not a bad thing. A orange and a peppermint might not be such a bad thing in a stocking and a small tree decorated w/popcorn strands is a good thing.

Peace to all and Goodwill -

Ms. DD

We had to make a semi big purchase at the beginning of the month that wasn't a Xmas present. So the rest of our Xmas money went to toys & games for our kid and gifts for a few other people. Hubby & I will exchange a couple of small gifts and that's it.

A highlight this year is that we managed to find an out of the way small Xmas tree farm and bought a HUGE Russian Fir tree for $20. It was neat because it felt like we were stepping back into the past and doing things the way they were done 50 or 60 years ago.

The one thing I wish I'd done more of this year is buy gifts online. The few times we went out Xmas shopping, it was all about the "deal" which I find ugly and depressing and so I didn't enjoy it. Next year, I plan on ordering everything online from eBay and Amazon and a few other places. I'm SO done with feeling manipulated by the stores. IMO, they have taken all the fun out of shopping.

I was in a SERIOUSLY dark mood a few weeks ago, so
I turned my total 2007 income into a "pie chart"
on the computer here, as a form of self-abuse....

If that chart was a clock face, MONEY I FOUND ON THE SIDEWALK
would occupy about 42 minutes of it.

Not kidding. Not even a little bit.

The stores will "hurt" when people can't get jobs. You can't go buy the latest fucking Ipod if your choice is between it and the heating bill.

I haven't done as much baking as I usually do, because I'm trying not to gain back all the weight I lost in the spring. Money wise we are fine, and the girls are getting more presents this year. I don't give my kids one third of what I got for Christmas, but I still feel like we tend to buy too many presents. What I really want is a trip home for Christmas, but I will settle for exercise and weight loss equipmment.

No one seems to be able to afford it right now.

I love Christmas, but this is a really rough year. We have two sons and we haven't bought a single gift yet. We don't exchange presents on my side of the family anymore, but my in-laws are another story. Plus, we have new members in that family by marriage, and we're supposed to buy for them too. It's actually really bumming me out, because I'll be damned if I'm going to buy gifts for random "relatives" we don't really even know and rarely see when we are struggling to figure out what to get our young sons. Ugh.

Sorry, feeling kind of negative right now...

:hug:

No gifts under the tree because we cannot afford any for the 3rd year in a row. For the first time in their lives, my daughters (now 26 and 23) will not get their traditional Christmas ornament from me :cry: We are a part of the recovering economic climate, ya know.

clothes and that's it. He's the only one at home, I'm broke, and I'm sick of Christmas already. It started in June this year (first commercial I say was for 'Christmas in July').

Forget it.

Does that count as being part of the Secular Humanist War on Christmas?

They shifted to 24/7 Christmas music about 8 days before Thanksgiving. They are playing every known or suspected version of Christmas songs sung by anybody that can belt out a tune into a tape recorder.

This year's hot songs are "I Want a Hippopotimus for Christmas" and the Muppets singing "The 12 Days of Christmas". And that damn Paul McCartney song...

I've figured out what's really pissing me off, though. When they find some obscure recording of, say, Jon Bon Jovi singing "Silver Bells", the tempo and beat are just different enough from the versions I had to sing in choir and play in band to drive me nuts. I'm mentally trying to follow along with the song, but there are enough curve balls to screw me up.

Other than that, well, I did a bunch of online shopping on Saturday night for everybody's presents and had them shipped to my parent's house in Connecticut. No fuss, no muss. I'll wrap them up there, and there's a Target, a Wal-Mart, and couple of fairly large malls near by if I forget someone or something.

Just take back the solstice. If Jesus ever existed he certainly wasn't born on Dec 25th and almost every "Christmas" tradition is actually a pagan or even medieval European tradition.

My family eats, drinks and attempts merry (for me it'll be a push this year). A few small presents but we're thinking of ditching them next year.

Feel no need to make excuses for the lack of jesusness on the day, my folk were celebrating at this time of year long before he made his supposed entrance.

but we ordered some books and DVDs and had our comfy old sofa reupholstered (looks gorgeous). I have loads of cloth in the hamper, pulled out my Singer and made some nice new cushions covers to match. Hubby surprised me when he came home with a spanking new chair for my little office. He said it was a belated birthday present and I was quite delighted.

Later this week we'll strip and polish the floor. We never put up a Christmas tree because we rarely spend Christmas at home. A friend gave us a lovely poinsettia wrapped in gold paper so that's it for our decorations.

We're using the money we haven't spent on airline tickets to pay for a needy child to attend high school.

I could never get into the commercialism and the "buy, buy, buy" mentality.

One year we were so broke, we could not afford to buy a thing for anyone. That year I made roasted garlic for everyone. I wrapped it in aluminum foil like a big hershey kiss. Wrapped a red ribbon on it with a gift tag for everyone and hung them on the tree. Everyone raved about them and each made sure they took them home to enjoy at a later time.

Every year everyone always remembers the garlic "kisses" I gave them and how they made sure that they took theirs home with them. I doubt if anyone remembers any other gift I have given in the past.

Checks to the grandkids, newspaper person & charity.

And I have told my friends and family this and asked them not to get me anything.

running around, it's just the two of us. We'll exchange gifts because my husband is just a big kid at heart. I have no decorations up this year. I've only bought a couple of presents and have been making clothing for my grandchildren. I've baked a few cookies. We'll be going to a friend's house for the Christmas meal...just a group of empty nesters getting together for good food and good conversation.

no one else.

get a winter coat for my son (which he needs). My mother is giving some family heirlooms to us as gifts (which is a great idea) and my gift to my family will be making christmas dinner.

The kids will each get a present probably the week after Christmas. At least it's something. I both love and hate the holidays. I love the celebration. I despise the guilt I feel every year because I just can't give them a Holiday like they see among their friends and family. Fortunately I have kids who never complain.

I wish I had a choice to opt out....for us it's not a choice.

We are talking about replacing this old clunker computer if we can find a good sale--may wait for after Christmas. My daughter wants her kitten spayed.

Aside from that it's socks, a magazine subscription or two.

Not going crazy by a longshot.