It’s Christmas time yet again, and this year I wanted to do something a bit different – and I want you to join me. It’s no secret that I hate the commercialisation of Christmas and all the waste associated with it. I’m also cognisant that everyday my son is learning more and more from my wife and I, and I want to ensure that we are teaching him appropriately. The best way that I know how to teach him, is to lead by example – so that’s what I plan on doing.
Christmas, Money and Oranges
It’s no secret that Christmas has been corrupted by money. There are many reasons for this, which I am not going to go into, but ultimately I can’t see the original Christmas (very much a religious event) returning to its simpler roots any time soon.
While my wife and I were recently on vacation, we were watching a small news segment where a reporter was visiting a heritage listed property that was home to some very wealthy people many years ago. The actual news item wasn’t all that exciting or interesting, however, there was one small part of the report that really stood out to me. She was talking about what Christmas was like for the people who lived in the house, and that a good Christmas gift for a child in that day and age was to receive a bag of oranges.
A bag of oranges… Could you imagine giving a kid today a bag of oranges today?
It’s evident to me that most people today (myself included) have a real entitlement complex, especially when you consider how privileged we are when compared to our grandparents and their grandparents before them.
The Meaning of Christmas
I grew up in a family that wasn’t religious, yet we still celebrated Christmas. As a kid I never questioned it – I didn’t really know any better. We got presents on Christmas morning, ate lots of yummy food and had a lot of fun. Now I don’t want to bash my parents in anyway – they did a great job and some of my best memories as a child were of Christmas day – I loved it! But there was something I now feel that was missing, or at the very least, understated.
If I can put the religious aspect of Christmas to the side for a moment, I think that it’s important that at least some of the original message of Christmas be restored. I hate the capitalistic Christmas that we celebrate today, but I also see a great Christmas opportunity.
I think everyone can agree that when people think of Christmas they think of giving. Normally it is giving in the form of gifts to a friend or family member. The gift is supposed to be a symbol to show someone how much we love, cherish and appreciate them. Unfortunately the more common reality is that no one know what to get each other, and the end result is often something that you don’t really want, but end up smiling and saying thank you for. Now I appreciate that it isn’t the actual gift that counts, but the feeling and message behind the gift – the intention if you will. But it does feel like a colossal waste of money, when simply spending time together or telling someone how you feel would likely mean just as much, if not more.
So this Christmas I personally want to make a change – I want to start giving the gift of charitable donations to charities who actually need the money. I am also hoping that you agree with me and will limit the amount of over the top spending that is associated with Christmas and to think of the less fortunate.
Some of the things I suggest is to talk to your relatives and see if they would be interested in helping those less fortunate instead of buying each other gifts. Even if you only do it for 1 year and then go back to the way you normally celebrate Christmas – I’m sure the Charities will be thankful for the donation. Another option is to reduce the amount you spend on each person by say $10, and then put that money towards making a difference. There are so many ways to get involved and if you are smart about it, you don’t have to spend any more money than you normally do.
I’m ashamed to admit this, but it shouldn’t have taken my son watching and learning from me to want to show him what being a good person and what Christmas is all about. I always thought I was a better person than I actually have been, and it has only been through having my son that I have come to realise just how selfish I have been / still am – I don’t want to pass that on.
I still plan on buying my son Christmas presents and watching him enjoy Christmas in the same way that I did as a child. The main difference is that I want him to appreciate that as a family we are very privileged. Not everyone has had the same opportunities that we have had, and while it isn’t something I want to burden him with, it is important he understands that we can and should make a difference if we are able to.
Help Me
I don’t often ask for favours, but if you could please share this post with your friends, relatives, co-workers, readers (if you are a blog owner) – pretty much everyone, I would love to see a more charitable Christmas become the norm in the future.
My mom grew up poor and she has told me many times that her big treats on Christmas were typically oranges and candy canes. She also typically got one doll. Christmas has definitely gotten out of hand. We can afford to give our children much more now…but should we?
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Being poor when she was young probably allows her to appreciate how well off we all are now.
I love this one Glen! My daughter only asked one thing for this Christmas and it’s not a toy, she even asked me first if she can have a new pair of rubber shoes because her old shoes was already damaged. My daughter is a very frugal type of kid, and I’m very proud of that.
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I love that. I hope my son follows a similar path.
This is our first Christmas with our adopted children, so now our kids have 3 sets of grandparents. Do you know how much stuff 3 sets of grandparents buy their grand kids? Wayyyyy too much! The kids that we adopted came out of a rough situation, but they still got more than most kids and now our kids get so much that they don’t have the time or the split-second thought to be thankful. I think thankfulness is one of the hardest things to teach, especially for Americans. Our kids are starting to grasp what it means to appreciate what you have, but they are getting so much for Christmas that it may start the clock over with our teaching of thankfulness. Anyways, great post! I’ll share it for sure, brother!
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Thanks Kalen and great work adopting, it takes a special person to adopt kids, but I know they will be better off for it with you.
One charity we support every year is Samaritan’s Purse. They impact so many poor people around the world and can really stretch a small donation. Even a little bit of money goes a long way in a third-world country.
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That sounds great – there are just so many people that can benefit from even just a small donation.
Good for you Glen. We give on a regular basis but there are a few places we prefer to give during the holidays. The gifts do get out of hand. We’ve tried to limit it to one gift per child but the rest of the family didn’t really agree.
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Great write up, Glen. I think you would die if you saw the commercialism in North America, it’s much greater.
Taking the time to purposefully build those Christmas memories for your son, ensuring he learns that message that you want him to (I want him too, for the benefit of society!), is so nice to see. Given your purposeful approach, I am sure that it will stick.
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