The year we take back Christmas

Guest Post by Rhonda

For many of us this Christmas may be an awakening to what we have been doing for the past years putting our selves in debt finally paying off all those credit cards by October or November just to do the same thing all over again. I am a forty five year old middle class professional woman who is as guilty as the rest commercially driven by X-Mas.

I can remember as a young girl Christmas seemed so different than today, We would have our traditions in leading up to the days of Christmas, one night we would get together and bake cookies and make hot chocolate, the next night would be crafts night in which we made decorations for the Christmas tree which would also become gifts for the family. We would also had our yearly best ginger bread making contest in which there really was never a winner because everyone’s was a winner. Then of course there was holiday baking night, we would make cookies and pack them in tins with handmade bows and deliver our homemade treasures to friends and neighbors. Last but not least was the neighbor caroling night when we all got together and sang throughout the streets.

This Christmas season you may not find yourself purchasing that big screen TV, computers, jewelry, and other material items but instead enjoying the Christmas rituals of years past.

Maybe the state of the economy can be an awakening to what Christmas is today and bring back the traditions of being with and appreciating your friends and family during the holiday seasons instead of being commercially driven and putting our selves in debt. We have allowed the true meaning of Christmas to be taken away from us and maybe this will be the year we take it back.