We're in a state of “pathological consumption,” George Monbiot explains, “a world-consuming epidemic of collective madness, rendered so normal by advertising and the media that we scarcely notice what has happened to us.”
The call to consume less – where it is heard – is denounced as pedantic, naive, authoritarian, even insane.
Decide for yourself where the insanity lies.
From notbuyinganything.
You can celebrate Christmas without shopping in the crowds, cleaning house like mad, and getting stressed out.
Our Christmas preparations follow one rule: Do what you feel like is fun.
We don't have many Christmas traditions yet as a family. Baking gingerbread cookies is one. Going to cut down our own little tree is another (since last Christmas, as that was the first time we had a tree). We have a shoebox full of decorations for the tree, and we also made gingerbread cookies with holes for hanging.
We have a couple of bundles of small lights, that were supposed to go outside but never made it there. They really are just bundled up in piles and I think they look so pretty.
I have not bought one single material gift so far. All adults get a charity donation, my nieces get tickets to Helsinki International Horse Show, where they have never been before. I will give Indiana this box of beads I found in my mom's stuff. I have a hard time thinking about what else I might get her, since she doesn't want anything and she has enough clothes and she likes to wear the same thing all the time anyway. Maybe I will get more craft materials.
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I really only need to get a couple of gifts for the other children in our life.
We will enjoy each other's company, do fun things, visit family, take it easy.
Running around like a headless chicken in the shopping center and wearing yourself out cooking and cleaning and decorating your home according to latest trends sounds like insanity to me.
Christmas is not supposed to be another chore, something to get done, get through, and have a bunch of junk to show for it.
10 comments:
your comments are very true- good gifts are donations, experiences (theatre, dinner out, etc), food, and thoughtful handmade items. I am not above buying something new for a person if it is thoughtful and needed, but not for the sake of "getting something...anything."
I bought my nieces 2 handmade hand puppets this year - I don't yet have the skill for making them, and they will use them for hours of play -- and a stack of books from thrift stores and garage sales.
Also, pretty gingerbread house!
Merry Christmas!
I totally agree with you. It took me a while to realise it, though we never went totally mad, but am glad life is so much nicer now :) You are right to keep it this way and I wish you a lovely festive family season!! I am so looking forward to getting back to my family this week... ;)
I couldn't agree more! We celebrate a very simple christmas. Our decoration is a box of old and very loved family heritage. Our dinner is the same since we celebrate as a family. Very easy, very quick, no stress. We have stopped giving presents within the adults for years. The older children (nieces, nephews and god children) get "experiences" (a visit at the ballet, art exhibition, cinema) - they love it. The youngest gets a much wanted toy, he has been asking for the whole year.
That's it! I love our very simple, small, relaxed christmas! Wish the same to you and your family!
Hi, your simple and sensible approach to Christmas is so refreshing to read. After many years of over stressing and over buying at Christmas I am beginning to do Christmas according to my rules. My number one rule is to enjoy the preparation and celebration itself. If you're worn out and frazzled you can't enjoy either :)
Ihanaa joulua teille ja kuulostaakin hyvälle, juuri sellaiselta mistä itsekin pidän. Viime vuoden joulunvieton ihanin muisto minulle on se kun mieheni äiti kokosi meidät kaikki yhteen ja kun sytytimme enkelikellokynttilät ja luimme jouluevankeliumin tai jotakin sellaista, ja lauloimme. Tänä jouluna joulun alla halusin itsekin keskittyä ihmisiin. Yhdessä olemiseen ja muutenkin haluaisin enemmän tulevassakin vaalia samaa yksinkertaista elämää perheen ja läheisten parissa kaiken muun hössöttämisen sijaan :)
i love your minimalist take on christmas - and your one rule! I just wrote about the chaos of the holidays (inspired by my puppy) and you seem to embody the simple yet more enjoyable approach: http://fashionablylight.com/puppy/ happy holidays!
xandra ★
I am the same. DS is getting stuff from his grandparents, but otherwise, we are just taking him to activities that we love.
Decorating is simple -- we are picking pine bows and pohutukawa from our local trees (we'll go on a hike next Monday to gather), and then decorate! Christmas morning, we'll be going to the beach with friends to have some good food and sun!
Then my ILs come, and they insist on gifts, not donations. I don't know what that deal is. I got them locally made possum/wool socks. I got them through a friend and spent $24. And, we are making wrapping paper (ds is painting it).
For us, it's all about the simplicity! :D
I am so with you on this subject! My struggle is with family, my poor parents just don't get the minimalism thing. I actually dread Christmas this year because I have this giant box of gifts that they brought and I absolutely dread opening it because it just means more stuff ugh. Do you have any advice on how to get your realitives to not buy all the stuff?
I couldn't agree more. It all seems senseless to me. Things are extremely simple here. We've stopped exchanging presents with our large family a few years ago, to me it all seemed such a waste having to 'find' a present rather than because someone genuinely needed something. We're the same at birthdays, it has lifted such a weight of expectation from my shoulders and feels so freeing!
Their grandparents still buy them a gift though, clothes or welly boots, something that they have grown out of and do actually 'need'.
Your gingerbread house is beautiful!
I love this post! Doing what is fun is a wonderful guide. And it's different for everybody! I know some people who truly enjoy decorating every nook and cranny of their homes for the Holidays (not me!) and so for them that's what they should be doing. We have a low key Christmas at our house too. We don't buy very many gifts and mostly just hang out with each other...watching movies, eating popcorn, drinking eggnog, working puzzles, playing games and reading. this year we didn't put up lights because we just didn't feel like it and guess what? The world didn't end! ;)
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