No More Christmas Presents

[Catsmeow]

With exception of charitable giving and giving to the poor or needy, my husband and I have decided not to do "Christmas" (giving) anymore.

Some of you might remember that old "seventies" song, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"...Well, we've lost that "gift-givin' feelin'". And now it's "gone, gone, gone...oooh.."

I go inside stores and see holiday promotions to buy, buy, buy...ooooh. But the feelin' is gone, gone, gone....I have no desire to buy or be bought for.

I have literally lost all desire to buy stuff at all. It's just not there. I feel no childlike, traditional feelings like the yearning to buy and wrap, put stuff under a tree or any of that. It's just gone.

When Jesus was first in Christmas, the gift-giving was a joy. It was done to please others, meet needs and come together joyously as a family.

It was done with a tenderness and sweetness of an earlier age, when life had a sort of innocence.

Now, with Jesus completely stripped from the seasonal holiday, there's no point. Why bother? Why give gifts?

I DO believe in giving to the needy/poor wherever I see the need. I do believe in that! But not for my own family....It's just nonsense anymore. All it is today is a way for merchants to make up for an otherwise lousy year in sales.

If merchants want to remove Jesus from Christmas, they remove the very reason for the tradition of giving gifts in the first place...

Just my opinion. I'm sure people will disagree but for my husband and I, the inspiration of the season have been removed by the very merchants who want my business. Now, they have just what they want....NO Jesus in Christmas. But, it'll cost them in the long run...

[Prodigalson123]

AMEN, we stopped giving adult presents years ago, instead making charitable contributions on the behalf of the family to an organization that would benefit from it and that would seem to reflect something of that persons personality. But you wouldn't believe the flak I got for this from these people. Keep strong and don't let the materialism of this world affect you.

[IreneM]

when I see christmas trees in stores in october it makes me sick the store are starting earlier and earlier and wants to put us more and more in debt

I do buy gifts but am done by the 1st of October at the latest so am not a part of the christmas rush as they call it

and I agree we have thaken Jesus out of Christimas so why have the Holiday at all

just my opinion

In Christ

IreneM

[Bolts]

I love Christmas.

The traditionalism and commercial side of it gets me down. But I love the look on my childrens faces when we buy gifts together, wrap it, sign the card and then try to find a secret place to hide it until Christmas. Often in the busyness of our business, we loose sight of each other. Christmas and birthdays bring us back to square one as we stand around in a shop deciding whether so & so would like a particular gift or not.

Then its time for Christmas stories. The blessed birth of our Lord and Saviour. I know there are alot of discrepencies about when Jesus was actually born and concern about the influences of the teaching of men, but For me it is a heart thing

A time to remember

A time to give

[mrcorey]

Amen! Praise God! For the past several Christmases I have only given two gifts. One for my mother and one for my sister. Period. And that is just out of love. My family does not celebrate Thanksgiving nor Christmas like other families. I spend the days by myself and feeling miserable. I hate the holidays, I hate the depression, I hate the commercialization. To me they are just "another day" Only filled with more depression because I have nobody to share them with.

in Him;

corey

[Catsmeow]

Oh, Corey..I'm so sorry. I know how hard it is when you endure the holidays alone. My heart really goes out to you.

Much of my family is deceased but I have my husband. I do understand the pain of being alone during holidays. I hope that we would all offer Jesus a Christmas present to Him....(since it's HIS birthday).

Maybe we would welcome a single brother or sister in Christ, an elderly widow/widower, an orphan or someone without a family into our homes for a holiday meal.

Jesus is the REAL reason for the season. I pray we will give HIM the gift this year and forget Walmart altogether.

[Bolts]

mrcorey,

Are we allowed to get your address?

My family and I love sending Christmas Cards

[Smalcald]

Depression is more common during the Holidays; I think it does show something is wrong with how we celebrate them in the US. For some reason thanksgiving gets me down, I don't know why, maybe the onset of darkness and cold, without the fun of deep snow for another couple of weeks.

But with little kids, I do indeed love celebrating Christmas, my wife and I don't give each other gifts, but we really don't even notice with the kids and the fun of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

[Pipit]

It's all about the food for me (I mean, outside of Christ). I don't think I have ever cared for presents, and my family goes a bit nuts in trying to figure out what I want for Christmas because my usual reply is "I don't care... don't really want anything"

[JesseB.]

Wow. If it works for you more power to ya.