I like your new cartoon [When
Christmas Meets Easter], but you might want to stick more
closely with the biblical record of the Last Supper, if that's
what you're going for. I'm thinking mainly here of depicting a
fish as dinner. While Jesus eating fish definitely has support
from much of Scripture, he is only actually depicted as eating
it himself after the Resurrection. Just a thought from your vegetarian
friend. — Nathan Braun
I just want to thank you for this website its summed up all my
thinkings of Christmas, i can feel Gods heart powerfully on this
celebration and understanding that its all for God. I mean wow
this is what God wanst and that exites me to know that i'm in
his plan that he's upturning the status quo of society, he did
it once then we lost the plot but Gods here to change it back
to his way, and wow its going to be amazing. — Dan Robins
Wow! I didn't know there were other people doing this. I have
refused to give and recieve christmas gifts since 1997, when I
was thirteen years old. Neither do I participate in any kind of
christmas celebration.I have a few reasons: I do not belive in
god, therefore I think it's hypocrisy to celebrate the birth of
Jesus, allthough I'm raised in a christian family. I am a socialist,
and I'm against "consumism". Neither do I like the "new religion"
that the myth of the "family" is and christmas is the time for
celebrating it. What I have noticed is that many people are very
offended by my decision. People I hardly know can get totally
outraged and tell me the most horrible things. Obviosly many people
are threatened by someone that doesn't want to participate in
the sacred shopping and who doesn't embrace "family values". I
realize that my reasons for a buy nothing christmas is different
and may be more radical and controversal than yours, but I still
like the campaign. — Ylva Soderfeldt, Sweden
Keep up the great work! You are inspiring people! — Margaret
Collins, practicalhippie.com
I'm surprised the churches did'nt pick this up earlier, in the
battle between the admen and churches admen win hands down nationally,
sad thing is, even in the local communities the church is not
the popular choice in the UK. Never mind at least the scales have
fallen from their eyes and joining ranks with groups like yourself
will no doubt create new partnerships and learning for the future.
Will there be a t-shirt to buy in the UK? if so can you pass on
the details. — Denise Rhoden
Although I am a committed Christian and support your sentiments,
I have one big probelm with your idea. Right now, our country
is facing some tough economical problems. By refusing to aid the
economy through buying things (and in turn paying taxes to the
government) it seems that you are hurting the country in a time
of need. I do agree that it is better to spend your Christmas
money on charities or by buying things for those who are less
fortunate, but the idea of buying "nothing" seems to do them less
good than a monetary contribution to a responsible charity. —
Lisa
Rock On!!! After over 2 years on the web I thought my anti-Christmas
pages were unique on the web. S it's just great to see someone
else doing something about this festival of capitalism and consumer
indoctrination. My site is less mainstream, less serious, and
somewhat weirder than yours but the anticonsumerist spirit at
it's core remains the same. There's a selection of anti-christmas
cards but - W-A-R-N-I-N-G - some of you Christian folks will probably
find some of these distasteful. I'm not a Christian and culturally
I've no doubt we're world's apart. So keep in mind: what's offensive
to one person is humour to another. However I've just made some
new conservative anti-christmas cards so there's something for
everyone (well almost!). Buying nothing is all very well, but
if we're to stop this madness we've got to be pro-active and sending
an anti-christmas card is one way to start. Check out the cards
and other
stuff here . — Steve
For a lot of your gift suggestions, you have to buy things. I
agree, this is tons better than buying the usual gifts, but there
is no mention of making a donation in someone's name. Consider
a Habitat for Humanity house building trip or donate to a small
organization that deals directly with refugees - like the Small
Planet Fund. There are a lot of people doing wonderfully innovative
things right now to help people change their lives and pull them
out of poverty - how about listing a bunch on your web site and
suggesting people send their Christmas funds there? —
Diane
While I admire this movement very much, being one for social
action myself, I do not think it inherently evil to buy something
for someone else. Christmas, founded on the celebration of Christ's
birth is meant to remain that way, a celebration. If giving gifts
is a means rather than an end in celebrating this holiday, or
any holiday, all the better to make it joyous. When giving a gift
one should think about the use-value -- if the person can't use
it, don't give it. Gifts of money,even for student loans etc,
are still "consumeristic" and that is the nature of humankind
(to a point). Using money is a consumeristic action. Hence, this
leads me to my final point: Your movement is admirable and a step
in the right direction, but I think there are still some fundamental
holes in your thinking. Recycle, Conserve, Think, and Love. —
Shaun
I teach high school in Michigan and am trying to challenge my
students to think differently about the Christmas season. Every
day they are forced to watch "Channel One" which encourages them
to be consumers, and this has provided me the opportunity to talk
with them about the commericals they are forced to view. Although
I was confused by some of your doctrine Jesus
needs our help(?!!), I was encouraged that a Christian group
chould actually be so counter-cultural. And perhaps this is sadly
ironic. We are called to be Salt and Light, but for some reason,
the covetousness and lack of contentment in our hearts is either
ignored or held up as a civic virtue. — Rob Olson, Pittsford,
Michigan
I am a 21 year old university student, and my parents are missionaries
in India. I was planning to have a low-spending christmas this
year by making presents myself, doing organic baking, making fair-trade
chocolates etc. I was so pleased to find the link to this site
through adbusters.com. It eases some of my discontentment with
a hypocracy-filled religion to see social awareness like this
being spread in the name of Jesus. Thank you for the lift in spirits
and the great ideas! I plan to make my own incense (lots of internet
sites with recipes!), and make soap with raw herbs in it as a
scent and design. — Amalia Nickel
This is one of the finest ideas i've come across for christmas.
i am not a mennonite, i am a Buddhist and also a Socialist (from
the USA, no less). what i found amusing was when i told my brother
i wasn't buying anyone gifts for christmas, he called me "Scrooge".
i still plan on taking part in the other aspects of christmas,
but because i refuse to give in to excessive consumption that
somehow makes me 'anti-christmas'. thanks for trying to make christmas
into a special day instead of a sea of thoughtless gifts.—
j ryan
After being unhappy at Christmas time for as long as I can remember,
I have always thought about "dropping out" of the whole materialistic
commercialized mess. This year I made up my mind and let family
and friends know that I will not be participating in a gift exchange.
Though I have two sons 18 and 21 and a wife who is totally wrapped
up (sorry!) in the gift giving, I have finally taken a stand.
One of the problems with the many distractions we have in our
lives is that we do things out of habit even though it is something
that is antithetical to who we are. Give yourself permission to
celebrate your holiday in a way that you feel is right for you.
— Michael O'Brien
I am so glad to find this on the screen! I had been so down about
not being able to be with family, and not really being able to
buy anyone anything...plus the sadness of three of my friends
and two of their children being evicted from their homes in the
past three months. I would find myself giving sarcastic, off the
cuff sermonettes on anti-consumerism in stores from time to time...
and I thought it was all because of my very bad, and negative
frame of mind. Now I find maybe it's not all my fault and perhaps
there is something important behind it. So, I hope to go ahead
with this "station" on the Web and find out more to do about this
whole issue. Thanks an awful lot. (and please pray I will stop
picking on the non-thinking (yet) public that don't know enough
(yet) to wake up and smell the coffee...about our hurting world.
— Sue, Massachusets
I am a Scottish Highland bagpiper. For centuries, pipers have
composed tunes to commemorate special events or people close to
their heart. I have written tunes in honor of my friends as gifts
this Christmas for those dear to me. I believe nothing can honor
a friend more than to create a piece of music with that person
in mind and to memorialize your love for them in a melody. I wish
you all a happy and safe holiday and a successful Buy Nothing
Christmas. Be assured that all I come in contact with will know
of your mission -- our mission. — Ryan Morrison
I never buy or ask for christmas gifts because, since becoming
an adult, i look for the deeper meaning of christmas. i never
realised that i was part of a movement, though! actually, my extended
family out in charlotte stopped giving presents entirely (formerly
we had done a secret santa type thing with exchanging names at
random). now, we use that money to assist a less fortunate family.
we have discovered the new way to be more agreeable to all than
the old way. amazingly, under the old way, there always seemed
to be a lot of unpleasantness when someone bought the wrong sort
of gift. now, there is a less distracted focus on family comraderrie.
anyway, god bless you in your movement (or i should say our movement)
and keep up the good work.— leroy mcswain
Just beware of the tragic trend of turning into the self righteous
ones you're so against...our family is buying nothing, but not
to be part of a trendy trend, it just makes sense. we are putting
$$ together to support Canadian Food for the Hungry. There are
so many ways to give to local and international needs. If you
can do that and still buy Christmas presents, go crazy! —
Audrey
This Christmas season I put up "Buy Nothing Day" posters around
the city in an attempt to introduce the idea of freedom from consumerism.
I also convinced my family that instead of our usual practice
of each person giving every other person a Christmas gift, this
year we would each draw a name and give a gift to only that person.
— Joel Butler, New Brunswick, Canada
I think your posters would make great holiday cards. You should
sell them. Ha! — Buck
I will not work nor shop on Sundays... Has anyone attempted to
organize christians to avoid shopping/dining out on Sundays? Seems
a logical extension of this thread. — Mike
One of my best Christmases was spent eating grilled fish at an
open-air cafe in our little town in Belize, where we lived. We
were so basic that we shared one home-carved spoon among 3 people,
taking turns eating! In Nicaragua, the wealthy doctors make $90/month.
The global average daily wage is less than $1/day. Don't we in
the US ever have enough? It is obscene to keep hogging global
resources. — Kathcart
I found many of your opinions stated on your website interesting
and thought provoking. I was however slightly offended by your
"Jesus sandals" story, as well as by political statements you
make with little or no basis (eg. President & PM) other than to
put yourselves in a better light. I feel uncomfortable with the
insinuation that others in the Mennonite community would support
your online opinions, and as one myself, feel that there is a
definate need to seperate your opinions and political activity
from the church. If your not trying to be "religious" don't try
to be a little bit. Many good discussion issues to act on though!
— Dave
I am not completely "buy nothing", but getting closer. For many
years I have told people that the greatest gift they can give
me for Christmas is to promise me they won't buy me a gift, and
to give me permission to not buy them a gift. The majority of
the handful of gifts we do buy are experiences we can share together.
Your site is inspiring me to find ways of doing those without
going on a spending spree either. — Dan Roth
How do we explain this concept to our kids? Not after all the
years that she has celebrated Xmas with gifts and giving. I would
feel terrible for her not getting anything. She would be devasted.
So even though I think its a great idea and worth thinking about....I
wouldn't be able to participate...at least not until my daughter
is old enough to understand and accept it for herself. I will
though, pass this website on to others who may be more interested
than me at this time. — Tami Froehlich
I have started We Won't Shop, an effort designed to speak with
consumer power against an attack on Iraq. At www.stopshopping.org
we provide daily updates of the $ amount that Americans have pledged
keep out of the retail sector over this holiday season, unless
President Bush backs off of his unilateral, preemptive stance.
Canadians can pledge to reduce their consumption and write to
the top American retailers, as well as President Bush, to let
them know why they're cutting back. As of November 26, 178 individuals
have pledged to cut retail spending by $118,950 between November
1 and January 31. — Kyeann Sayer
Can't help wondering if we're talking about the same Mennonite
sect or some theoretical hoped for evolution of it. The one I'm
familiar with is enthralled by the hyper wealthy industrialists,
car dealers and real estate tycoons who salve their conscience
with appropriate participation in the Mennonite Central Committee
and various pc menno based educational institutions. Literally
thousands of poor Paraguayans, Mexicans and Filipinos staff their
low wage manufacturing megafactories here in Winnipeg. There are
some Mennonites (old style in Ontario and Pennsylvania) who buy
nothing for Christmas, but to this point they haven't been buying
internet service either so you won't likely hear from them. —
Jerry Shantz, Winnipeg
I found your site todayin "New Directions." Wow! We're not alone,
Christmas has not been like this since I was child. No stress,
headaches,or running around LOOKING for that must have gift. The
last two years have consisted of a fine meal, with family, going
over the events of the year and remembering lost loved ones. —
Robert E. Harding
Jews, secular and religious, (especially secular) around the
globe have been caught up in the christmas rush. Even though chanukah
has a part of the holiday where one exchanges gifts (8 actually),
it has been blown out of proportion. It must be stopped to save
our planet and out minds. Please help us all in the same way you
help many. — Adam Popper, Halifax/Toronto
I "boycotted" Christmas last year by not really purchasing any
gifts for people, and have already told my parents that I don't
want gifts for Christmas, but instead if they want to give me
money to send payment toward my student loans. I have already
decided that my gifts for friends and family will be photographs
that I print myself in a darkroom, and then I will purchase a
nice frame for it and give that to them. Also, making gift cards
yourself is a great alternative. Also, I just want to point out
that I myself am not religious but was raised as a Christian.
I find your website to be very open and welcoming to all people.
After all, consumerism isn't just for Christians anymore. —
Judith Magloczki, Madison, Wisconsin
My mother became quite sick a few years ago and passed away
earlier this year. We had to sort through an accumulated 50-years
worth of possessions. It was necessary for us to work together
to glean out those things that had some meaning to us. Many of
the items she bought were in the past ten years and included gadgets
and appliances she never used, as well as knickknack and collector
items that no one wanted. We all walked away from this experience
with an overwhelming feeling of loss and depression. All of this
money spent on material possessions, often amassed, not used,
and sitting around collecting dust was so pointless. Our time
was spent throwing out much of it, or cleaning, selling and giving
it away to, hopefully, a more productive life.— Karen
Cagle
You would have to be very crafty and have lots of time on your
hands to do your alternatives. — loving patron
It is all well and good what your saying but i have one point
to tell you. THE KIDS WONT LIKE IT. Sorry but that is the plain
truth. — nonyrb usynes
Christmas is a time when we are supposed to be worshipping God
for sending us his son and allowing us to live with him for eternity.
Instead Christmas in America has turned into a time where we worship
the idol of consumerism. We waste money on things that we don't
need and sometimes don't even want. I am really glad to hear that
God has spoken the same message to other Christians. —
Jeremy Ellsworth
I am so happy to find your site. It is refreshing. I am a Christian
and a socialist who believes in communal living as a model of
our faith. Love and community are the two greatest gifts we can
give to one another. My wife and I give coupon books as a way
to share our love at Christmas. Sometimes our family doesn't take
them seriously though. They must think this is the best that the
"poor" family members can do. I haven't ever stopped to explain
to them our reasoning for not giving them expensive gifts. We
just choose to live a different lifestyle, and try to be as self
sufficient as possible. — Curtis Dean
I've read through many of the articles on this web page and I'll
have to say is that it makes absolutely no sense to have this
campaign. One of your main concerns is poverty in the US, THE
major capitalist nation, and not buying something makes no sense
to stop poverty. For one thing if you know anything about basic
economics, is that if you buy more stuff they'll be a larger demand
for jobs and these poor people might actually be able to work
themselves out of poverty. I do understand the other major point
of your campaign about making Christmas more meaningful and I
do agree with that end of it. If you really want to damage our
economy more and finish the jobs the terrorist did with Sept.
11th then by all means no one should buy anything this Christmas.
I'm so angry after reading all the articles on this website that
I can barely think straight. Thanks for trying to ruin the economy
I live in. — Adam [Eds. response: We don't want to ruin
the economy, we want to rebuild it into one that affords less
concentration of wealth, offers more meaningful work, and is based
not on infinite consumption but on maintaining the health of the
planet, our prime source of capital. -ASE]
I felt so free when I said this year I don't want any presents
at all. It really shocked people, but Christmas is so fake, the
colours and Santa that bring "fake hope." I want to go back to
the root of Christmas, Celebrating Jesus's birth, Gods kindness
and love. It's so freeing to come closer to God and further from
things that are stopping me to get to know God better (like presents
and the jealousy and disappointment that so often comes with them).
— Dan
Hey great idea, and its about damn time we Mennonites stood up
for more political and social issues. You can expect me to be
campaigning my campus this Christmas. — Mike Kaethler
I notice nearly all your comments are from Canada (maybe a few
from the US), but I found you via a link on a British weblog.
It would be wonderful to see more people our side of the pond
responding to something like this! thank you for the marvellous
alternative ideas and resources sections too :) — AliceCrawford,
United Kingdom
Just wondering what the most environmentaly friendly way of
plastering these posters around my town would be, i.e. adhesive
and paper type? If people see the posters they will check out
the website. Great work keep it up. — Curtis Barber [Eds.
response: Try recycling used paper from the office, and using
a flour/water paste or thumb tacks. Any other ideas? send them
in.-ASE]
Check out www.worldvisiongifts.org
for some superb and fun ideas. How about buying a goat? A share
of a camel? A well or vitamins for families and communities in
the 2/3rds world. — Ian Newman
One amazing gift idea, which I read about in Richard Foster's
book about the spiritual discipline, is to give someone something
of yours that they said they liked. You should see the look on
someone's face when they receive this gift, because it is so unexpected
in our ownership-focused culture. What a great site, keep up the
good work. I have forwarded it to everyone I know. — Claire
Cummings
Is there going to be anything going on in Seattle for Buy Nothing
Christmas? If so, where? — Big Ben
Instead of buying gifts for people . . . give the money to a
specific charity in honor of that person. Samaritan's purse has
an amazing Christmas catalog that you can go through...and put
money towards things like baby chickens for kids in guatemala,
soccer balls and such for kids in africa, money to help start
a church in honduras, food for orphans in romania and many more!
Also, CSI (Christian Solidarity International) is a an amazing
program that helps free slaves in the Sudan! Thank you so much
for being Christian and active in such important endeavors....check
out Buy Nothing Day that is coming up on Nov. 29 ...started by
Adbusters. — Austin Petito
Good project. Good web site. Carry on. — Dan Nighswander
Just thought that you'd like to know that I found your site via
the Adbusters site. Your ideas are being discussed at Hillbrook
Anglican School in Brisbane, Australia! (It's something I've been
thinking about for a number of years, but it's great to see your
wonderful posters and so forth). — Sharon Hillcoat, Geography
Co-ordinator
Here's an idea: Send a list of charities to your family and friends,
and ask them to donate money to them instead of buying you a gift.
If they really want to send you something, ask for a reciept from
the charity they donated to and have them send it to you in a
box =). — Taylor
Your website has given us the motivation to do something. We
are definitely going to participate in Buy Nothing Christmas.
My husband and I grew up in a community of Mennonites in rural
Kansas. What an eye opening! I read your description of what a
Mennonite is to my husband and we both said "No way!" :') —
Alisa Stucky, Kansas
I fix computers as a job and do basic electronics repair as a
hobby. I can tell you from personal experience these things are
poorly made. — Anonymous, "my_can_o_spam"
You can make AOL CDs into very pretty decorations. Place them
shiny side up on a sheet of aluminum foil , then place them under
the grill for 30 seconds. Remove and place them on a flat surface
till they are cool. — Katie
This year, my first full year on my own, is an official Buy Nothing
Christmas. Most of my family and friends have taken this well.
A few say they are "insulted" (!?) but it doesn't matter. My morals
have grown up and I can't sit on this waterballoon of overconsumption
anymore. — Heather Barnes, Burnaby, British Columbia
I really just wanted to say thanks for the ideas, I truely appreciate
it and I'm officially on the bandwagon. — Vee
I got the following information from Sojourners (www.Sojo.net):
, thought they fit well with your website: Weary of seeing so
much money wasted on commercialism during the Christmas season?
Send your loved ones an exemption card...e-cards available at:
http://216.156.105.63/buynothing/xmas_cert_own.asp
— Sophie Tiessen-Eigbike, Cloverdale, British Columbia
As a Fashion student living in London, I find it is be the easiest
thing to be utterly consumed by yourself and consumed by consumption
itself, I would like to break this and am intrigued by the idea
of Buy Nothing Christmas. — Lindsay Wilson
One of my favorite holiday gifts was from a cousin who would
buy homemade candy from Mennonite communities in the Midwest U.S.
Not exactly "buying nothing," but the proceeds did go to help
support the community, not to large corporations - and the candies
were always a special taste treat. — S. Housewright,
Los Angeles, California
I tried this last year, and my sister hasn't spoken to me since.
Apparently gifts to international charities don't cut it with
her, no matter how carefully explained. I'll see if there's interest
in my church though. — Donna Stewart
More ideas: Write poems that explain how you feel about a person.
You can bind pages together and make journals for writers and
artists. Make hacky sacks for your friends. Or compose a song
that goes out to your family. — Denise
Bird balls and thoughtful knick-knacks are fine, but why not
GIVE THE MONEY YOU WOULD HAVE SPENT TO CHARITY INSTEAD? Don't
you think that's a better expression of "Christian" teaching than
bird balls ? — Kevin Ryan
I go through these urges that I need a new bike with shocks and
a light frame. But, to quote friend of mine, "When you get an
urge to buy something, exploit what you have." Instead of spending
over a thousand dollars on a new one, I'm going to let the urge
pass, and give my current bike an overall. Maybe I'll even wash
it. — Aron Enns, Abbotsford, British Columbia
I perused your website and sent your "Why Buy Nothing?" essay
to a few friends. I think you are doing a helpful thing here that
promotes real American values; ironic that they run directly contrary
to Bush's idea of "support" at home. After being turned onto Adbusters
magazine, I am now working on integrating social commentary into
the performances of the band I play in in Boston called "The Bay
State Love Machine." I've put together a couple of one-act things
that deal with hyperconsumerism. — Adam Friedman
Christmas is dying and being replaced by a holiday that promotes
only one interest: that of the corporate economy. Last year, to
counter the Corporate Xma$ and urge shoppers to forget consumer
consumption for a couple days, myself and several friends, disguised
as young holiday shoppers, took to Robson st. in Downtown Vancouver
on Dec 23rd. From a Vancouver radical cheerleading group, we learned
some anti-corporate songs and cheers to perform to holiday shoppers
inside stores that would never dare to expose the true consequences
of the corporate consumer culture. Some of our pieces included
"L A B E L", "The Starbucks Monopoly", "Rudolph the Cambobian
Slave", "God rest ye wasted, gentle Earth", "Sweatshops have got
to stop", "It's time to sell" and "Beauty". Through artistic expression,
we reached out to many consumers and provoked some very emotional
responses. What better way to subvert Corporate Xma$ than to sing
about the exploitation of workers and the environment, the corporate
global economy, the corporate consumer culture and the commodification
of beauty in the very locations that perpetuate these things by
selling them to first-world consumers? — Cam Dean,
Vancouver, British Columbia
What about not having a Christmas dinner either. Just do a normal
everyday dinner. And donate that money to Union Gospel Mission
for their dinner. It might make a negative impact on the Diet
Industry. Better for our health. Nobody would overconsume sweets.
— Monica Carter
This year, inspired by Buy Nothing Christmas, my nuclear family
is looking at new traditions. We couldn't completely forsake gift-giving,
but we're doing some things differently. We drew names, rather
than everyone exchanging gifts, and are encouraging gifts that
are fairly traded, or non-material, like theater tickets. We will
also make a family donation to a local income-generation initiative.
Perhaps this falls short of the pure philosophy of a buy-nothing
Christmas. However, trusting in the mercy and charity that lie
at the heart of this movement, I humbly submit this as the testimonial
of a fallen family, but a family groping toward redemption nonetheless.
— Daniel Rempel, Winnipeg, Manitoba
What you are doing is awesome! It's about bloody time some Christians
have put social awareness into affect... i am a big fan of Adbusters,
and i find many ideas and principles that Adbusters supports is
many that the church should as well, but we're not. So good job!
Keep it up. Simplicity as a theology and a way of life brings
satisfaction. — Nils, Winnipeg, Manitoba
I am an atheist, but I love your group. I always hate it when
people blame my reluctance to participate in Christmas gift-exchange
solely on my religous views. I am unable to comprehend the a religious
person who flocks to the mall seeking sales. I understand buying
clothes for your children, but it does not need to be a gift.
Do something good for your family, allow them to love you and
not your money. Materialism is destroying America (and Canada
too, eh?). Thanks for providing education to the masses.—
Robert Gillespie
A friend of mine just told me to listen to joel's tune and an
hour later i've heard it 5 times and read every word on the website...im
a bit of an activist myself, in some ways...currently knee deep
in trade justice stuff (WTO AoA). anyway, i'm writing because
the Spirit of God has really resonated some truths from the heart
of the text, "why buy nothing" inside of me...and i
had one of those sacred moments...and while those things are difficult
to articulate, i feel like its ok to share that it happened. thanks.—
A.S., Canada
I want to thank you for putting this together. My partner and
I have been moving more and more towards a "Buy Nothing Holiday
Season" for the past three years, when we both joined AmeriCorps
and learned to live on a very "modest" income. This
year, we are both in college full time. We have neither the time,
energy, or money to worry about how to have the "perfect"
holiday. We talked with some of our friends, and have agreed to
exchange "non-bought" gifts, mostly coupons to spend
time with each other to do a favorite activity. That wasn't too
hard. However, I have friends who do have money, and buy us somewhat
expensive gifts. That makes me feel guilty when I give them a
tin of cookies. Your well thought out ideas on how to explain
why I want to celebrate the holidays this way is giving me the
courage to address this issue with them. I've thought about these
ideas in the past, but had not articulated them fully, even to
myself. Not having money was a good reason to turn away from commercial
holidays. These ideas will continue to help me have a rich holiday
season without caving in to consumerism, long after I am more
affluent monetarily. thank you.— Gwendolyn Shae
I love these ideas and this site! One concern I have is that we
don't want to be too strong in our stance and turn other people
off. I know some Christians boycott Halloween, and that sends an
judgemental message. I don't sense that here though.—
Laura Ogle
When I was a diagnostician with children, I asked one lad what
he wanted as a reward for reading to his mother for fifteen minutes
each night. His reply was that he really wanted her to "just
be with him to chat a bit." This insight made me realize
that we could drastically change our gift giving. On the next
"gift" occasion John gave me a coupon book to be redeemed
before the year was up. Imagine the delight when I looked at the
colourful drawings and wee "ads" for everything from
a foot massage (when asked), to making me a cup of hot drink on
request. Going for a leisurely walk when desired was also very
special, or looking at photos of places we had visited. So if
people want high quality time on request, a coupon book with desirable
sharing experiences is our wee contribution to your Christmas
tree of less commercial goodies. — Sally and John Guggenheimer,
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Our extended family used to exchange names for Christmas. We'd
make wish lists for each other to try to cut down on the drudgery
of shopping. A few years ago someone got the idea of collecting
money for needy families instead of shopping for each other. Usually
we give the money to someone that one of our family's knows or
has some connection to. This way of sharing Christmas cheer is
much more satisfactory than spending money on each other. The
tearful "thank yous" that we have received are better
than the "I wonder if I spent as much money as my sister-n-law?"
concerns that we used to experience. The generosity is probably
exceeded as well.— Bev Short and Reimar Goetzke, Fort
Langley, British Columbia
Last year at Christmas, we put together MCC School Kits with
my husband's extended family instead of exchanging gifts. Each
family unit was responsible for purchasing items that went into
the kit. For example, my husband and I bought all of the notebooks.
When the family all gathered together at Christmas, each person
held a bag and the children circled the room dropping items into
each bag. The children enjoyed this activity and responsibility,
and it provided a meaningful, gift-giving ritual for the family.
— Tracy Wideman, Langley, British Columbia
