Gift giving! What happened to a more simple Christmas?

[Talking Hands]

We have a simpler Christmas without emphasis on gifts and fancy trimmings. I like to crochet so I often make balnkets for friends and family but the actually arrive when finished not at Christmas (unless it is done) so I will give them a certificate. Youngest already got what she wanted. Found a TV on sale for her and a video player last month and she got that. We've adding Satellite TV to her room. Oldest just wants to come home so I may send her some cards for gas.

 

[TDC Nala]

I like cash.

 

[pearlieq]

It always puzzles me when people ask "whatever happened to the simple old days"? I don't know about anyone here, but it was never "simple" and never substantively different from it was now.

Was there really anyone who grew up with simple, hand-whittled gifts? Yes, there's a lot of stress/hassle around the holidays, but that's nothing new.

 

[disykat]

I'm only one generation from an outhouse (my Dad's side - my mom grew up with indoor plumbing), so I'd say my Christmasses were definately more simple. I didn't have hand whittled gifts but I had some contact with that kind of idea through the stories I listened to growing up, etc. I'm trying to keep it that way for my kids as well and have gone out of my way to do so. However, I think the further you get from "the simpler life" the harder it is to hang on to.

 

[aprilgail2]

It always puzzles me when people ask "whatever happened to the simple old days"? I don't know about anyone here, but it was never "simple" and never substantively different from it was now.

Was there really anyone who grew up with simple, hand-whittled gifts? Yes, there's a lot of stress/hassle around the holidays, but that's nothing new.

LOL....I am in my 40's and when I had christmas as a kid there were lots and lots of gifts....I LOVE christmas and personally I love giving gifts more than getting them! Once my 6 year ols daughter was born and people started buying her gifts I told them to take me off their list and just get my daughter. And I will be honest, she is spoiled...but she does not trash her toys, her games from 2-3 Christmasas ago still have all the pieces and and they are stacked in the box on her game shelf so we know where they are when we want to play, and she plays with most things she gets still. She takes such good care of her toys that I can sell them on EBay when she no longer wants them! On Christmas morning there are probably 25 packages there for her to open just from santa...they all come from Santa except one or 2 that come from me...I don't feel I need to take credit for all the gifts while she believes in santa claus,,,once she stops believing she will see who they came from!! Then she gets from uncles anunts, neighbors, friends of mine etc...she writes thank you cards for every single one and then picks out 3-5 things she just got and has not played with to donate to a toy drive that we both work for. I am not religious and to me Cristmas is the season of good will and giving...and I love giving! I know she won't believe much longer since we work for a toy drive for sick and needy kids and she has already questioned it "why doesn't santa just bring these kids toys" its hard to answer..."santa doesn't bring to poor kids" just doesn't seem like the thing to say! Even the poor kids get 5-7 toys a piece for each one we do!

 

[momx2]

I guess my DDs are just spoiled. I have 2 DDs (4 and 8) and it is easy to spend at least $500 a piece on them. That is my budget for them and then I usually go a little over because I'll wrap up some new clothes they need, but I would have bought them anyway. Things are so expensive now, I don't find it hard to spend that much. This year with new bikes (they both need, outgrown the old ones) and they just discovered AG dolls and even board games add up. But, I do not buy for them through out the year. Only Christmas and Birthdays. They recieve an allowance. If they want something, they buy it. They are tightwads, won't hardly spend a penny

I know it may be excessive, but this is the only time of year I buy toys for them, so I don't think so. Plus, it is how I was raised, I may have even got more, but nothing much during the year either. So, we all really looked forward to Christmas. BTW, we also will have an advent wreath and go to Church on Christmas Eve and we are in all the church Christmas Choir programs (oldest DD has her first solo ), so they know the real story of Christamas also.