Christmas. Just the word is enough to send our stress levels soaring into the stratosphere. And now the frenzy starts way before Thanksgiving. UGH. It’s enough to make me say, “Bah, humbug!”
It makes me wonder–whatever happened to the simple joys of the season? You know, like baking and decorating cookies in a warm kitchen with friends and family, gathering together for an evening of decorating the (live) tree with treasured ornaments while sipping warm cider or eggnog, knitting or handcrafting a special gift for a friend, taking a walk to enjoy Mother Nature’s fabulous winter show, visiting with good neighbors to enjoy the pleasure of community, making a wreath of beautiful greens and berries for the front door. I’m sure you could add a few of your own if you sift through your memories.
Why in the world did we allow these simple joys to be overtaken by the mad rush of consumerism? How could we allow ourselves to be hoodwinked into buying mountain loads of stuff that substitute for a few precious gifts from the heart and hands? Does it really make sense to overspend because we get caught up in holiday madness? What happened to our treasured soul-satisfying holiday activities of yore? How can we regain what we’ve lost, given our consumeristic sleep that seems to have no awakening? And whatever happened to the real meaning of Christmas?
I’m not supplying answers to those questions. You can ponder them on your own. To stimulate your musings, I’ve compiled a few interesting articles from Shannon Hayes, Fran Corten and Colin Beavan. It’s my Holiday Gift to you.
Reclaiming Christmas, Radical Homemaker Style
Wishing you a peaceful Holiday and a joy-filled New Year that is free of extraneous stuff.
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