A No Gift Christmas? Well, Almost...

Christmas 2007

This year our family is going to implement a "no gift giving Christmas". We are not giving gifts to our friends. We are not giving gifts to our friend's kids. We are not giving gifts to our parents, spouses, co-workers or mailmen. The only one getting gifts this year in our family is Grace. Okay and probably one cousin, we just can't get EVERYONE on board.

Of course this is a crazy experiment and one that Mom (I know you are reading this) wasn't the most excited about but seriously, we are 40 years old now, we buy what we want and need already and it's time to stop trading money :) Every year it gets harder and harder because we all have more and more. Sure occasionally one of us will come up with a perfectly clever and personal gift but really we just need to spend more time together. Sooooo....this is the year to do it.



It won't be as easy as it sounds because I've already thought of some things I could MAKE for a few people from materials I already have, but that would defeat the purpose really because then they would feel the need to reciprocate and it would just never, ever end.



I Googled "no gift giving Christmas" and found one link on the history of the tradition of gift giving that was sort of interesting http://www.essortment.com/all/christmaschrist_rijq.htm



We are not exactly planning to skip Christmas, just the crazy and expensive shopping trips for various novelty gewgaws no one really wants or needs.



We spent almost $2,000 on Christmas last year for family and friends. We just have to stop the madness! Sorry, Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy, you'll just have to struggle along without us this year.



Last year, by Christmas morning we had to beg Grace to open the rest of her presents. She didn't want to do it anymore. It was nuts.



So PAAAAALLLLLEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSEEEE don't get me a gift, because then I'll have to go into my whole tirade (see above) about why we are not giving gifts this year.



This year we'll be eating, going to church, playing games and watching movies for Christmas with my family.



Ho, ho, ho.