New Christmas Traditions

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Last week I was talking to my sister Ashley about Christmas.  She said to me with a saddened voice, "I really don't think I'm going to have the money to buy nice presents this year.  They'll probably be homemade."  This got me thinking.  Why do we care so much about gift giving in our family.  Both my two sisters and I are in our later 20s, we don't have children, why can't we start a new tradition?  I know that between my husband and I we usually spend a total of $1,000 between buying gifts for each other and gifts for our families.

After some thought, my husband and I pitched a new idea to my family.  Why don't we choose a person's name in a hat and they will be that person's "Secret Santa"?  That way, the pressure of buying gifts for everyone is lessened and all you need to focus on is the person you get.

In the larger scheme of things the most important part of Christmas, for me anyway, is who is there by you around the Christmas tree.  Yes, presents are super fun but I'm not saying don't buy them, I'm just saying why can't we give gifts a little differently?  Ever since we were children our parents have bought presents for us girls.  To this day, they still do, plus add in husbands and boyfriends.  That's a lot of pressure and a lot of money.  As my parents are getting older, why is it their responsibility to buy all these gifts?  After talking more about this we decided that this year, we could donate to a charity as well.

Just last week we drew names from a hat.  Our family rule is that no one can say who they have and that the 'Secret Santa' will be revealed on Christmas day.  This only adds to the fun because I'm so nosy and only want to know who has who.

One other family tradition that I forgot to add is our family games.  Every family member in my family puts together a game.  Last year these games included: bingo, puzzle races, darts, trivia, and a chopstick challenge that my sister Ashley came up with after living in Japan for over a year.  The person who creates the games also creates or buys their own prizes for the winner.  These games started when just my Mother came up with a 'minute to win it' game of who can stack 3 golfballs first on Thanksgiving Day many years ago.  The winner then won a Subway gift card.  Fun right?  Except, my husband Charles won and I am really competitive.

Christmas will come and go, and the only thing that stays is family.  The older I get, the less I care about receiving presents.  I think that as time goes by, and us girls get older, all we truly care about is the health and happiness of one another.  Yes, gifts make it fun and we will have them.  I just need to wait until I find out who my Secret Santa is.