Mary Ann Wangler
The Signal Staff
I face quite a dilemma this Christmas: no money. At the moment my husband and I struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table; I am left to wonder how we are going to have much of a Christmas for our family.
We have never had the finances to have an extravagant Christmas, but in past years we have been able to have a nice little gift exchange and provide the kids with a reasonable amount of presents. I don’t think we are even going to be able to do that this year.
Although I shun the materialism of the holiday, I am still susceptible to the brainwashing of store advertisements. I want to give as well as receive gifts, and I want to participate in seasonal activities.
As daunting as my financial state is, it is not unique; in fact I would venture to say it is leaning on the side of being pretty common. The current economic situation is causing many families to question whether they will be able to celebrate the holidays.
But, just like a Hallmark movie, there is a change in people’s attitude about Christmas. The loss of financial comfort for some is bringing back a long-forgotten mentality. The media is calling it Depression-era thinking: learning to survive on only that which is needed to sustain life and, if there is anything left over, trying to maintain a semblance of the formerly abundant lifestyle.
While some of us may fret over the ability to provide gifts, others are adapting and changing their mindsets. Suddenly, materialism is out and simplicity and heartfelt sentiment are in. The idea of getting back to a simpler time in order to understand the true meaning of Christmas is no longer a cliché.
All the Whos singing happily in Whoville after waking up to nothing, thanks to the Grinch, becomes inspiration.
So, how does one have a simple, Depression era-like, meaningful, happy holiday?
By thinking outside of the festively wrapped box.
Homemade gifts are a simple way to make sure there is something to unwrap. The Internet is a great resource for ideas where any elementary age child or adult can pass on their crafty knowledge.
If someone is really big into the green movement, then this is the perfect time to practice “reduce, reuse and recycle.” One nifty idea is to make snowmen out of various sized bottle caps. Gather three different sized caps, glue each cap to another’s rim, going from smallest to largest, then paint them and add some string for a tree ornament.
Not quite the crafty type? Doing something nice for someone else could be an alternative gift idea. Give somebody a “day off” from housework. Do the dishes, clean, etc. Anything that would be appreciated by another person that shows care and understanding and a little self sacrifice is a way to evoke the holiday spirit.
There may be very few gifts under my family’s tree, but I will do as much as I can to put more thought and love into each one and embrace the revival of the meaning of Christmas and a true holiday spirit.
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