Yule Time Cheer

Yes it is once again that joyous season of spend, spend, spend….rush, rush, rush…….charge, charge, charge….and so on.

That may seem a little cynical for a mother of four children but this winter season I challenge you to actually take a look at what most people are really doing.  How much of the gift giving is about the thought and not the actual gift. How many parties and get togethers are about spending quality time with those you care about and not just being seen to attend.  Is the amount of cards received more important then actual personal wishes sent.  It goes on and on how we are told the season should be spent and the actual original intentions of the season is getting lost, no matter what holiday you call your own. All holidays celebrated around this time of year were all designed to be a time of family and friends getting together to be thankful for survival of the previous year and hope for the next.

Some years ago my family decided that once the children were old enough that the big Mr C was no longer viable we would end celebrating Christmas as it has become known today.  In that vein we looked around to find a holiday that would fit our desire to celebrate the joy of the season but getting away from the commercialism that is so prevalent today.  So we decided upon bring Yule back into our family traditions.  We decided that celebrating both while the children were young would make the transition easy on them because who wants to be the parent to say “Kids Santa won’t be coming this Year”.  It has worked out surprisingly well for us and if you take away the presents the children prefer the Yule celebration.

Each child has their favorite part.  For my budding pyro it’s the lightening of the yule log and throwing in our wish and thanks on little pieces of paper.  For my nature lover it’s taking treats out to the wild animals.   For my active son it’s the family walk to enjoy the winter season. For me it’s just getting back to the basic reasons for the season.  No anxiety about did I give everyone the same amount of presents or spend around the same amount on each.  No trees dying to wrap a present that won’t last wrapped three seconds in a child’s hand. No missing or wrong name tags.  No children wondering what they are getting from their grandparents because no matter what they receive they are already wondering about what’s left. Etc.

Now I’m not advicating that we all dump our traditions and pick up a new one.  I am advicating that we all take a long hard look at the holidays and get togethers that we are supposed to be enjoying this time a year and decide how to make them enjoyable once again.  Talking with friends over coffee at one of the homes is just as nice if not nicer then doing it at a coffee shop.  In that vein wouldn’t it be nice to spend more of the season enjoying friends and family then strangers in the local mass-market super-discount store.  Fighting over the last “it” toy and spending our paychecks for the next couple of months before we even get them.  Believe it or not my children this year could not even come up with 5 things they wanted for Christmas this year as we have made the importance on getting together then getting presents.  Don’t get me wrong they want presents but we always talk over toys they want and discuss how much truth is in the ads on TV that sparked their interest.  Making a child look at the ads and decide what is make believe and what is real takes a lot of the want out of those “it” toys that we all buy and are only played with less time then it took to actually find and buy them.

So from my family to yours I truly wish you a wonderful season and that the wonder of the season shines bright for you and yours this year.