What happened to the magic?

[Colleen Del Bane~Creator~]

Am I the only one who is feeling Christmas has lost its magic? Did you used to get very excited at Christmas time even when you had very little money to spend and get inventive for ideas? Do you have awesome ideas that might help to spark up the coals of us dwendling scrooges??? What is for dinner at your house for Christmas? What do you buy the person who has everything? What do you give a teenager? What will you give your pets for christmas? Does Christmas have a different meaning to you? Is christmas a religious holiday for you or is it all about fun. Do you choose not to celebrate Christmas?
Tell us about your Christmas...

[Renee]

Christmas is family and friends. At our house it doesn't matter what it costs the thought is what makes it special. As my mother has gotten older we have Christmas at our house. Christmas Eve is still at my Moms and we have bean soup and cornbread. This Christmas will be really special with our new Granddaughter Addison Lynn. She'll only be 2mo old by then and won't really care but having Now it's turkey forever.

[Colleen Del Bane~Creator~]

Thank you for your prompt response. I don't know what has happened to me this year. I just don't feel like christmas. I am not depressed just not into it. It is very strange for me because I am usually little miss "Let's invent a game to play or make a new christmas tradition" this year I feel Bahumbug!

Renee said:

Christmas is family and friends. At our house it doesn't matter what it costs the thought is what makes it special. As my mother has gotten older we have Christmas at our house. Christmas Eve is still at my Moms and we have bean soup and cornbread. This Christmas will be really special with our new Granddaughter Addison Lynn. She'll only be 2mo old by then and won't really care but having Now it's turkey forever.

[Sandra Mason-Webb]

This Christmas has definitely lost its magic for us. Firstly, both my husband and myself have terrible back problems, which tend to make you not feel exactly 'festive'. Due to my back injury I am not working and am fighting the insurance company to reinstate my weekly payments. My husband is on a Disability Pension due to a heart condition, so finances are extremely tight. There won't be any presents for each other, or our wonderful Shebuh, or other family members, this year - the budget just doesn't stretch that far. We would usually have a nice family day at my parent's place, but this year, my parents and my sister are travelling interstate to spend Christmas with one of my other sisters. I actually have 4 sisters, but one lives interstate, one lives about 3 hours away, and the other - well let's just say, we don't tend to get along that well. Due to our injuries, and the accompanying pain, we are unable to join the contingent heading over to see my sister - so it will be just the 3 of us...... hubby, Shebuh and I. I'm hoping to at least make it somewhat special - otherwise each day just merges into the next, and we have no real concept of time passing. At this stage, I am planning maybe some cold meats and some nice salads, accompanied by a nice bottle of bubbly. Mum has also made us a fruit cake, so that will be nice for dessert. I'm trying not to feel down about our quiet Christmas this year...... but it's hard. We'll try and make the best of it though, and be happy to be in each other's company!

[Colleen Del Bane~Creator~]

Aww I co-miserate! We are talking about getting a tiny tree about 2.5 ft. high and decorating. I think we are losing the Christmas spirit becaus we are just a couple of old farts with a 15 year old boy. We do get him something but we both have pretty much everything we need. We are both overweight so goodies are not on our list of things to do.

[Debbie]

BAH HUMBUG...I'm sure not in the mood.I with you on this one Colleen.If you want my honest opinion, I think Christmas has become so commercialiazed it has taken all the spark out of it for us adults.I'm 55 [don't tell anyone] but when my kids were little they were happy with the little things.I don't know were it all went wrong, but the peer pressure these kids are under is horrible.Every year the gifts get bigger and more expensive.I may have opened a can of worms here, but like I said this is my opinion.I see 6 year olds with make up on talking on cell phones,and I'm sure there are circumstances where a 6 year old may need a cell phone but you can see where i'm going with this.The mp3 players the ipods,back in my day,I wouldn't of got anything like that until I was old enough to take care of it, or "until I earned it".I know I'm not the only one out there thinking like this.There are a whole lot of us baby boomers out there.Once again, only my opinion.Let's not forget about the true meaning of Christmas. "God bless you all and have a blessed and safe holiday." season.

[Colleen Del Bane~Creator~]

My son wants two video games and a pellet gun for Christmas. He is actually less demanding than most kids so I see what you mean. We actually got a little tree today. I just gotta kick myself to get going! Maybe next year I will invest in a nativity scene.

[Nancy Simpson]

It seems like to me, as I get older, that Christmas just spreads out all over the year. Once you know there is no Santa Claus, things really aren't ever the same. Especially when financial times are hard, it is hard to remember that it wasn't about money in the first place. I sometimes found I obsessed over bills or money so much that life slipped away from me.

When it comes to presents these days, I give less for the prescribed days, Christmas and birthday, and just give a present when I see something I think someone would like AND when I have the resources for it. I can't wait to give it anyway, gotta give it right then. I'm as bad as a kid that way....

So my friends and I have "Happy Anyday"--because that is how MY presents come . My "Stealth Puppy" "Johnny Butler" is my Christmas this year (he came in September). We are all so crazy about that "little accident" that we can't bear it. My cancer operation, which freed me from the disease for now, came in February five years ago. Man, was I happy !

Meeting my close friend, Anne, came in November last year, and my fabulous dogs from Blanche Johnson last year in December. My husband and I committed to spend our lives together (and he was my gift) in May 10 years ago...And so on.

When it comes to kids and teenagers, they generally seem to need the structure of a specific day. For teenagers, I tend to go with gift cards--what do I really know about what is cool? I am realistic with teenagers about what my limits are--then ask what they would like, given those limits. Maybe they don't want a thing, maybe they want an activity or some time instead of a thing. During hard times for my family as a teenager, I don't remember caring too much about getting anything, but it WAS important to be part of my family, no matter how goofy or aggravating I was. or how much I thought I didn't want that.

Dinners are always a big thing for the occasion, preferably potlucks with friends and family that are easy to get along with. A bunch of friends or family get together somewhere and keep in mind that if we stress out, this will be nothing but a chore. KEEP IT SIMPLE ! Can't enjoy each other if we are obsessing over the squash quiche (or whatever). Green bean casserole is fantastic anytime and won't break the bank.

Bake if you have some time to enjoy it (which I didn't have when I was working full time) or take advantage of the expertise of Chef Safeway if you don't. Or just skip the sugar completely. Love doesn't demand we overload our loved ones with sugar. Give them a couple of bucks and send them out to Chef Safeway if they can't live without it.

The whole idea is that if we get stressed out on all the stuff we think we ought to do, we will just burst into tears from the stress. What fun is that--and how will we all remember that day?

As for holidays, I think they are what they say they are "holy days". Not any particular conventional religion is necessary, though attention to Spirit or the Higher Power, however we define it, is. Church can be a special pleasure then...or you can pause for gratitude when your child smiles or your puppy bites your ankles. Worship can be anywhere.

Life and its gifts are all around us and the holiday is NOW, every day.

Thanks for all of you and your kindness in my life.

[Colleen Del Bane~Creator~]

GEEZ, Nancy for some reason that got to me! Made me tear up. You put it so eloquently! Right on!

[Sandra Mason-Webb]

Nancy, you put it so well! You've helped me to remember that even if we don't have much, as long as my husband and I are together, and we have our Shebuh, then that's really all that matters.

Sandra

PS Shebuh is cuddling with me right now and has commandeered my left arm, so I am one hand typing!

Nancy Simpson said:

It seems like to me, as I get older, that Christmas just spreads out all over the year. Once you know there is no Santa Claus, things really aren't ever the same. Especially when financial times are hard, it is hard to remember that it wasn't about money in the first place. I sometimes found I obsessed over bills or money so much that life slipped away from me.

When it comes to presents these days, I give less for the prescribed days, Christmas and birthday, and just give a present when I see something I think someone would like AND when I have the resources for it. I can't wait to give it anyway, gotta give it right then. I'm as bad as a kid that way....

So my friends and I have "Happy Anyday"--because that is how MY presents come . My "Stealth Puppy" "Johnny Butler" is my Christmas this year (he came in September). We are all so crazy about that "little accident" that we can't bear it. My cancer operation, which freed me from the disease for now, came in February five years ago. Man, was I happy !

Meeting my close friend, Anne, came in November last year, and my fabulous dogs from Blanche Johnson last year in December. My husband and I committed to spend our lives together (and he was my gift) in May 10 years ago...And so on.

When it comes to kids and teenagers, they generally seem to need the structure of a specific day. For teenagers, I tend to go with gift cards--what do I really know about what is cool? I am realistic with teenagers about what my limits are--then ask what they would like, given those limits. Maybe they don't want a thing, maybe they want an activity or some time instead of a thing. During hard times for my family as a teenager, I don't remember caring too much about getting anything, but it WAS important to be part of my family, no matter how goofy or aggravating I was. or how much I thought I didn't want that.

Dinners are always a big thing for the occasion, preferably potlucks with friends and family that are easy to get along with. A bunch of friends or family get together somewhere and keep in mind that if we stress out, this will be nothing but a chore. KEEP IT SIMPLE ! Can't enjoy each other if we are obsessing over the squash quiche (or whatever). Green bean casserole is fantastic anytime and won't break the bank.

Bake if you have some time to enjoy it (which I didn't have when I was working full time) or take advantage of the expertise of Chef Safeway if you don't. Or just skip the sugar completely. Love doesn't demand we overload our loved ones with sugar. Give them a couple of bucks and send them out to Chef Safeway if they can't live without it.

The whole idea is that if we get stressed out on all the stuff we think we ought to do, we will just burst into tears from the stress. What fun is that--and how will we all remember that day?

As for holidays, I think they are what they say they are "holy days". Not any particular conventional religion is necessary, though attention to Spirit or the Higher Power, however we define it, is. Church can be a special pleasure then...or you can pause for gratitude when your child smiles or your puppy bites your ankles. Worship can be anywhere.

Life and its gifts are all around us and the holiday is NOW, every day.

Thanks for all of you and your kindness in my life.

[Edna Dinsmore]

Over the last several years Christmas has become so commercial. Today it's all about who can outdo who for the best or most presents. When my daughters moved out and on their own, I quit putting up a tree and all the decorations. The only Christmas decoration I keep up everyday of the year is a sun catcher that my dad made many years ago. I added a fancy bow so it would hang on the wall. I love Christmas it's my most favorite time of the year. We just spend time with family and friends and enjoy each others company.

I can remember when we were just starting out and we didn't have much of anything (money included) in the decoration department. My Aunt had lots of ornaments and lights that she no longer wanted so she gave them to us. I went out to the 5 and 10 cent store (gawsh, I'm dating myself) and bought many different colors of glitter and Elmers glue. I fixed them up to look pretty and we ended up with the prettiest tree ever that year. My sister and I also made some homemade ornaments too and I still have them to this day.

We are going with the traditional ham and all the fixin's. I'm going to make some pecan tarts and a few other desserts. My one daughter will make an Italian Cream Cake (yum). My other daughter will make a dirt cake. I will probably make my grandpets homemade treats (3 dogs & 4 cats).

It seems the older you get any holiday holds a different meaning. All my relatives have passed with the exception of an Aunt (my moms sister) and my sister. We live 500 miles apart and we haven't spent a Christmas together for the last 28 years. We do see each other at different times of the year though. Now I'm just happy to spend the holidays with my daughters, friends and this year I will be spending the holiday with my ex husband too. That will be a huge adjustment.

Christmas is about a religious holiday and fun combined. Just remember Jesus is the reason for the season. We will all worship with our own beliefs. Everyone can have tons of fun by being with family, friends and enjoying the moment to make all kinds of memories that will last a long, long time.

[SuzSee-Admin4Site]

My family and friends determined that we needed to do something completely different this year for Christmas to try and recapture some of the joy. So... instead of buying each other gifts, we are donating the money we usually would spend on one another to various causes.

Part of the family donated money to the local school in the form of grocery store gift cards so that families who are not as fortunate as ours can have a wonderful dinner.

Others are working at Habitat for Humanity this coming weekend to help build a home here in the Denver area.

Others are bundling packages of lotion/soap/spa items for the local woman's shelter.

Last, but not least, I will be doing my annual hand delivery of flowers to anyone having to work on Christmas day. If you don't know about this, here's a summary:

Some may think this is a little strange, but, for years now, one of the little things I do on Christmas Day is that I stock up on flowers (single stemmed carnations) and I go to all of the various businesses that are somehow forced to remain open so that the rest of us can have a day off and I hand the flowers to the various personnel. Places like grocery stores, pharmacies, some restaurants, movie rental facilities.... any where I can find that is open as a convenience to the rest of us. You can't imagine the smile that it brings to someone who may have been unhappy about having to show up to work on a holiday.