We use to be normal. We did all the normal people things. But then we got bored. So we started doing weird things, just to aggravate normal people.
We do not celebrate holidays like most people do. We have fun at work for our clients but we still keep it pretty simple. I love the earthy winter type holiday decorations, but we don’t decorate much at home, even everyday stuff is pretty basic at home and the shop. Simplicity is my style.
When it comes to most holiday activities we just don’t have the desire to participate. We find other things more fun. Like after-holiday clearance, I like a fun scavenger hunt. Forget tracking down hidden eggs, we like finding the good stuff 75% off. Now that’s fun!
But there is this expectation of participation in holiday activities. Christmas especially. While we are Christians, we do not celebrate the birth of Christ and I don’t buy the story he was born in December either. But it coincides with Yule and well, you know the deal.
We had fun the first few years of Christmas as a family. We started a few traditions even. But it kept getting more and more stressful. Hoarding gifts you eventually forget about instead of giving when you buy. Standing in the toy aisle on Christmas even trying to figure what to buy when you don’t need or want any of it, you are broke, but you are short 3 gifts to make it even for everyone. Staying up till 2 am Christmas Eve eve to finish gifts and literally sewing your thumb (true story)
As we scaled back Christmas I realized my children didn’t mind. We don’t deal with the peer pressure of school but we aren’t isolated either. We never did Santa, but I always felt bad for some of the children who did. The really good kids who were expecting Santa or bring them some desired but impractical gift only to discover Santa gives gifts based on income and not character. And I felt even more empathetic for the parents who want to give their children the world but know they only have enough to pay the high heating bills winter brings. The expectation of the Christmas spirit has made Christmas less fun. I am certainly not a Scrooge, but we buy things just because. I didn’t want my children to feel entitled to gifts.
We don’t trick or treat, but we love tricks and treats and dressing up on our own time. We enjoy Christmas lights and usually take tours 3 or 4 times each season. There is no big dinner on Thanksgiving unless we meet with friends, then it’s like any other time two or three large families converge for meals.
When it comes to holidays we pick what we like and leave what we don’t. So this year we will buy colorful lights that will stay up all year and leave the trees outside in the ground. We will make or buy gifts when we feel prompted. We will stock up on low cost turkeys and hams. We will make green bean casserole every Sunday and eat candy corn in January.
Because we can.
Loading Likes...
Lydia
Its ridiculous to say that someone who refuses to celebrate a holiday based on pagan religious practices, but became “christianized” to appease those who were pagans to adopt the Christian religion of not being Christian. Jesus himself commemorated the day of his death as an important event to remember and celebrate annually. Nowhere in the scriptures did he or his chosen apostles even allude to celebrating his birth on an annual basis. In fact, throughout the scriptures, we’re told to stay away from pagan religious practices and that you can’t eat from the table of demons and the table of God and maintain a clean standing. True christians were referred to as the light of the world. They still continue shedding light on false teachings and uphold God’s standards not manmade standards. Any Christian church that promotes it people to partake of these false practices is no better than the Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus condemned for leading his sheep astray.
Kaytee
While I agree that scaling back is important and Christ was not born in December, to not celebrate the birth of Christ means you cannot possible be a Christian?! How can you believe in a religion when you deny the miracle of his birth whenever it took place. It’s as equally daft as denying his crucifixion and rebirth. You’re not a Christian unless you believe in the miracles surrounding his life.
MLK
My husband and I put a wreath on the front door.. That’s it. I just won’t get involved in the buy-buy-buy spiral.
Suzanne C
How do you deal with refrigeration, freezing turkey’s, or hams. I stock up every year too during the holidays. If you count St. Patrick’s Day as a holiday, I always stock up on several corned beef briskets and flats too. My husband will fully smoke 8, or 10 turkeys. He had built a small smokehouse years ago. After that they no longer require refrigeration. We keep a couple and give the rest out to others for their Christmas dinners, or whenever they’d care to eat them. There’s nothing better than a smoked turkey.
BlessedLittleHomestead
Good question and it helps me realize there are some people who are completely ignorant about issues such as how to cook, wash dishes and dispose of trash. I’ll whip up a blog sometime this week.
Barbara Cooper Adams
I feel the way you do about Christmas. For the most part, everyone has everything they need already. No need for giving unless to poor families with children. I think Halloween is evil. I like Thanksgiving although we don’t make a big dinner anymore. Don’t do anything at easter time either. I like the same idea of shopping after the holidays for Clarence groceries and sweets etc.
Wanda
I too, feel Christmas is way over commercialized and prefer a much more simplistic holiday season. It sounds like you “celebrate”, just the way you want to, not how society seems to think you should. And in the end, what is right for you and your family, is all that really matters. (Well that, and the greatly discounted candy corn! lol)
Sharon
I absolutely love this story and I have many of the same exact feelings on Christmas. It should be about family and not about what you give or receive from someone else.
Sue
Interesting! I like to keep little white lights up year-round dangling over the patio, great ambiance!
Regarding holidays, children cant help but notice what their friends are doing. But without peers, or friends from school, there is less for your children to feel insecure about – unless they go online a lot, because there is more social comparison online than in real life, now. In fact, I think its safe to say the internet is more dangerous for kids, than public school.
Hey! How do you make green bean casserole over the fire – that is, w/o an oven? Is it hard to wash dishes without running water? At first, I thought, ‘just use disposable plates from recycled materials’. But then I reasoned, ‘that is too much trash, it would attract pests and wildlife, since there is nowhere to contain the trash’. Is that right?
Take care, from San Diego.
Jill Nelson
That is unfortunate. Do you ever buy your kids gifts just because? For their birthdays even? I never see you post anything like that. And the Holidays you are disparaging are ones that bring people together….Trick or Treating after the fact is pretty lame. Even and especially if its on your “own” time. It’s usually a community activity. Why can your kids not participate in that? And no Christmas gifts based on the Santa myth? Christmas has always will be and continue to be “fun.” Your children have so little. They would certainly love some gifts from “Santa.” Its okay that you cannot afford them but please, PLEASE don’t pretend its based on principle.
Christina Williams
Hi Nicole & Family,
What ! No Holidays, was just great and our family all enjoyed it. As the world gets crazier, we find we are simplifying to reduce stress, and looking at our lives through new glasses. Wishing you all many blessings everyday..
Jane
How do you stock up on turkeys and ham with no freezer? Or do you have a freezer at your place of business?
Mickie
Bravo!!! Exactly how I feel.
Meagan
I like this so much.