It’s that time of year again. Bring out the garland and tinsel. Cue the scent of gingerbread and cider. Unpack your Nutcrackers. Most of all, dust off that pocketbook and prepare for the season of gift-giving.
Is it just me, or did I hear a collective sigh of dread?
We hear the songs, we see the joyous displays, and we are reminded by the minute that it is the most wonderful time of the year. And the start of this most wonderful time seems to be edging ever closer to summer. Quite often, we are hit with the smells of pumpkin spice, and subsequently, peppermint mocha before we even unwrap all our gifts from the previous year!
Is your anxiety elevating rapidly like mine?
What if I tell you there is a better way? Read on to learn more about how this season of gift-giving began and how we can alter our approach in a mindful way.
Why do we give Christmas gifts?
The season of gift-giving is a season of madness in America. From pre-Black Friday Sales to last-minute shopping, we are inundated with catchy advertisements, flash deals, and limited time offers to appease our rampant consumerist appetites.
When did all the madness start?
One of the most accepted explanations for gift-giving during Christmas is that it is symbolic of the offerings given to the baby Jesus by the three Magi. After gift-giving on saints’ days was abandoned during the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther suggested that the birth of Christ was a logical substitute to continue the tradition. Instead of the Saint Nicholas’ Day (December 6th), people began to exchange gifts on December 25th.
While Christmas may have its religious foundations, it is a holiday that uniquely bleeds over the secular line so far that it is celebrated in places like Japan where less than 1% of the population is Christian. In places like this, the holiday is highly commercialized and looks very much like it does across the United States.
The boom in gift-giving tradition really took flight during periods of economic prosperity, notably after World War II. However, the practice of gift-giving began long before Christianity assumed December 25th.
The Roman Empire originally celebrated the festival of Saturnalia. In this festival, Romans paid homage to the agricultural god, Saturn, between December 17th and 23rd. Gift-giving was done privately on Sigillaria, December 19th, and typically involved the exchange of modest items like candles or ‘gag gifts.’
Apparently, the worse the gift was, the better the bond of friendship was said to be. This is a far cry from the materialistic world of today.
How you can minimize your stuff during the season of gift-giving
Now we all know the season of gift-giving is a stressful time. How much should I spend on a gift? How can I budget to get everyone a gift? What if they don’t like my gift?
Those are all concerns with giving gifts. What about when it comes to receiving gifts? My room is chaotic, and I have no space to put new things. Plus, we travel so much that accumulating things in our home is not something we find enticing.
But…we have a 9-year-old AND a 1-year-old. Now, Adrian isn’t at the point where he is vulnerable to Christmas marketing. Sarah, however, enters the store with gawking eyes. While we ultimately hope our kids will seek experience and human connection over material pleasures, we know we have to strike a balance to let them be kids.
The culture we live in further convinces children that getting things equates to care and affection. Here’s a tactic we use to slowly reshape this perspective AND help us avoid accumulating useless junk.
Starting on December 4th, the day after Sarah’s birthday, she begins cleaning her room. This isn’t your normal room-cleaning. No, the process is oriented on uncovering all the things she has stuffed in corners, hidden in boxes, and forgotten about. She will begin to gather a box of things to donate. Typically, we help her pick by saying things she hasn’t seen or used in a month should go first.
We will, then, donate the things in the box around Christmas. It all started as a one-for-one deal. For every gift she receives, she needs to donate one thing. Sometimes, getting the one-for-one is like pulling teeth, but other times, you would be amazed at the generosity our little one shows.
Tackling pointless traditions & creating new ones
It is important to set boundaries when it comes to the season of gift-giving. There are so many traditions we follow mindlessly. Why? “Because it has always been that way.”
Just because something has “always been” a certain way doesn’t mean that it is the best solution. Gift-giving can be like fitting a square peg into a round hole. Especially for a minimalist family/person who loves the freedom of traveling and moving around. Of course, being a mindful traveler starts with being a mindful person, and a mindful person is sensitive to the feelings of others.
This means that we must consider that some people’s love language is giving and receiving gifts. This doesn’t mean that you are obligated to take everything given. Setting healthy boundaries requires open and honest communication, and compromise between all parties.
Telling gift-givers “No, thank you.”
How do we say “no” without hurting someone’s feelings? The key ingredient is communication. The season of gift-giving is, at its heart, about rekindling an emotional and social connection with the ones we love. Not about an ostentatious show of wealth.
Set those boundaries early and stick to them. Let the chronic gift-givers know that you appreciate their thoughts, but ensure they know the limits of what you deem acceptable for the occasion.
Remember, you do NOT need to sacrifice your well-being to appease others. A simple “No, thank you” should not cause turmoil during this most wonderful time of the year.
Create memories, not clutter
A great way to avoid any unnecessary gift-giving or discomfort with turning away a gift is to provide suggested alternatives. What type of person are you? What matters most to you?
If you’re like us, answering those questions can be simple:
- Our kids’ education
- Travel
When you set your priorities, it is easy to start thinking about what kinds of gifts would best fit into your lifestyle. Take our priorities. Instead of toys, we ask for donations to our kids’ college funds, educational supplies (e.g. crafting stuff), and books.
If you prioritize travel, the world is your oyster. Giving the gift of travel is super easy! Airline gift cards are available at many stores. These come in big time when the budget traveler is trying to cut corners. It is also possible to share your flight miles!
Pro Tip: Use a Target Red Card to save 5% on travel gift cards. Some of the available options include Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Disney, Amtrak, and Uber.
Take a quick count of how much money you spend on gifts during the season of gift-giving. Are you astonished by the number? Now, think about some great experiences you would like to do. Make sure you include the ones that are “too expensive.”
How many of those experiences can you fit into the time between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day within the gift budget you calculated? Consider beginning new traditions that fit your lifestyle. Don’t just stick your head in the sand and go with the crowd.
How to support those less fortunate
While we are talking about new traditions, why not consider supporting those in need? There are many ways to help those less fortunate during the season of gift-giving. We recently posted an article called Support the Homeless: The Caring Traveler where we discuss how we can make a difference for those who lack a permanent residence
This season can be devastating for those stuck out on the streets. Especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are so many more people left without homes in 2021. Fortunately, there are many ways to lend a hand. Here are our top picks:
- Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
- The Homeless Voice
- The Salvation Army Angel Tree
- Toys for Tots
- Soup Mobile
Don’t forget to travel mindfully!
We are grateful that you took the time to join us today. Your support keeps us going, so please shoot us a comment and like below, and share our content with your friends. We hope to inspire change and make the world a better place. That is only possible when we have a community of caring and selfless humans surrounding us.
Let us know how we can help you better. Maybe we will see you at one of our upcoming events. We would love to go out into the world with you and start making a difference.
So, go see the world.
Travel to learn. Travel to serve. Travel with purpose.
Until next time…
Happy (Mindful) Travels,
Michael
~ Change the world one nameless stranger at a time. ~
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If you are looking to kick off your new year in a productive way, check out this fantastic Business Accelerator Course by Mellissa d’Oliveira! It is a hybrid group coaching course with 4 modules, quick and dirty to get you ready to kick off a new year of business in 2022. Learn more here!
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