Recently I have begun to wonder. Just when did Christmas go from this:
Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)
to this?
Christmas tree USB warmer seat cushion, $18
The world is a fast place, filled with stuff, so I guess it makes sense that Christmas would reflect that. The trouble is, we’re all a little broke from living this way, and the planet is groaning from last year’s stocking stuffers. So what if this year, instead of spending time at the mall buying family and friends stuff they may not even like, we spend time with those people instead?
Let’s slow Christmas down. Take a walk with hot cider and take in all the lit up storefronts and decorations. Make Christmas cookies from scratch, go sledding, go to a church with a good choir and sit in the back and bask in the goodwill and beautiful music.
Let’s prove our generosity by remembering those in need all year round by signing up for a monthly donation to our favorite cause in 2010. It’s a fair bet your local food bank is facing fewer donations and three times the need, and it doesn’t get any easier after Christmas.
Let’s give the gift of time, not money. Experience gifts are the best way to give your friends and family permission to do new things they’ve always wanted to try. Skip the trip to the mall, and bundle the kids in the car to check out the best light displays around town.
It’s time to reclaim the Christmas spirit. Christmas is about being nice to people on the sidewalk, sharing instead of spending, and yes, even burying the hatchet with annoying relatives. Let’s do it right this year.
Join me in pledging to keep Christmas slow by giving an experience gift, a donation, or something homemade this year.
As Linus Van Pelt said: it’s not such a bad little tree after all, all it needs is a little love.
It’s about time someone called a timeout on this madness! Go fellow citizens! Reclaim the holiday we need most at a time when darkness arrives early and stays late. We need each other and fragrant greenery and home-baked goodies so much more than we need malls and ubiquitous secular muzak and the stress and expense of buying our loved ones things they don’t want on a strict deadline. Great idea to slooooooooow thiiiiings doooooown and smell the conifers.
Hey Porter, I’ll join the cause! It’s near to my heart.
Here’s one idea: don’t ever ever buy wrapping paper again. Use the comic pages in the newspaper, or use the regular sections of the paper and color, draw or collage on them. Since we’ll all be exchanging fewer presents, it won’t be much of a burden.
And another idea: If you plan to give a gift certificate, tickets or something else in envelope, don’t use a store-bought envelope. Use a page from a glossy magazine to make the envelope. Cosmetic ads make great envelopes – there’s usually a lot of space on the face to write on if you fold them correctly.
Hi, Porter – When I saw Elly’s post I just had to stop by and say hello (she and I were at Connelly/Holy Child together). I absolutely love Christmas – the slow kind, as you so beautifully describe: cookies from scratch, choirs that make you remember real peace and joy, strolling through the snow with friends…
Thanks for this wonderful blog!
Porter, this is fantastic. And, HI! I do love your blog. Great idea. I’m gearing up for another round of client holiday gifting (somewhat obligatory), and I’d love to incorporate this concept. Donations on their behalf would be the obvious, but I’d love it if you had any more creative suggestions…
Melissa
It’s a good question. What do your clients have in common? I took a look at the website, and as far as I can see, the only thing they have in common is incredible brand recognition. Tricky.
If the butter post’s popularity is any indication, making mason jars of fresh herbed butter (super easy) might be a good way to go? But given your skills, infusing a vodka with lemon verbena or blood oranges (or whatever this year’s lavendar is) and gifting in nice bottles could also work.
If that’s too crafty for you, donations sound like a good idea. Do you have the time to personalize the gifts? For instance, a donation to Alley Cat Allies would be good for Iams, and Unilever might like a donation to Kiva.org.
Let me know if any of this is helpful, and what you find out. You’re a born marketer, just identify what they care about, and find a way to give that to them.
Purchased a $50 gift card, had it E-MAILED it to my brother. Worked great!!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Heather Flournoy, Dr.Susan Rubin. Dr.Susan Rubin said: Re-think the holidaze this year. How about a Slow Christmas: http://slowchristmas.org/about/ [...]
Love the idea behind this… slow life.. slow food. Enjoy more.