Giving only handmade gifts from the heart.... Not always what you want but you know the person that made it for you cared enough to make it just for you.
My new tradition for the past few years has been drawing from my ancestry, and choosing one ethnicity's customs to honor. I did German Christmas one year, last year I did a Country Christmas, this year I am thinking of doing a Welsh Christmas. Come find out you can make Taffy AND do Tarot Card readings in Wales. lol I do have alot of fun with this as I have tired of the Hallmark aspects of Christmas, my kids get to learn about other people and their customs, and it's just plain fun. It will get convoluted over time, as some customs are more fun than others. Like making a Ginger Bread House and salt dough or cinnamon ornaments for the tree - I do that every year now. I figure in the end, as I have covered my family tree I will have a whole set of traditions to pass on to my children - but I think I will pass on Scottish Christmas.
My tradition would be just giving gift cards to everyone (other than kids) and feeling good about it. To me, trying to think of what to buy for people generates too much stress...worried that they will not be pleased. Frankly, I'd be happy if people just quit exchanging gifts. Nobody knows more about what I want than me. The Christmas season is just too commercialized. <in my best Charlie Brown impression
Making one handmade ornament each year to mark the Christmas for that year. Our entire tree is of handmade ornaments from over the years. Some have the year on them but most don't. Many are ready to "retire from service" but I continue to hang them because of the memories of that Christmas. I have some my mom made while she was still alive and would give them to me as gifts. Those really hit home when I place them on the tree.
I keep trying to change my family tradition into vacationing in the mountains or somewhere warm in lieu of gifts. I have also brought up the idea of only handmade gifts, but nobody's biting.
I think the idea of buying gifts came about for guys, because what kind of handmade gifts can a man give someone...especially, another guy. "Here, Harold...I made you something." "Thanks, Earl. It's just what I wanted." See, now that would put a damper on the next fishing trip for sure.
This is a hard one for me.....we already give some people handmade gifts (this includes goodie baskets and misc things that I make), We invite people that do not have a place to go for the holidays over, every year we make a birthday cake for Jesus and put a candle on it and sing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus. We try to do the Angel tree every year, we try to help with the 4042 Christmas Angels ..... I think maybe the one thing I would like to do is get friends together and go caroling and back for Hot Chocolate and cookies afterward.
I usually do a handmade gift every year. Whether it's something I've sewn (quillows) or a craft (we did the decorated glass blocks a couple years ago). Last year I sewed homemade dog leashes (so cute!), DH did some decorative knots as keychains. My FIL always makes us something in his woodshop and I look forward to it every year. Guys can too make stuff!:mrgreen:
