As we are getting closer to the Holiday season, Halloween is just a week away, I am reading more and more blogs about the holiday season and how the economy this year is going to impact that. One in particular that I read has posted a no spend challenge for the rest of the year. The idea is that people are spending way too much as it is and then add to that the holidays and the spending goes through the roof. She has said that other than basic necessities, and emergency needs she does not plan to spend any extra money the rest of this year. When I read this my first question was, as I am sure yours is as well, what about Christmas? Before I had a chance to post a comment with my question, somebody else asked the same thing. Her reply surprised me. She said that they do no celebrate Christmas or Easter. That took me back a bit. I know that they are a family that believes in Jesus (she has said so many times on her blog.) Before I comment on her blog I wanted to get some other opinions.

To me celebrating Christmas and Easter is much more than presents and Santa or the Easter Bunny. Much Much more. For me during those two holidays we are celebrating the gift of Jesus. First with the celebration of his birth and second the celebration of his Resurrection. How can you not celebrate those two holidays. I look forward to Christmas and Easter every year, I love celebrating with my family and teaching my children all about the holiday and why we celebrate. I am having a lot of trouble wrapping my head around this idea. It just baffles me to no end. It is not that I think we have to spend a ton of money on either holiday, in fact I agree with the idea that we spend less. In fact I am going to give it a try this year, Spend much less on gifts for friends and family, and try to make many of the gifts that I give this year. I had already planned to help the kids make gifts for each other and family members this year. Santa is a very small part of Christmas for us and the Easter Bunny does not exist in our house at all. I have to believe that you can celebrate the holiday and not be too materialistic and go overboard.

Heather