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Redefining Christmas (Without Offending Anyone)

written by Beth December 12, 2013

Redefine Christmas (Without Offending Anyone)

As with most, I learned this lesson the hard way. (Okay, so I’m a little stubborn.)

I never intended to hurt feelings, or be that daughter-in-law or come across as fussy about food, a hardened hand-crafter or anti-dolls that defecate (okay, so I’m sticking with that last one). It’s just that my ideal Christmas has always been a bit more gasp-in-delight-over-new-handknit-mittens-while-savoring-a-single-stick-of-peppermint than fifty-presents-each-she’s-going-to-know-when-I-ditch-that-lifesize-Barbie, and in the early days of motherhood, compromising my values with regards to my children stirred up a sort of get-your-paws-off-my-bear-cub protectiveness that rendered me, well…a big pain in the ass, probably.

The thing you don’t realize as a new-ish (passionate, perfectionistic) mom is that your own mother, or mother-in-law, or Great Mammy Gram Grams or whoever The Holiday Way trickles down from once fought (or sold her hair) for her kind of Christmas. And to her, your way is probably just as Backwoods Hippie Cultish as hers is Kill the Oceans Quick! to your sensibilities.

Truth is, my inner conflict regarding this season hasn’t changed much:

  • I am still dumbfounded by the notion of excessive, needless consuming in the name of Jesus, of all people.

  • The hustle and stress we’ve deemed “festive” still goes against the calm, introspective pace that feels instinctual to me come winter.

  • My kids still turn into monsters when exhausted, overstimulated, high on sugar and bombarded with mixed messages (mother vs. marketers, who else?).

  • And I still don’t want the clutches of consumer culture all up in my celebrations, especially not at the expense of the environment, my family’s together time and my children’s sense of what’s important, worthy and wonderful.

(Trust me, I could go on.)

BUT, after 19 years of black-sheeping it, and reflecting back to both the times when I went way overboard trying to keep everything as “pure” as possible (and handcrafting my way to hell and back again by Christmas morning) and other years when I gave up and gave IN (to the 300-piece make-up set implanted in the backside of a rainbow-maned ungulate), I now see things that weren’t clear to me before:

Like the preciousness and brevity of a mother’s time with her grown children and just how much she lives to see them all together.

Like how much energy it requires to prepare elaborate meals for 10, 20+ people to begin with, never mind catering to the preferences of the first generation EVER to deem gluten poison and free-range turkeys worth half a year’s wages.

Like how unique and valuable each grandparent/grandchild connection really is, and what a gift to us all that someone else loves our kids in ways we never will.

Like how you don’t end up remembering the details that seemed so significant at the time, but that you rarely forget the associated feelings.

Redefine Christmas (Without Offending Anyone)

I do believe there’s a sweet spot somewhere between our ideal, best case scenario and the surrendering of our values for the sake of peacekeeping. Perhaps we know we’re there when we’re able to be both true to ourselves and empathic toward everyone around us.

May the following reflections, based on my own lessons learned, be a gift to you and yours as the season unfolds…

How to Make Christmas Your Way (Kind Of)

  1. Decide how you want your holidays to feel. If it’s simple you’re going for, there are many ways to achieve this overall feeling (and even more ways to prevent it). If it’s connected, prioritize accordingly. Focusing on the feeling instead of the to-do list encourages presence and eliminates the needless, nagging sense of obligation.

  2. Check your moral imperatives. My moral imperative is just that: it’s mine and mine alone. Your set of values is based upon your own experience of the world, and no doubt, you’ve got me beat when it comes to something virtuous. Judgement divides us and kills connection. When we choose to focus on living admirable virtues instead of sticking our nose in other people’s, everyone wins.

  3. Go slow. Most traditions take years, even generations to form. Undoing them, or establishing new ones in their place might be better thought of as five or fifty year goals. Subtle shifts are more likely to be embraced and cherished in the long run anyway.

  4. Consider the culture “they” grew up and/or raised kids in. Given that ours was the first generation raised amidst rampant consumerism and with access to so many things for so little money, it’s little wonder that older generations (who grew up wanting for the basics) can’t understand why we don’t need any more toys! Theirs is a different worldview. We ALL see the world through our own conditioning. Keeping this in mind can go a long way toward mutual understanding.

  5. Distinguish between tradition and effective marketing. Why are we nostalgic for certain things and experiences this time of year? Because they make us think of Christmases past or because we’re bombarded with want-evoking, feel-good seasonal marketing? Prying consumer culture from our traditions is no easy task, but in doing so, we claim the right to decide for ourselves what matters most.
  6. Realize “they” mean well and adore your kids. Even when they know your preferences and don’t seem to respect them, rarely are family members acting out of spite. Their thought process is probably much more simple than you think. “If my kids grew up playing with Barbies and turned out just fine, my grandkids will, too” is not only a logical explanation but an emotional one. Your mother may have fond memories of you playing with those Barbies (whose pumps she saved repeatedly from the vacuum). Tread lightly and assume good intentions beneath seeming disregard.

  7. Determine your core values and hold them as intentions, not absolutes. Along with the feeling you’re hoping to maintain, it helps to get clear on the values driving your angst, elation or indifference. The clearer you become about what’s beneath your emotional reactions, the more effective you will be when communicating your values.

  8. Add a tradition or two before you eliminate others. It’s easier to drum up enthusiasm regarding change when you’ve got something else appealing to offer. An annual solstice campfire or neighborhood Soup and Song is no less festive than swapping needless gifts. Whatever it is, if your heart is in it, it’s more likely to be remembered and anticipated.

Redefine Christmas (Without Offending Anyone)

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.”

I guess that makes me middle-aged.

Enjoy the season, my friends! however you choose to define it.

Redefine Christmas (Without Offending Anyone)

Full disclosure: We never actually received a life-sized Barbie or a makeup set that required we wipe a horse’s butt. I don’t even remember what obnoxious toys we were given anymore, and on the whole, my family has all been amazingly thoughtful in their gifting. What I do remember is the realization that I’d hurt someone’s feelings or stressed out my kids, and years later, these things seem WAY more significant than whether or not the wrapping paper was hand-printed or the chocolate sweetened with stevia.

Redefining Christmas (Without Offending Anyone) was last modified: December 12th, 2013 by Beth
14 comments Leave a Comment
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14 comments

HappinessSavouredHot December 12, 2013 at 6:16 pm

Amen to that! Nothing to add! 🙂

Reply
Taos December 12, 2013 at 6:39 pm

I liked this post. But come on mom!!! out of all pictures to put up of me! I look so fat! 😛
But, The post was a good one.

Reply
Virginia Berno January 31, 2014 at 4:18 am

We don’t know each other but I never used to like myself in pictures either. Anyway, as a perfect stranger I have to say that my first thought as I looked at the picture was how simply-beautiful the young woman in the pink sweater was. The shadow on your face & the lights from the tree help, but the actual beauty comes from you! I also love that you are being so careful with decorating the tree. I want to make sure each ornament is in the right place every year!

Reply
allison December 12, 2013 at 7:50 pm

Close version of what Maya Angelou said pulled out the bottom of my brain somewhere:

People will forget what you say, they will forget what you do, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Merry Merry Holidays Beth, Hunter and Co!!

xoox
Allison

Reply
Michelle December 12, 2013 at 8:34 pm

Thank you!! I go through this every year but find myself loosening the grip on the reigns I want to hold. In fact, two weeks before Christmas I reflect on what this time means to my kids. Is mom distracted and disconnected? Or is she fun, festive, and free? I grew up with Christmas being mostly fun but also came with an extremely stressed out mom. That is not how I want my kids to remember me. Thanks for shedding light on this. It’s a good reminder to slow dow, be thankful, and never question gifts of love.

Reply
Vic December 12, 2013 at 8:58 pm

You are beautiful Taos…inside and out. That’s obviously just your sweater hanging out anyway.

Reply
Anka December 13, 2013 at 12:00 am

Thank you so much for this present! :o)

It helps me to let go of the resentment I carry against grandparents, who look to me like they kill the children´s intrinsic motivation by giving money as gift and reward…

Happy family time!!

Reply
Kathy December 13, 2013 at 2:09 am

What a beautiful, beautiful post. Thank you so much for sharing it. Feels like a *gift* to me!! ( :

Reply
taryn oakley December 13, 2013 at 2:58 pm

lovely post, thanks!

Reply
Sarah December 13, 2013 at 4:26 pm

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Perfectly articulated the feelings I have so horribly tried to express since becoming a mother. I admire the growth you have obviously gone through to be able to express this kind of clarity. Well done! I aspire to the same. I always feel invigorated and happy after reading your honest thoughts. Thank you for all the work you do on this blog. Feliz Navidad!

Reply
Lise December 13, 2013 at 5:11 pm

As usual Beth, you articulate so eloquently the feelings we all have shared, at one time or another. I love that your focus has turned around to be sensitive and considerate of anothers perspective, that is how we will live in harmony and love together as a family. . . you are beautiful, inside and out!

Reply
Heidi December 22, 2013 at 5:19 am

I am guilty of writing long e-mails to my parents and in-laws asking kindly for them to not send noisy plastic toys for my children but wooden or more simple and natural toys. That never happened and I often got the silent treatment because of it. I don’t think they even know were to get wooden toys in a small Midwestern town, here in a trendy city Eco friendly toy stores are every where, but I have never been able to afford them.
Wishing you and your family a beautiful Holiday!

Reply
Kelly December 10, 2014 at 1:29 am

Enjoyed another post from you remember how you and your family made me feel in San Cris. I have a glowing smile on my face, a tear in my eye and wishing you and your family a wonderful (and at times chaotic) holiday season.

Reply
Susana December 10, 2014 at 6:48 pm

my sister-in-law recently posted your article online yet again. i have had my own issues with my in-laws so i get her point, and, in principle i agree with your thoughts on the season, BUT i also think that the best way to keep things under control and to your liking is by getting involved in the food prep and kid entertainment, instead of leaving those things to others who don’t necessarily share your values. Thanks for listening to the Grinch and Merry Christmas!

Reply

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Hi! I’m Beth Berry, writer, life coach, adventurer, mother of four daughters, and hopelessly hopeful human. This is a space where I show up wholeheartedly (however imperfectly), speak the truths of my heart, and contemplate life’s messy, sacred mysteries. Make yourself at home! All are welcome here.

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