simplifying christmas

the holidays - which, for me, begin when the school supplies line the shelves at target, yellow buses again traverse the streets and the weather turns crisp - have always been my favorite time of year (how cliche!). that, i suppose, is why i "begin" in september, drawing out the season as long as i can, with the culmination at christmas, and tapering off to my early-january birthday. but i have noticed in the last several years, that the "post-holiday letdown" always hits hard. sometimes right after christmas, sometimes not till my birthday. every year i've tried something new to avoid it - starting earlier, so i can enjoy the season longer (and thereby be emotionally 'done' with it by new year's); doing it up bigger, hoping the decorations bring on adequate feelings of festivity; doing more things outside the house, candy cane lane, painting ornaments, fancy dinners, holiday parties, assuming events are the key to celebration... but nothing has ever worked - there seems to be no solution for the post-holiday letdown.

in the past few years, it's become increasingly clear to me where it comes from. (and if my parents are reading this, i truly hope they won't take offense at my hypothesis, because i really don't blame them at all.) i know my love language is gifts. i like presents. (who doesn't?) but i really like presents. and i do love giving (almost) as much as receiving, but honestly - i reaaaally like presents. as a kid, even when we had less money than usual, we always had very "nice christmases". gifts were rarely in shortage, and even if quantity was seemingly lacking, it was because quality was present. in other words, through no fault of my parents, because i know they didn't plan it that way - i've been trained to like presents. top that off with a natural bent toward materialism and greed (thanks, sin-nature!), and i believe we have the perfect recipe for the post-holiday letdown cocktail.

you see, the focus on wishlists and building it all up to one moment (okay, 3 - we open presents 3 times when you account for our whole family) creates for that one moment (or 3 moments) unfair expectations, which opening presents can't possibly meet.

so i recognize this tendency in my heart - and i don't like it one bit. my efforts this year will not be about length of season, or well-planned wishlists, but instead will revolve around the attitude of my heart, celebration of the Reason, and not allowing our country's over-commercialization of christmas to suck me in, chew me up and spit me out depressed after my birthday has come and gone.

you'll see more posts from me over the next month or so, sharing about how we're simplifying christmas this year. i still don't know how it'll all work - or even if it'll produce the desired effect, so it'll be something of a journey.