Christmas Once a Year Is Too Much: Could We Make It Once a Decade?

I love Christmas as much as the next person. But it's getting to be a full-time job, and I notice too many people are taking it for granted. Maybe we should cut it down to once a decade. Reducing its frequency would make it more special. 

If we want to do something once a year, maybe a more low-key celebration like Festivus. 

Comments

[Ed S.]

Oh, but you have the best excuse to enjoy Christmas all over again--two little kids. You have to make those memories for them, some of the longest-lasting memories they'll have. Maybe not this year, but in 2 or 3 more they will be very Xmas-aware. It is a high point of a kid's year, along with their birth day.
Sure, at my age it seems like I just took down the tree a month ago, and all this ritual stuff has gotten really repetitious and drearily predictable. But for your kids it's still all brand new. Do it for them.

[Keith Beesley]

I am not Christian, but I enjoy Christmas. Why? Because whether you accept that Jesus really existed or not, the Jesus story is a beautiful story; and because with the bleak weather and short days at this time of year (at least where I live) we need some bright lights and happy music. This is probably why "pagan" societies celebrated the "return of the light" around the time of the winter solstice for hundreds of years before the alleged birth of Christ.

As for the consumerism and materialism, those are background noise; you can train yourself to ignore them.

I say to Christians, put up as many lights, trees, Santa Clauses, and nativity scenes as you want. I don't mind a bit.

[Angelo]

Keith: I AM Christian (practicing Catholic, though not practicing nearly enough :)
Anyway Keith, Christian or not, you expressed that beautifully---better than I could. Also, most believe that Jesus really existed---he is a historical fact according to most. The real question is whether or not he was the son of God. My very close Jewish friends believe he was a great prophet but nothing more than that.

[Pablo]

As Angelo, I´m Catholic and the only thing that matters for me on Christmas is Jesus birth...We are in Advent, let´s open our hearth to the holy inspirations..let´s focus on spirit and you will discover this is a wonderful season

[Gordon C]

We went nuts on the kid's third Christmas but have dialed it back ever since. The above post is right in saying it is a lot about the kids memories.

We focus both on Jesus and his birth/life and what it means to be a living faithful Christian. Christmas becomes a spiritual renewal that helps revive faith and hope for the coming year.

Because we tend to ignore the mass-appeal kinds of things we focus a great deal more on family, togetherness, et cetera. We do have gifts but they are less important than taking time to get gifts for children in an orphanage our Church supports.

We have two trees up this year but the best part of Christmas for me was when my son voted for his class to donate gifts to others rather than exchange them among themselves. Sadly, as it was a vote among second graders, the exchange won out :)

The holiday without reflection and renewal would be rather pointless.

[Shawn]

Christmas now starts on Thanksgiving. I love Christmas, but to make it a month long holiday is insane.

[herculodge]

Christmas used to start after Thanksgiving, but I notice it now starts after Halloween.

[Angelo]

Nordstrom did something to go against the grain this year. They did not have a single Christmas decoration up before Thanksgiving----nothing. No Christmas music, no trees, nothing. The day after Thanksgiving, like magic, the stores looked like Santa had been there to transform them----total Christmas mood. I loved that.