I understand giving children toys for Christmas. It is a very magical time, and no matter how much kids talk about celebrating the birth of Christ, the kids want to get the birthday presents.
As an adult, I no longer think that it is about gifts. Sure, I may exchange a few gifts with close friends, but I find that Christmas is much more about remembering to live in peace, with peace on earth and good will to all men. I enjoy Christmas far more without all the stress of shopping, and focusing more on spending time with family and friends. If I do buy a few more gifts, it is for kids who have few toys, so that they can still share the fun of Christmas, too.
However, it seems that over the years, people talk about spending as much as a couple thousand on gifts at Christmas. People often equate the amount spent with how much the giver loves you. While I bought the few gifts I did buy, people were stressed out, yelling at clerks, being snarky, and generally unpleasant. Most people say that the season often makes them stressed out or depressed and lonely.
So, have we just lost the meaning of it?
As an adult, I no longer think that it is about gifts. Sure, I may exchange a few gifts with close friends, but I find that Christmas is much more about remembering to live in peace, with peace on earth and good will to all men. I enjoy Christmas far more without all the stress of shopping, and focusing more on spending time with family and friends. If I do buy a few more gifts, it is for kids who have few toys, so that they can still share the fun of Christmas, too.
However, it seems that over the years, people talk about spending as much as a couple thousand on gifts at Christmas. People often equate the amount spent with how much the giver loves you. While I bought the few gifts I did buy, people were stressed out, yelling at clerks, being snarky, and generally unpleasant. Most people say that the season often makes them stressed out or depressed and lonely.
So, have we just lost the meaning of it?