Whew! That was close.  We almost started to believe that Christmas was the "hap-happiest season of all," full of sparkling ornaments layered onto faux trees, sugary novelties, kitschy red hats, and red-nosed reindeer with menorah-antlers.  That might be how many Americans celebrate Christmas, but that isn't Christmas. And after trillions of dollars in "systemic" bailouts and a 50% haircut for the Dow, it may not even be how we Americans celebrate Christmas this year.

This may be a very good thing. Now I admit that I am the first person to joyfully reclaim the decoration boxes from hibernation, embark on the gift hunt expedition, and don the season's signature headwear. Defining Christmas as a goodie-hunt has a big buy-in.  Just ask the Black Friday Best Buy staff or your local See's Candy lady.  During economic prosperity it's easy to consume-with-the-flow to try to attain the 'good cheer' that we crave.

There are two problems with this.  The first is that if we just dive into the slew of traditions and expectations that have been perpetuated and spun-off over generations, we can lose all sight of the only thing that makes our celebrations worthwhile.  Strip away the merrily marketed accoutrements for a moment.  What remains?

The second problem is that our shopping frenzies obviously require lots of cash, and everyone is currently hoarding cash.  So instead of ogling Bloomingdale's glitzy bling, maybe we should learn something from some of the poorer countries in the world.  Cash doesn't fuel their meaning making.

In his article, "Christmas Around the World," Hugh Wilson explains that in the Congo, Christians' celebrations generally consist of a simple meal eaten with friends and family and an offering of gifts to Jesus, rather than to one-another.  "Festivities vary from country to country, but Christmas tends to be more about religion and family – and less about presents and pigging out – than most Westerners are used to."  When gifts are exchanged they "tend to be simple and practical, like clothes, pencils, soap and books."

Popular Christmas list items in Iceland's capital this year are "horse meat, secondhand clothing, and used DVDs of The Sound of Music" (the classic, uplifting family flick), reports Jill Lawless in her article, "Icelanders Face Frugal Christmas as Economy Chills."  With a new austerity in the air since the krona's collapse, increase of import prices, layoffs, and bankruptcies, the Icelanders are not about to give up on celebrating the yuletide season.  The trend is to cut back on spending and return to tradition, concludes Lawless.  "'People are sobering up,' said Thorbjorn Broddason, a sociologist at the University of Iceland…'I think this is going to change drastically. People are going to value loyalty and moderation.'"

In Johannesburg, South Africa, this last Sunday before Christmas "was celebrated with a carol service" in a downtown church that "has become a haven for hundreds of Zimbabweans who have fled their nation's collapse," reports Associated Press writer, Donna Bryson in her article, "Christmas bleak for Zimbabweans fleeing collapse." As the songs of the carolers at Central Methodist in Johannesburg touted the message of Christmas Sunday, "William Kandowe, a 36-year-old teacher from Harare, said he was becoming convinced (President) Mugabe would have to be forced out by Zimbabweans."

This Christmas, because of the economic crisis, many of us are rethinking what it is about Christmas that we celebrate.  I have a hunch that Christians in the Congo, Zimbabwe, and even Iceland, have a more acute understanding of the central importance of Christ's coming.  Under the thumb of uncertainty, poverty, and oppression, there is less clutter and complacency dulling the significance the momentous event of our Lord's coming to be with us, in the flesh.  Perhaps, in such hardship, they have developed traditions better equipped to reflect the deepest meaning of Christmas, and address our most essential yearnings, than the tipsy, jolly, credit card-toting habits that many of us have been addicted to.

This year we have a unique opportunity to recognize anew the central pillars of surviving, thriving, and celebration.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with our beloved, festive frills, unless they point us to God and his Son, they are helpless to move us toward the greater vision, courage, and love that should make up the essence of Christmas.  They may even stand in the way.

Christmas Classic Proves More Popular Than Ever!

Nine years and 13 printings after its 1970's release, Unplug the Christmas Machine remains as relevant as ever. This year the book's theme is less an antidote to commercial overload than it is a guide for making the most of Christmas in difficult financial times. Geared primarily for parents, the book remind us of the deeper yearnings behind most kids' Christmas lists.

1) A relaxed and loving time with the family. Children need relaxed attention. During the holidays, normal family routines are temporarily set aside for parties, shopping, and special events. It’s important to slow down and spend quality time with your kids.

2) Realistic expectations about gifts. Kids enjoy looking forward to gifts and then having their expectations met. The key is to manage their expectations. You might try, for example, to educate your children about advertising in an attempt to mitigate its effects.

3) An evenly paced holiday season. The modern Christmas season starts months before December 25th, when the first store displays go up, then things end with a bang on Christmas day. The authors suggest beginning the season late in the year. Get out the Christmas music on December 15th, then get the tree on the following weekend. Schedule some low-key family events during Christmas week. Stretch the season to New Years Day.

4) Reliable family traditions. When I talk to my friends about what Christmas was like when we were Children, it’s not the gifts that we remember. We recall the things we did as a family. I remember sleeping next to the tree every Christmas eve, but never being able to catch Santa in the act. I remember seeing the cousins. I remember decorating the trailer house. Your kids will remember the traditions, not the gifts.

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/12/21/the-four-things-children-really-want-for-christmas/

Icelanders Face Frugal Christmas as Economy Chills

"History may have predisposed Icelanders to make the best of the good times while they lasted.

Financial deregulation and a 1990s stock market boom produced a decade of debt-fed economic expansion that saw Icelandic entrepreneurs snap up businesses around the world.

Many Icelanders joined in the lending-and-spending spree, taking easily available loans to buy houses, holidays and expensive cars.

Now Iceland's currency, the krona, has collapsed, prices of imports have soared, many businesses are approaching bankruptcy, hundreds of people are being laid off each week, and the government is seeking $10 billion in outside aid."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_re_eu/eu_iceland_frosty_christmas

Past tothesource Article: What kids really want for Christmas

http://www.tothesource.org/12_20_2005/12_20_2005.htm

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