Written by Tanya Free   

The Christmas Season is one of my favorite holidays. I have come to enjoy it even more since I no longer put myself in the position of trying to playing Santa for each and every family member and person that may have crossed my path since last Christmas .It seems as though the Holiday shopping season starts earlier and earlier each year. Many malls were already adorned with Christmas Trees, wreaths and the sounds of carols in the background as early as Halloween. There will be no more shopping for me until I drop, trying to find that perfect gift for family and friends that in many cases end up being returned or exchanged on December 26th anyway. Oh, and how about that pressure to find a Secret Santa gift for the co-worker or boss that I really didn’t know and honestly sometimes didn’t even like. Sound familiar?
Personally, this yearly ritual took the Merry out of my Christmas because I allowed myself to get caught up in the hoopla and mass marketing of those MUST HAVE gifts and electronics. Retailers are on a mission to convince us that THEY are the reason for the season and stand ready to accommodate us in many cases 24/7 until Christmas Day. Each year I would find myself completely worn out from all the shopping, but even worst, in a pool of credit card debt that would take me a year to recover from and then …… the cycle would start all over again. The cycle ends for me THIS YEAR!
More importantly the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ has been lost in all the hustle, bustle and materialism. December 25th is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ- the gift of love. In honor of Jesus Christ - give the gift of love and your time. That’s the true spirit and meaning of Christmas and the Real Reason for the Season!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!