Silly Season

Without wanting to sound like Scrooge and go bah-humbug, I have to say I really don't get the excesses of the 'festive' season, in fact I think most people go really silly and way over the top.

I'm all for sharing time with family and friends, but why does it have to (for Christians) culminate on 25 December ... and for other regilions whatever your peak day is: surely this should be enjoyed regularly.

So here are some antidotes:

Each person at the gathering should agree to supply one part of the meal. This has a couple of benefits -
a) Mum (or the primary cook) doesn't emotionally and financially stress out doing everything for everyone.
b) with a lil' co-ordination you can communicate the type of day you all want and preferred foods/wine etc.

Organise to do a Mystery Santa, so each adult just has to buy one present. You can even put a financial cap on it. This reduces shopping and financial stress and cuts down on the amount of unwanted crap that is purchased each day and saves earths resources for more important things. Think about sustainable giving too! some suggestions can be found here
http://eartheasy.com/give_tips_for_susgivg.htm

I do agree that Christmas is for the kids and a great way to teach children the spirit of giving is to ask them to pick 3 toys that they don't play with very much, and donate them to a charity of their choice. This works for birthdays also.

Plan some group activity for after the meal to work off the excess calories, which, despite all good intentions, you end up having. Even if it's going for a walk or playing catch - just get the body moving.

Have lots of non-alcoholic options available, especially for the drivers.

What do I think is the perfect gift? Massage of course!