Have an old-fashioned Christmas

In today’s modern world, all too often, the real spirit of Christmas is lost. With so many parents who work, it is exhausting to try to add the additional activities to an already overloaded schedule. Shopping, cooking, baking and parties can just become too much. This year, why not stop the madness and celebrate an old fashioned Christmas.

What exactly is an old-fashioned Christmas? It is one where the spirit is more important than the dollar amount. Where time spent with family is the measure of success. Here are a few tips to make your Christmas old-fashioned in all the right ways.

Keep it simple

When your mothers and grandmothers celebrated Christmas it was in a simple way. The tree was decorated with ornaments that often times were homemade. Take one evening and get the kids away from the TV and their computers and games and get them to make some easy Christmas decorations for the tree. It can be construction paper chains, popcorn chains, popsicle stick stars or pipe-cleaner angels. Put on a Christmas CD and sing some carols while making the decorations. Slow down and take the time to talk about what the real reason for the season is.

Bake

It isn’t always easy to find the time to make Christmas cookies, but it is the old fashioned way. It doesn’t have to be a fancy recipe, simple sugar cookies are fine. If you are really pressed for time, you can even buy the pre-made dough but the important thing is to actually cut, decorate and bake them with the children. It is the time spent together. If you don’t own an apron, consider buying one, not only will it help to keep the decorations off of your clothes but it just feels right.

Make traditions

If you don’t have any holiday traditions, there is always time to make some new ones. If your family has always done things a certain way, pass on the traditions. It can be as simple as taking the young children to a pancake breakfast with a visit from Santa or doing some Christmas shopping with the children at a local church or civic fair. Look for places nearby which are decorated for Christmas, not the mall, a house, arboretum or local attraction. Take a sleigh ride, or, if there is no snow, a carriage ride. These are as old-fashioned as you can get.

If there is a historic village nearby, spend the day enjoying the sights and sounds of yesterday.

Relax

Try not to get uptight about the holidays. Spending a lot of money is not necessary to have an old fashioned Christmas. It is about the memories that you will make, the things that your children will remember about their childhood and the traditions they will pass on to their children. Santa does not have to spend hundreds of dollars, especially if money is tight. One meaningful gift is more important than lots of expensive toys.

Go real

Get a real Christmas tree, a real wreath, fresh fruits that you can stick cloves into. Part of the enjoyment of an old fashioned Christmas are the smells that remind people of their own childhood or at least what they wished their childhood had been like.

Share

In days gone by, people knew their neighbors. No one would have spent the holidays alone unless they wanted to. Think about who might be alone at Christmas and consider inviting them to your home. If that is not possible think about bringing a plate of cookies to a neighbor or visiting the local nursing home and bringing the old-fashioned spirit of Christmas to someone who may not have any family or friends to visit them.

Just say no thank you

There are usually way too many things going on during the holidays. Just say no to as many as you can. You don’t have to attend every event or party. It is much more important to spend time with your family and doing the things that are really important.

Having an old fashioned Christmas will heighten your enjoyment of the season. When it is over, you will not be exhausted but rather renewed. If you have a religious tradition, make that a part of your old fashioned Christmas. It is after all is said and done, the real reason for the season.