The presents have been unwrapped, the holiday meal has settled in everyone's stomach, and your drunk aunt has been escorted away from the family party. You eagerly scroll through Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, observing what your friends and acquaintances received. The last thing on your mind is the mountain of thank - you cards that have to be written and mailed over the next couple of days.
Christmas has evolved immensely over the years. Back in the 1920s, when my grandma (age 95) was a young girl, the Christmas season focused on the church and Jesus. Receiving a number of presents was uncommon except if you had the privilege of being wealthy. The buildup to the big day was not as exciting as it is today, with the tree and the presents beneath it appearing late on Christmas Eve and disappearing after Christmas Day. She fondly recalls, "It was a treat to receive individual presents; often, a single family present such as a sled, was the main gift."
Fast forward to the 1960's-1970's. Our (or at least my) parents were in their teenage years. For my mom, Christmas was a tiring yet thrilling affair consisting of midnight mass and a large number of presents to be opened. She has four siblings so hand-me-downs were abundant but her parents still gave them what each one desired and then some. Gift-giving was within the immediate family and neighbor to neighbor gift exchanges were rare. Across the globe, in Athens, Greece, my dad did not get to experience any of these luxuries. He grew up in a small village on top of a mountain and his family could not afford to give him and his siblings any presents. When I asked him what his Christmas consisted of, he remarked, "We went to church, that was it." As you can see, my parents' experiences were very different.
Believe me, I enjoy the finer things in life. Having the newest IPhone, wearing designer clothes, and attending sporting events is satisfying. I think most of you would agree with me. Who doesn't like getting presents? I'm blessed to have been able to receive everything I have asked for for Christmas in the past, save for a baby brother that never appeared. As I've gotten older and more mature, most of my joy on Christmas day has largely come from giving gifts and seeing recipients reactions, not receiving gifts myself. I think that this is due to the fact that I realized the amount of time, effort, and money spent making sure the receiver gets what he/she wants. Christmas was once known as the season of giving but it has changed into the season of getting. Hopefully, we can teach our kids that Christmas isn't all about getting the newest toy or those coveted concert tickets, but rather recognizing the sacrifice it took to get them their presents.
