Every year, the month of December is bombarded with talk of Christmas.

We have to decorate our houses, we have to decorate our Christmas tree, we have to bring out the “Elf on the Shelf”, and we have to make sure we buy presents for everybody that we hope won’t get re-gifted. We spend hours upon hours in stores, and online trying to find the perfect gifts for everybody we care about in our lives, without breaking our banks. With all of the ads circling, the expectations of Christmas gifts only grow. We are automatically expected to bring a gift to somebody if they mean anything to you.We often find ourselves wondering; how much should I spend? But we are only thinking in the concept of money. We should instead, begin thinking about this in the concept of time.

Why is spending time not enough of a gift?

Gifts are nice. They are a token of how much people mean to us. They are a tangible representation that somebody thought about us and that they thought that we were worthy of a gift. However, the unfortunate truth about the holiday is that nobody can afford it. Economy is terrible, and people are supporting themselves the best they can. The added stress of buying a worthy gift for everybody is not only superficial, but unnecessarily drains our bank accounts.

The most important thing about our holiday season, is spending time, not money.

There are so many activities that you can do with those you love that simply only requires your time. You can sing Christmas songs together, you can cut down your own tree by hand, and you can go look at all of the decorated houses. The possibilities are endless, and the memories are much fonder than something tangible that will be forgotten about.

While gifts are nice, the time with those you love is what the holidays are supposed to be about. So, when you are thinking this holiday season “how much should I spend on them?”, perhaps trade in the sweater that’s guaranteed to be re-gifted and spend time with those you love instead. Christmas is not about the presents, but about you presence.