BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Pagan Pagans and Gift Giving

Since the topic of "giftmas" was brought up on another thread, what are your thoughts on the gift giving tradition at this time of year. Do you incorporate it into your beliefs?

Gift giving has always been a tradition in my family. So, when I became Pagan, not much changed in that regard.

My only problem with "giftmas" is when it is only about the gifts. In my family, that seemed to be the case a lot of the time. Once the gifts were opened, everyone jetted... :p

I think it's nice to honor those that are nearest and dearest to us with gifts, though I don't see why this has to be confined to one time of the year. I enjoy buying things I think people will like. I think a more spiritual "giftmas" fits in with my beliefs...

Luckily, most of my family are big on homemade gifts except for the kids who want toys. The adults will generally exchange food or crafts gifts and buy gifts from the store for the kids. This works well for us. My husband and I just buy gifts for each other when we feel like it and don't have that as part of any holiday celebration.

I agree that gift giving is a good tradition to continue especially when it is done in the right spirit rather than trying to outdo someone or out of obligation.

We do homemade gifts and stolckings this time of the year. My roomie is a pagan witch, and I am a reform jew. We decorate for the season and do the gifting thing when we want. We both grew up in christian homes where christmas was tradition. I still follow the tradition because it reminds me of my time with mom. We will finally be doing a tree next year ;0)

As for everyone else, I usually dont gift if they aren't close to me. I send cards. And at work we are doing a white elephant secret santa potluck party. White elephant, then our seret santas while enjoying dishes we all prepared to pass and ending of work. We are doign our thing AFTER the holidays. Our party is the 29th.

We have never had lots of money so my mom would make something homemade for the families like coasters or doily type things and also something for the girls like a purse or something for barbie and the boys got a plastic canvas truch or car or something but my aunt and her 4 grown kids and there kids would make her feel bad about not giving them high $$ [censored] so we stoped going over for christmas when i was in high school and just hated to go. between the kids beating me up, the name calling and the way they treated my mom it was not worth it to be there any more.

Now we stay home and spend christmas with my mom and mother in law and yes even my sister in law who drives me nuts!! and her kids who i love inspite of there mom! lol

my mom in law loves to make homemade stuff and I really love to get her gives last year she made me a barbie doll in a plastic canvus dress! its a black dress with black hair green eyes and it also hides my jewlery!!! I love it!!

No one really has room for a tree or money to decorate so we hang our christmas card on the curtians that was our tradition and we still say merry Christmas!!! I know its not PC but hey freedom of speech is my right?! at lest last i heard....lol

That's a good discussion point to bring up this time of year too. For the non-Christians in here, do you get offended by "Merry Christmas."

Personally, I don't mind it being said, because it's being said in a positive way. I'll likely respond back with "Happy Holidays" or "Happy Yule" though.

Oh, I love the idea of doing home-made gifts too. I think people think some crafts are way more difficult than they really are. Yes, some things take quite a lot of time, but some take next to none...

As long people are wishing me a happy season, I honestly don't care if they say Merry Christmas. It does seem that some people are offended by Happy Holidays as a greeting though. I don't understand that. To me it says "I'm trying to include everyone" instead of "I'm trying to exclude Christians," which seems to be how it is take sometimes.

I say both happy holidays, or have a great holidays, or even merry christmas. Sometimes I say happy hanukkah to those who say merry christmas to me. It's the ones who say it like they need to save me type of way that I usually respond to with happy hanukkah or merry meet or even happy yule ;0)

living with a pagan does have it's benefits LOL

I dislike "Merry Christmas", but I'm trying to coach myself into seeing it the same way as "Happy Hanukkah", which I have no problem with because it was a religion that was never rammed down my throat (Jase, I think you're the only Jew I know...).

I really like "Season's Greetings". It's traditional enough that it sounds right, and it covers exactly what you are greeting the person with. I also like to send people wishes of the warmth of summer, especially if they are in the northern hemisphere at this time - I figure a little summer warmth doesn't go amiss, even if it is captured indoors by a fireplace

I have to admit that my hubby and I tend to cave in and say Merry Christmas to each other on the day. Habit. It just doesn't feel right without it, and again I just have to embrace it as a paradox that serves to remind me that I have to continue to think for myself.