Do you think Christmas is too commercialized? It all starts the day after Thanksgiving when people leave their cozy beds at 3:00 A.M. to line up in front of J.C. Penney’s to grab bargains and everything else in sight when it opens at the ripe hour of 4:00 A.M. for special black Friday Christmas shopping deals. Arguments and heated debates erupt immediately as two frantic people attempt to grab the same “must have” item at the same time. If one party fails to relinquish the mutually cherished item, it may escalate to a bit of pushing and shoving before store security is called over to mediate the matter. This frenzied scene plays out over and over in stores nationwide. Is this truly the spirit of Christmas? Where is the joy in shopping for Christmas?

Instead of the mad dash to grab Christmas shopping deals for people who already have everything they need, wouldn’t it be better to celebrate Christmas day in a more spiritual fashion with families gathered around the table to give thanks for what they already have? A colorful card, a beautifully phrased note, or a small remembrance that truly comes from the heart would be a more powerful gift than the latest electronic gadget guaranteed to be obsolete next year. After giving thanks and the exchange of meaningful remembrances, the families would gather around the table and enjoy a hot and delicious meal followed by dessert shared around the Christmas tree. After these Christmas festivities, there would be no bills to pay and no debt for presents you either couldn’t afford or didn’t need in the first place.

If gift giving is so compelling, you could give to someone who truly needs it. You can even give the gift of time by helping to prepare a piping hot Christmas dinner down at the local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. To see the look of thanks in the eyes of those who eat that meal is bound to be more meaningful than the disappointment in the eyes of a family member who’s received a necktie they’re never going to wear.

This year when you contemplate the upcoming Christmas season with all of its requisite trips to the shopping mall for Christmas shopping deals, stop for a moment to imagine the joys of NOT shopping for Christmas. Of simply sharing the moment with friends and loved ones, while drinking in the lights and sounds of one of the most splendid days of the year, saving your money for a charitable organization who really needs it. Maybe that’s what they truly meant when they say Christmas is a time for giving.