traditions
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Skipping Christmas Showed Me the Holiday Spirit
I am a Christmas nut, a secret Santa, a baker, an opulent tree decorator, keeper of the flame from three generations of Italian daughters. So it surprised the Dickens out of my family when I announced in 2008: “I NEED to skip Christmas!”
So that I am not labeled the Grinch, realize that my kids were 20 and 24. They were, I believe, secretly overjoyed to go skiing and shuffle off to visit a roommate in Mexico City. But I had embraced Christmas so hard, for so long, that every member of the family questioned me vigorously: Did I really mean this? Would I be OK with just dad and the cats? Really–no tree, no nutcrackers, no greens, no wreath? …
A Slimmed-Down Christmas — But Will It Last?
The chestnuts will still roast; Santa Claus will be just as jolly as ever—but there’s little doubt that the holiday season is different this year. From smaller Christmas trees and fewer extravagant gifts, to an increase emphasis on homemade foods and decorations, millions of families across the country are cutting back on expenses without sacrificing the holiday spirit this year.
It’s too soon to tell whether these back-to-basics holiday rituals will turn into lasting traditions or whether they’re just passing trends that’ll be gone as soon as the economy heats up again. In the meantime, we’ve put together a roundup of what’s different this holiday season.
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