Every year in preparation for the holidays, there’s a lot of talk about how it’s better to give than to receive. Many people say we should “give to the needy” and make the holiday about “family instead of stuff.” The idea here is that to want gifts is frivolous, shallow, and greedy. While this could […]
holidays
We need more than holiday charity to reduce income inequality
The holidays are a time of joy for many. They are when families celebrate being together with loved ones, workplaces honor the accomplishments of employees, and individuals reflect on their personal success. However, this scenario does not apply to everyone. Slowly, over the last fifteen or so years, there has been a dramatic annual increase […]
Cultivating the Joy of Gift Giving
When I was a little girl, we never had extravagant Christmases. As excited as we were about the gifts, my mom always reinforced that “Jesus is the reason for the season” by making a Betty Crocker birthday cake for Jesus every year, we didn’t bother to put the right number of candles on, obviously. My […]
Gifts and the American Dream
As I’ve struggled with the incredible pressure of the season to buy in order to prove our love and our worth, I’ve been helped by considering how gift-giving is shaped by people’s relationship to the American Dream. For those who are just too poor to even engage with the Dream, they may not buy much […]
Adjusting to holiday changes
Throughout my life, when my holiday traditions have changed, for financial or family reasons, I have found myself yearning for what used to happen. When I was young, my family would travel regularly during winter vacations: Florida, Washington DC, the Caribbean, Europe. I grew accustomed to the ritual, and was very excited about all the […]
