One of my friends from college, Holly, recently posted this article about the stress of Christmas:

http://thebloglifeofholly.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/christmas-stress-and-being-a-scrooge/

Within her article she wrote:  Christmas is supposed to be time of cheer, or family, of love and if your of Christian faith, celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Christmas is made stressful by commercialism.  The compulsion to indulge at this time of year is strong.  Television adverts compel you to purchase the latest, most expensive gifts.  You will, almost certainly, receive something you really don’t need or want this Christmas whilst there are people all over the world who will receive nothing, not a single solitary gift; because they can’t afford it, because they are struggling enough to survive day to day life.  Most people in a country as developed as the United Kingdom will sit down to a full Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings on the 25th December 2015; those in less privileged countries or in poverty will not.  Most people in the UK will wake up on Christmas morning and go downstairs to open their Christmas presents, those in less privileged countries or in poverty will probably not have that joy.

It seems to me that, for those who can afford it, the world has become about possessing expensive objects. Humility and humanity towards others appear to have taken a back seat.

Step back.

What is more important to you?  The friend or family member you can rely on and has rarely let you down, or your latest gadget?  I can guarantee that if you are honest with yourself, you will answer with the former.  Friends and family are what makes this world bearable.  True friends and family won’t mind if you don’t buy the latest, most expensive version of X because it doesn’t matter.  What matters this Christmas, indeed the only thing that matters this Christmas, is that you have your friends and family around you.  What matters is that however you spend your day, you enjoy it.  Yes, you may drift from friends and even some family members but those who are true to you will remain in your life for the long haul.

I hope that all the readers of my blog enjoy their Christmas Day wherever they spend it and with whoever they choose to spend their day.  I hope that all of you get gifts that you want, but also that you get to spend time with the people you treasure.  For some people, it’s all they have.  Some don’t even have that.