Gifts that Keep on Giving

One of the greatest pressures is to spend on gifts, especially during the holidays. Whether the celebration is Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, many people find the consumer frenzy exhausting.

After the celebration, they may be left with unsatisfying gifts and consumer debt. The emotional toll may even be greater. The holidays are supposed to inspire us; instead they exhaust us. We spend so many hours in cars and shopping malls that we often have little time left to experience the joy of the season.

Don’t despair. There are many creative ways to express the spirit of peace, joy and generosity of the season without pulling out your credit card. Many of the following suggestions are suitable for any holiday, as well as birthdays:

1. Chronicle your family history by assembling photographs, letters and important documents. Make this your one gift to the entire family.

2. Record a family oral history on audio tape with commentary from parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles. Such a gift will be truly treasured in years to come after people pass away.

3. Knit a sweater or build a birdhouse.

4. Frame one of your best photographs.

5. Make a tape of your favorite music.

6. Design a gift certificate which gives baby-sitting to a close friend, an afternoon at a museum or art gallery to a grandparent, or a candlelight massage to your partner.

7. Host a potluck party instead of a giant holiday feast.

To ease the post holiday “take down the tree”, find out if your community has a Christmas tree recycling program, contact your local parks and recreation department, public works department, the local office which handles recycling (often at the department of sanitation) or the mayor’s office. You can also access local Christmas tree recycling information by entering your zip code at the National Christmas Tree Association web site or by contacting the organization Earth 911 (800/CLEANUP, www.earth911.org).