It’s Christmas day. I’m sitting on a hillside overlooking the Bradshaw Mountains, and filled with a deep sense of gratitude for this time in nature. This has been the most relaxed holiday season I have ever experienced, and the reason is quite simple. We quit Christmas. Yep, we quit Christmas.

I know you’re probably very confused and wondering why anyone would choose to quit Christmas. Well, for many reasons, but let’s start with the materialism. I probably get this from my mother as she never liked the commercialism and material focus of Christmas yet we celebrated year after year. Our Christmas growing up was probably smaller than most for that reason and we were okay with that. My mom is strong in her faith and while she taught us the “true” meaning of Christmas she also educated us to the truth behind modern Christmas celebrations. Since starting my own family 13 years ago I’ve continued to celebrate Christmas… and stress over gifts and budgets and meals and making sure no one gets hurt feelings and…. Yes, I enjoyed seeing my children happy on Christmas morning, but they were just as genuinely excited to go see Christmas lights or an adventure in the mountains as they were to unwrap presents on Christmas morning.

I am not a complete minimalist, but I have been working on minimizing our stuff and the accumulation of stuff since I moved to Hawaii 6 years ago with nothing more than what I could take on the plane with me. My minimalist approach is my rebellion against stuff, against consumerism, materialism and commercialism. How many toys can our kids really play with and enjoy? They certainly don’t need very many to have a fulfilling childhood. But some parents love it. I get it. I used get caught up in it too, and it’s so easy to over buy. Most of us do it for birthdays too which is a different topic, but I have a similar approach. In my rebellion against stuff I focus my family on experiences. Creating our own traditions, incorporating rituals and sharing new experiences. Experiences that create memories without a focus on stuff.

This time of year, I often wonder what are we really teaching our children? I’ve yet to meet a child who thinks Christmas is about anything more than getting presents. Ok, maybe they say it’s about baby Jesus and Santa Claus too, but the focus and emphasis is always placed on the gifts. Gifts they are expecting to receive, and gifts that are given because they expect something in return, if gifts are given by them at all. Personally I find this expectation not only disheartening, but selfish and counter to what is supposed to be the meaning of the season.

I mentioned that my mom taught us about the truth of modern Christmas celebrations, and this another reason that now as an adult and an avid seeker of truth and honesty I cannot find meaning in how modern Christmas is celebrated.

Reasons to celebrate Christmas, Christmas symbols and their truth:

1. Jesus’ birth. Nope. Sorry if this is the first time you’re learning this, but Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas or even any time around Christmas. Historians say he was born sometime in the Spring likely closer to the time Easter is celebrated.

2. The Christmas tree… is Pagan, and was originally used to hang animals scarified to the gods.

3. Ornaments and decorating the (pagan) Christmas tree… yep, those are symbolic of the pagan religious and solstice traditions which included animal sacrifice.

4. St. Nick/ Santa Claus – there are conflicting stories on who he was and his story is factually questionable. Not mention he is promoted as an all seeing, all knowing god, or just a stalker depending on how you want to look at it. Since we’re on the topic of Santa and the importance of truth (knowing fact from myth), I’m also one of those parents who chose to never lie to my children about Santa even when we did celebrate Christmas. They always knew he wasn’t real, but it was fun to pretend.

5. Santa and the reindeer – possibly taken from the Norse myth of Odin and Sleipnir, his 8-legged horse.

Modern Christmas celebrations began with the spread of the Catholic Church in Europe. As many pagans converted to spare their lives they found ways to continue practicing their pagan rituals in disguise. Over time many of these rituals became accepted and widely practiced among Christians.

So what is really being celebrated at Christmas? Some would argue that it’s also about a spirit of giving and compassion. Great! But why is this only a focus in November and December? Why do we not do this year round, and teach our children this as a way of life not just a holiday? If you do just that, amazing!

As I found Christmas to hold no true meaning for me, I have decided to be in alignment with my highest truth and to teach my children to walk in honesty and integrity, we will celebrate that which does have meaning to us – the Winter Solstice and Yule. The returning of the light and the original holiday and myths behind the modern Christmas.

We have celebrated both the Solstice/ Yule and Christmas in past years, but this year we abandoned Christmas day. It has been the most wonderful holiday season. We still put up some lights as they represent the returning of the light/sun and the days becoming longer. We put up a small tree and decorated it with intent for what the ornaments represented. We lit candles. We set up a small Yule alter with nature findings. We wrapped a few small gifts. But this year instead of all the chaos of Christmas morning, we had a slow and enjoyable Solstice/ Yule day and evening. We gave thanks and talked about the year past, all the things we are grateful for and our intentions for the upcoming year.

By nature, I question and often reject anything that comes with a sense of obligation or expectation. I won’t celebrate Christmas just because it’s expected or a societal norm. Celebrations and traditions must hold meaning and value to truly enrich our lives. Anything that brings the stress and anxiety so often jointly associated with the supposed joy of the holidays isn’t worth it to me. I find it completely reasonable if you are always overwhelmed and stressed during the holidays to examine your practices and approach and simplify as you see fit. And don’t care about what anyone else may think of the changes you make to bring more true joy and bliss to your family and home. Honor your own spirit and the energy you want to create in your home.

I know some people really love Christmas and that is wonderful if it brings one true joy, peace and happiness. For me and my house, we find our joy in a simpler celebrations of the ancient traditions.

Have a blessed holiday season doing that which brings you the most joy!