Not much else to say, really.

I love Christmas. It is by far my favourite holiday, though we make an effort not to go overboard.

Heather and I make a pact not to get gifts for each other, each year. And every year, I cheat and get her something. She has cottoned on, though, and bought me something this year.

To my mind, gift-giving is mostly about kids. And we had a great time watching Millie open her presents (and everyone else’s). She was quite spoiled this year and — at two years old — she if finally understanding what the gifts are. The last two Christmases were all about eating wrapping paper.
For us, Christmas is more about family. We live close to our parents (by design, after years of living and traveling far from home). My parents usually host a Christmas Eve get together, then we host Christmas morning for brunch and a Secret Santa gift exchange, then my in-laws host a dinner with all the trimmings.

The Secret Santa works well for us. We set a $50 limit. Each person contributes one gift and we each get a chance to unwrap a present or to steal an already unwrapped one from someone who has already opened. It’s fun, some of the gifts are really creative, and I always look forward to it. It makes Christmas shopping a breeze and really removes much of the stress. And, as we have all been adults for some time, we all have more than we need already. We still get the joy of giving, but without collecting piles of stuff that we don’t really need.

How you handle holidays is something you should discuss with your spouse. Ideally, before you get married, of course. Do you want to start your own traditions? Do you like the way your family handled things? Will you spend a given holiday with your parents or your spouse’s? Do you want to start celebrating on your own?

Remember, too, that holidays can be stressful. In fact, many people do not have happy associations with, for example, Christmas. Starting a married life together can give you the opportunity to change that with traditions or approaches that work better for you.

All the best for the holidays, to you and yours.

-Dan

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!