Originally Posted By skinnerbox Significant other and I do not exchange gifts anymore, and haven't for years. We spend all of our holiday cash on donations for various groups, both international and local. I also do lots of toy shopping on Black Friday or during special sales for the Toys for Tots campaign (even though CalTrain didn't do their annual Toy Train event this year, presumably from lack of funding). Actually, this year I avoided Black Friday and participated in the AMEX Small Business Saturday instead. The kids got toys and local merchants got my purchases. Win-win for everyone. This holiday season we donated to the SF Food Bank, SF SPCA, Rafael House, the Drawbridge Arts program, Sleep Train Foster Kids program, Toys for Tots, Heifer International, CARE, NRDC, and as always, the Salvation Army buckets when I come across them. I'd rather give these programs some funds they need to keep running, instead of opening a bunch of gifts on Christmas morning that I don't really want or need. I'm lucky to have a roof over my head and healthy food to eat, with somewhat decent medical care when I need it. Others aren't as fortunate, so I strongly believe that sharing when I can is the right thing to do. Stephen Colbert said it best in front of Congress when testifying about migrant farm workers in this country, about how the workers and others in this country are "the least of my brothers," especially given the hard economy right now. That's the way I feel as well, and why I give what I can, when I can. I don't consider myself a Christian anymore, but this is the one aspect of the religion I still keep close to my heart and practice. Too bad other self-professed Christians who have the resources haven't taken these teachings to heart.
