Here are some real Christmas treasures...
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Secular stores too commercial for you? They don't mention Christmas enough you say?
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That's odd. I can find real Christmas in just about any fine quality store - even religious Christmas gifts - better than one might find in a Catholic retail setting selling Chinese resin devotional kitsch. Here are a few examples of good devotional art from Neiman-Marcus...
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Paintings available from Neiman-Marcus Home - Spiritual Gifts
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At Christmas, one ought always to try and give gifts that last, not fashion and trend or electronics that are obsolete within a year or two.
Beautiful! In addition, one can always use any cash they may receive and put it toward a print of the Madonna and Christ Child. Art.com has many such prints. I've had prints canvas transferred and then framed. It costs a bit more, but one will always remember it as a Christmas gift.
ReplyDeleteMany of those complainers are the ones out doing all the shopping. Don't like the commercial aspects of Christmas? Don't participate. Simple!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Elisabeta.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne - Not getting into the gift thing is easy for me! LOL!
It seems to me that one could also avoid sending cards and gifts until Christmas. It may not help the quarterly earnings, but it will help make us attentive to Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAs for gifts, why not something from a monastery or convent? They have wonderful CDs, coffees, fruits and jellies. It won't help some importer of cheap junk, but it may help some monks or nuns.
i don't send cards as a rule. i respond to cards i receive & that's it.
ReplyDeleteI was in the dollar store today picking up some tissue paper as I had run out..that place was a madhouse...
ReplyDeleteone lady was about ready to come toblows with me as I got the last of the white tissue paper..
Most places here already have christmas decorations 50% off...so now is the time to get your stuff :)
Mostly my shopping is pretty easy....liquor or gas cards :) The janitors in my building really like the gas cards..
Sara
I have my christmas cards in the mail Thanksgiving weekend..
Last year I gave a good friend a box of truffles that my brother made. He's not licensed, so he could only except a donation. They devoured them within an hour. This year they bought ten dozen from him for business gifts. They, too, were devoured, so now they bought 86 more. It was a nice way to help my brother who struggles to support a family of six on a teacher's salary. He was thrilled; they were thrilled. What more could I wish for?
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful but beyond my budget! I have a print of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and one of Our Lady of Guadalupe, both in need of framing. Many of my devotional items are thrift store rescues.
ReplyDeleteI love to give gifts of baking even though they don't last. I think people appreciate the love and effort put into it. (Especially the Capt. Morgan cookies LOL!)
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteI'm with Angela. I usually whip up a batch of cookies. They're not "obsolete within a year or two" but gone within a day--which, of course, is a different matter.
I'd send you some, Terry, but the postage would kill me.
Great-Grandma's cream candy recipe; everybody likes it! (and it's easy, but not low calorie)
ReplyDeleteThis year I'm sending e-cards, when I buy real cards they never get sent. I do want to stay in touch, so I'm willing to be a little tacky.
Hello again,
ReplyDeleteJust another thought: by buying from an importer we are generally supporting China.
China has recently "ordained" bishops.
Supporting the monks and nuns is fine, especially for unskilled people such as myself.
The homemade items seem to me to be much more in the spirit of the season. [Though I confess a strong liking for the gas cards.]
A holy Christmas to all.