I think the problem is that we have so much all year now. When I was a child Christmas was a bright interlude in a cold, rather dull winter, with chicken ( a rare treat,) tangerines, sweets, toys, new clothes, visiting, and a break from the usual routines. It was also the only time of year we had heating upstairs ( a smelly, smoky paraffin stove.) So there is a need to ramp up the festivities to make it even more extraordinary. The origins of Christmas as a midwinter celebration, ( if we’re taking the bible literally, Jesus was a summer baby,) make sense when most people lived frugally, often saving scant resources for a few days of feasting to break up a winter when food was running low and the days where cold and short. In fact, it marks the winter solstice, with the “ renewal” of the sun as the days get longer. Last year the adults in our family made a contribution to the charity of choice of the receiver, while the children, all under three, had a very small present. We’ll probably do the same this year, and just have a nice time together, with everyone contributing to the Christmas dinner.
