Christmas on a Shoe String

by: Rache Hernandez
2007-11-07

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Christmas always brings a child-like feeling of anticipation.

Each waft of cool air that kisses our skin, every joyous Christmas strain that drifts from radios, and every mistletoe or Christmas tree that peeks from neighbors’ windows give us that unmistakable tingling excitement.

However, adults as we are, our more practical side eventually rears its head and brings to light the handful of troubles that comes with the Christmas season. And when we say trouble, we mean those that are preceded by the peso sign.

This may be a natural part of the season, as inherent to Christmas as Santa Claus and his army of reindeer, but it doesn’t have to be if we let the creative, resourceful and ingenious part of us shine through.

Here are a few tips on how to have a Christmas celebration, without busting your budget:

Gift-giving

Giving gifts on Christmas is like the ice on halo-halo. Without it, the Christmas experience is just not complete. However, it may have debilitating, even irreversible effects on the over-all well-being of our bank accounts. But not if you are armed with the following tools:

• Make a list

  Start with a list of all the people to whom you will give gifts. Prioritize family and very close friends at the top of your list and put your acquaintances near at the bottom. Your list could be as restricted or as free as you see fit. It's entirely up to your capacity.
  

• Create a budget

  Make a budget and, if possible, do it before the Christmas season. That way, you can spread out gift shopping throughout the year. Remember, malls stage sales several times during the year. These give you the opportunity to make headway in your Christmas shopping, while avoiding the stifling Christmas rush. If you still have to make your budget, do it now, you still have a month to go before Christmas.

  Don’t just decide on the total amount you are willing to spend for all the gifts you have to purchase. Determine the cost for each gift, too. You may want to reserve the priciest gifts for your spouse, children or family members, and the cheaper ones for other friends and acquaintances.
  

• Go home-made

  Not all great gifts are bought. Sometimes, it’s simply better and cheaper when they are handmade. If you’ve got the gift of craftsmanship, go ahead and create your gifts. You could bake cookies, sew personalized pillowcases, assemble a jar of goodies, etc. The extra ounce of effort you poured into your gifts will be highly appreciated.
  

• Easy on the wrappers

  Gift-wrapping can also be home-made. Glossy, colorful gift wrappers are usually the way to go, but you can also use recycled baskets, boxes, and jars, and old newspapers. Add color by tying it all up with colored yarn and embellishing it with tiny Christmas balls that didn’t find their way to the Christmas tree. You can be as imaginative with the tags as well.

Decorations

The Christmas tree takes center stage in our holiday decorations. Those that are tall and with really leafy branches are seen as the best but can be very expensive. I’d suggest carefully considering the size of the room where the tree will be displayed. A large tree will make a small or low-ceilinged living room look too cramped, while a tiny tree will look even tinier if displayed in a large room. Also, examine Christmas trees thoroughly, and you will probably find out that there are ways of extending their height with a few well-placed iron bars or adding more green by coating its branches with plastic leafy garlands. Bigger balls, ribbons and baubles can also make a tree look more festive, and can mask otherwise “undernourished” branches.

You can also choose to do away with the traditional Christmas tree altogether and use your existing houseplants instead. Potted plants with sturdy branches can be decorated individually and placed in a few choice places in the house, or grouped together as an imitation of a large and lush Christmas tree.

Other Christmas decorations such as wreaths, boughs, and hollies can also be created from existing plants in your household. For example, dried twigs, painted or plain, may be tied together with colorful ribbons, embellished with balls and pine cones and hung on the door, or decorated with candles and placed on a table to serve as a centerpiece.

Word of caution: don’t go overboard, unless you want to convey that a slice of the Amazon forest has just been relocated into your house.

Noche Buena

The highlight of the Christmas celebrations is the Noche Buena. This is when a feast is expected to be served on the dining table. This would necessarily mean investing a large amount of planning and labor, as well as funds. Fortunately, there are ways around this.

• Potluck

  If you usually have your Noche Buena with the whole clan, set aside a time for a planning session where you can assign dishes to certain members or families. If you usually invite friends over, try including a “bring a bottle” note with your invitation. Or, if you are going to prepare the main dish, ask them to bring complementary side dishes.
  

• Spruce up the dinner table

  Dishes should not be the only focus on the dinner table. Try giving attention as well to the plates and utensils you will use. Bring out your prized dinner set. Remember, they were made to be used for special occasions such as the Noche Buena. It would be a shame to keep them locked up in cabinets. You can also dress up the table with attractive centerpieces which you can create yourself.
  

• Set the mood

  Play Christmas melodies on your radio to help you set a celebratory mood during dinner. If you want a more subdued, intimate ambiance, dim the lights or switch on only your Christmas lights instead of the chandelier. You need not worry that your guests will think you are hiding the simple dishes on the table behind the cloak of partial darkness, because they will be very busy thinking what a wonderful time they were having.
  

There is just one more tip left: A profusion of gifts, decorations and mouth-watering dishes doesn’t make a meaningful celebration. That only happens when we sincerely imbibe the true spiritual meaning of Christmas. This means, despite the simplicity of our celebrations, we should nurture hope and joy in our hearts. That way, we can genuinely enjoy the holidays.

If you have any comments and suggestions, you may send them to info@hotoccasions.com. We'd love to hear from you.

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