Word: holidaying
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Such cutbacks make sense, says Tim Kasser, a professor of psychology at Knox College in Illinois, who studies materialism and values. For a 2002 paper titled "What Makes for a Merry Christmas?" Kasser interviewed 117 people in Illinois, asking them to weigh eight factors in their holiday experience. "Being close to family and friends" was measured against "practicing my religion," "helping others in need" and "eating and/or drinking well." The two factors most closely tied to holiday happiness: family and religion. The two factors most closely linked to dissatisfaction? Giving and receiving gifts...
...needy animals. Instead of their usual gift-exchange party, the friends piled $2,000 worth of donations into several cars and distributed them at the shelter. "The animals were going nuts," Wisdom recalls. "We never anticipated how emotional it would be. It ended up being the most rewarding holiday experience we've ever had." This year they're looking forward to taking canned goods to the North Texas Food Bank. "Instead of seeing Christmas as just another social hour, we did something meaningful together," Wisdom explains. "It's really refreshing to take the focus off our lives, our bank accounts...
...meaning in your own world as well. Some families rein in the gift frenzy and gain treasured time together by chipping in for a family ski trip or beach vacation. According to the Knox study, people reported having happier holidays when they instituted environmentally friendly practices like using a live Christmas tree or eliminating wrapping paper. Bill McKibben, author of Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas, suggests making presents or giving the gift of time, offering to help a sibling with homework or to pay for ballet lessons...
Need some quick pampering to get through the holiday season with your sanity intact? Two cutting-edge spas are offering new services geared to clients who don't want the hassle of having to book months in advance--and in one case, there are even free products...
MOST CHRISTMAS WORSHIPPERS, OF COURSE, are not currently focusing tightly on the Gospels' backstory. In this holiday season, they will be less interested in analyzing Matthew's message than in celebrating it, less concerned about parsing Luke's sentiments than in singing them. The beauty of Christmas carols is that they can retrieve the drama that the eye may quickly skip over on the page. Luke's description of "a multitude of the heavenly host praising God" is certainly vivid. But does it truly express--the way, perhaps, the single word glory, extended in five-part harmony over four delirious...