If the message and meaning of Christmas are all you need to have a happy holiday then you might have taken some inspiration from some of the more helpful resources out there. Take Alternatives for Christian Living and their great work of assembling ideas and traditions to help keep the emphasis on the holiday's first syllable.

A cool look at consumption, of which Christmas is a huge part, is found in the video below, The Story of Stuff. It's a bit long, but it's broken down into short chapters so you don't have to watch it all at once.



And if you're going to buy something special for that special someone, how about something that's actually from the holy land? Check out Al Kahf which is a Bethlehem arts and crafts syndicate or The Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative.

One final suggestion that can inspire the holiday spirit like no other is to give a charity gift card. You may have heard of these - they're gift cards that recipients use to donate money to charities of their own choosing. Tisbest is one of the least expensive and gets good reviews, meanwhile a google search can turn up many more.

Happy holidays!