The 12 volunteering days of Christmas

The last few days have been a mad rush of buying, shopping, spending… fighting!

Seriously what has happened in this world that people are fighting over saving a few pounds on a telly or in the case of America people actually being shot and stabbed to save dollars on Black Friday.

It saddens me that Thanksgiving, such a wonderful American holiday, where it is ALL about being thankful, getting together with family and eating tasty food (there aren’t even any presents exchanged), has been tarnished by the crazy commercial day of Black Friday. A day where half the population turn into screaming banshees while trying to get savings on things they perhaps don’t need or really want. We can laugh at the videos and silly stories but this is a really, REALLY sad state of affairs.

I found myself aimlessly wondering around House of Fraser on my lunch break on Black Friday and before I knew it I had three Christmas gifts in my arms. I was feeling very proud of my organised shopping, something for Grandma, for Nana 2 and my sisters… and I was about to save £24.50!! Bargain.

No NO what was I doing?! A moment of realisation came to my mind and I quickly put all gifts back on the shelves and marched out the shop empty handed. Phew!

Just when I thought it was over I woke up this morning to find out it is Cyber Monday… I mean COME ON! Leave me alone, my inbox is bored of all these commercial supposed ‘bargain’ emails.

I was at the end of my tether until I noticed a couple of tweets pop up on twitter…

Today’s @CSV_UK volunteering tip for Christmas: Do a good deed for the day and offer to help a neighbour. http://t.co/BU8yEvzuLj #12dayscsv

— CSV UK (@CSV_UK) December 1, 2014

 

It’s #GivingTuesday tomorrow! What are you doing to help support and highlight the fantastic work #smallcharities are doing?

— Small Charities Cltn (@sccoalition) December 1, 2014

HURRAY. The whole world hasn’t got mad, there is some sanity.

I later opened by copy of the Big Issue and found a wonderful letter from the editor, Paul McNamee, that I couldn’t agree more with. Stop fighting (literally fighting!) for bargains people.

All was almost right with the world again. We need to return the focus to loving and giving.

So to do my bit I want to first share these brilliant ideas, as found on Twitter, with you all and secondly focus my mind to what we should be doing this Christmas… focusing on what really matters, and for me that is love, fun and family.

So my new Christmas plan, that doesn’t involve turning into a commercially driven shopping bafoon, involves the following…

• Attempt to do as many of CSV’s 12 Volunteering Days of Christmas as possible… I have brownies baking in the oven as I write this, perhaps I should go and meet my neighbours?
• Shop local! I will not buy any Christmas presents from chain stores, nothing, nada! So far I have bought two presents, one from a small antique shop in Hull and the other from a unique interior design shop in Greenwich, so I’m on the right track.
• Focus on experiences. I started this tradition a while ago, but will continue to make sure most of my Christmas presents are experiences rather than random items probably not needed or wanted by anyone.
• Have fun with my family. I’m not religious so for me Christmas is about laughing with my family and I am determined to make the most of every moment I get to spend with them and be thankful to have them around.

I urge you all to stop and think before you buy you’re turkey from T**co (I can’t even say the world out loud) or your aftershave from Argos this Christmas and know that every penny you spend goes so much further in our economy when given to local businesses, who invariably support more local businesses, pay their taxes and employ your friends.

Do you agree?

I’d love to hear if you are doing anything special to celebrate Christmas this year?