Several years ago, the stress of the Christmas season seemed to have destroyed all the joy---the desire to get the perfect gift for others and the complementary desire to get the perfect gift from the perfect family member just screamed out for change. So, I designed what the kids have come to call the "Sugar Daddy Christmas." Prior to Christmas we would focus soly on the religious nature of the holiday. All the advent ceremony. All the reflections on waiting. All the cleaning out of the old and preparation for the new. Then, on the day after Christmas, we would go total capitalist.
On Christmas Day, each family member would give one gift to each other, with a strict price limit of $10. It would hopefully be a book, some body lotion or something of interest. A handmade gift would be the ideal. Then on Christmas Eve, we would celebrate at the Cathedral in Madison at midnight with all the brass instruments.
On the Day after Christmas, each person would get a "Sugar Daddy" envelope with $100 in it for the shopping spree. Each would then go on the shopping spree and keep all the receipts. The person who got the most value measured in discounts from original retail, would get an additional $50.
This shopping spree was quite a competitive event. The girls were all amazed how much those precious things before Christmas were discounted just one day later. What an added benefit for just having a religious emphasis before Christmas. Religion seemed to have some economical side benefits. Molly, the youngest, did get some purchasing help from one of the boyfriends, Greg, who devised a purchasing strategy of using deeply discounted toys to win the contest. However, in the end, the first year, Amy was the declared winner.
Now they all just ask, "Are we still doing the Sugar Daddy?" When the answer is yes, they know there is no stress. They have asked for stiff penalties for anyone who goes over the $10 limit however. No exceptions allowed. It is a real challenge to keep the gift under $10. It is also a challenge to keep the spirit of Christmas from being destroyed by Madison Ave.
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