To state the obvious, this past year has seen a lot of people strapped onto a financial rollercoaster against their will, with the final peak and quick drop ending in the loss of a home, job, etc. This doesn't jive well with the year-end consumathon that most Americans are used to and associate with a happy, warm, successful holiday season. Maybe the emphasis should be put on quality over quantity. Hey, the attitude works well for beer, so I figure it could be applied to a formerly pagan, currently pseudo-Christian holiday.
As an agnostic, most of what I do in observance, such as decorations, is out of nostalgia and homesickness, since I spend most of the holiday season 1300 mi away from my family. I have my 2' tall plastic tree with Star Wars and SpongeBob ornaments (along with some gift ornaments), and I found a nativity set at Target that reminds me of the one my grandmother owned. When I look at these things, I think of family, not of Jesus, and it still makes me happy (probably happier than if I were to think of Jesus, to be honest). Similarly, I don't give gifts out of imitation of the Magi, which is sort of a weird tradition anyways. I don't know how giving your grandfather a tie clip is related to the Magi's adoration of baby Jesus, but whatever. I like giving presents, and people have only one birthday a year. Random present-giving is fun, though it's not en masse and with a warm, possibly alcoholic beverage.
Anyways, giving presents is nice and makes you feel good. That having been established, the framework of limited fundage creates problems, especially in a large family. Some options are making things (difficult if your time/talents are limited) and doing a secret Santa thing. But what if you're not quite sure what to give someone? Or what if Grandpa already has 20 tie clips, including the one you got him for his birthday three months ago?
Giving a charity gift in honor of a loved one is an excellent option, and there are many organizations that can facilitate this.
Heifer Project International is one of my favorite non-profits, since it is less about hand-outs and more about enabling, empowerment, and education. With Heifer Project, you can give gifts of animals or trees to help a community obtain self-sufficiency. Symbolic gifts of chicks, geese, and ducks are only $20, and shares of an animal gift as as inexpensive as $10. Cute gift cards are available so the honoree will know about what was given in their name.
Another great way is to "adopt" an animal. Previously, I had adopted a mother and baby gorilla pair for my mom for Christmas from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. The cute mother and infant picture, last I saw, was still on the mantel in the house. There are TONS of endangered species adoption programs, so you can sponsor really any kind of animal that you or the gift recipient fancies. Many programs, like the African Wildlife Foundation Adoption Center include things like fact sheets and plush animals in return. The Sierra Club has a program where you can sponsor a national park and still be able to hand your recipient a certificate, plush toy, fact sheet, card, and maybe even backpack (depending on donation level).
Also, if you still want to give a gift more traditionally, there are ways of piggybacking it on a good cause. Fair trade websites like the Global Exchange will allow you to find cute gifts of a wide range of prices that you know weren't made by children or workers receiving exploitative wages.
But don't forget your local organizations! These can be particularly fun! Take Pinups for Pitbulls, for instance. For just $20, you can give someone lucky in your life a really awesomely designed calendar full of hot babes, cute doglettes, and a good cause. Want something for your ladyfriends? Try the South Florida Firefighter's Calendar. Or, for an extra surreal twist, try the Mormons Exposed calendars. The one of the "Mormon Muffin" ladies benefits breast cancer research, while the one of the "Men on a Mission" benefits whatever charity the "Mission Men" choose. The above picture is from this group. O.O
For the more patriotic members of the family, BuyAmerican.com has a lot of links to browse. Out of the Box Gifts has some cool gift stuff, including personalized items, and Cardboard Safari has some awesome things, such as rad animal trophy heads (like the one shown above).
There are so, so, so many websites like these out there where you can give a gift with a dual purpose, any good purpose that you believe in. You can give Grandpa the Pinups for Pitbulls calendar for him to put above the workbench in the garage (and he'll be aiding you in supporting a good cause but won't call you a commie hippie for it)...or you could always give him another tie clip.
