Christmas is a wonderful time of year. It is a time for families and friends to enjoy time together, and to show each other how much they care.

Unfortunately, for many, Christmas is a highly stressful, expensive time of year, and is anything but enjoyable. They have to shop for and wrap hundreds of dollars worth of gifts they don’t know how they will afford. They have to buy and prepare enough food to serve to all their visitors. They have to adorn their house, inside and out, with all kinds of lights and decorations. Their house has to be spotless from the attic to the basement. They have to make sleeping arrangements for relatives who will be spending the holidays at their house.

Christmas advertising only compounds the sense of urgency and adds to holiday stress. Does anybody like to be reminded that there are only 10 shopping days before Christmas? They take that stress with them to the stores, where they become irritated with having to maneuver a shopping cart around 500 other shoppers, shop for the one popular toy that inevitably has been unavailable since September, and wait an hour in line to be checked out by employees who dislike their jobs because they’ve been standing there six hours without a break.

It is easy to become overwhelmed during the holidays. Traffic is heavier, and driving conditions can be bad. Parking lots are full, and the stores are packed. Most people still have to work at their jobs, in addition to preparing for the holidays. In many people, sadly, the Christmas spirit is gone weeks before Christmas arrives.

I have some suggestions for making your Christmas less stressful and more enjoyable. The only thing you have to do is get back to the basics and rediscover what is important.

Let’s start with the Christmas meal. It does not necessarily have to be a gigantic feast rivaling the Thanksgiving meal. All those hours spent buying tons of groceries, preparing the food and cleaning up afterwards could be better spent with family. Instead of the usual huge meal, why not have a potluck supper? I promise you that your Christmas will not be any less special if your family shares the responsibility and everybody brings something different. It might even be more enjoyable than usual. The sharing, not the food, is what makes the meal.

Simplify your giving by drawing names. A generation ago, everybody in my entire family would exchange gifts. When you added up all the parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, this could be somewhat expensive. Eventually, we &uot;cut back,&uot; and exchanged only within our immediate families. Sharing your presence means more than giving presents. You can even set a limit for the amount you will spend per gift. I find it ironic that all those high-tech toys that are the hottest thing now &045; such as Playstation 2 and Xbox &045; are going to be yesterday’s news by the time next Christmas rolls around. Trendy and expensive gifts are not necessarily meaningful.

If you are fortunate enough to have all your needs met, and have no need for more stuff to add to the clutter, why not sponsor a family through the United Way or The Salvation Army? There are many families in Freeborn County who simply cannot afford to buy any gifts. You can provide a Christmas for them &045; something that will be greatly appreciated. Contact either agency for details.

Reexamine the true meaning of Christmas. It is when the world received its most precious gift &045; the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No other gift can compare to that. The first Christmas was simple. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?

Preparing for Christmas does not have to be a stressful time. I hope I have provided some helpful suggestions to make your Christmas preparations a little simpler &045; and more enjoyable.

Dustin Petersen is an Albert Lea resident. His column appears Mondays.