‘Tis Season to Be Jolly . . . ‘Tisn’t It?

Although few American adults are actually writing a letter to Santa this year, many do have a wish list, and it starts with a yearning for some authentic holiday joy.

That’s one finding of a poll commissioned by the Center for a New American Dream in which only 28% of Americans said the holiday season leaves them feeling “joyful.” And while the major holiday activity focuses on gift-buying, 82% said they like spending time with friends and family a lot, while only 17% placed the same priority on getting lots of presents.

“The holidays are supposed to be a time to relax and celebrate and a season to provide our kids with lasting memories,” said Betsy Taylor, director of the nonprofit center, which promotes ways to consume less. Instead, she said, too often it’s just another stressed-out marathon.

“The burden of the holiday falls really heavily on women,” she said. “They’re the ones out shopping till they drop, doing the designer dinner, creating the perfect decorations for the home and trying to make it the magical event it’s supposed to be. They absolutely exhaust themselves in the process and don’t get any of the real meaning, which is what they want.”

To help counteract the pressure, the Washington, D.C-based center has launched a Simplify the Holidays campaign with information on how to downsize the holidays, based on results from its poll. Conducted by EDK Associates of New York, the survey repeatedly found American consumers torn between what they want to do and what they feel pressured to do as they are steamrolled by the holidays:

* 92% feel they spend more money than they can afford during the holidays, and 64% would spend less money if their family made changes as well.

* 82% would rather have a photo album of times shared growing up than a commercial gift.

* 74% said advertising aimed at kids causes them to spend more than they can afford on the holidays.

“What the poll suggests is that there is a disconnect between attitudes and actions,” said Eric Brown, communications director of the center. “While people are genuinely interested in enjoying the holidays, they just can’t do it.”

To offer some practical help, the center has compiled a free brochure with tips, advice and support to help people off the treadmill.

“It has some really practical information that people seem to be lacking,” Brown said. “We’ve gotten requests for 10,000 in the last two weeks, so we think it meets a need.”

The brochure offers many alternatives to costly holiday spending, such as giving the gift of time--for example, a gift certificate that offers baby-sitting or a monthly lunch date with an elderly relative or friend; putting together a photo album; or hosting a potluck instead of having to cook the entire holiday feast alone.

The Simplify the Holidays campaign has received wide response from the faith-based communities, Brown said.

“Churches and synagogues are concerned about the loss of meaning during holidays and they understand that commercialism forces us into the whirlwind,” he said.

A free copy of the center’s “Simplify the Holidays” brochure is available toll free at (877) 68-DREAM or online at https://www.newdream.org.