Every year Shimelle provides a class called Journal Your Christmas. It was something she began originally as a private project several years ago to 'take back Christmas'. Like many of us, the commercialism of the whole thing had begun to sour things and this was her way of telling the Big Boys, "Err, actually, no, I don't think so. This is my Christmas and I'm going to do it my way, thanks very much." The following year she made it into a class, and has done every year since. And the cool - and very unusual - thing is that once you join, you can come back the following year and do it again for no extra charge. And the year after that, and so on.
This is my first year of doing it, and I'm excited to get involved. Like Shimelle, and many others, I'm not happy with what Christmas has become, starting in September and pressurising people to spend more and more on the latest toys, food and goodness knows what else. That's not how it's supposed to be. At least it's not in my book.
Every year, Shimelle writes a manifesto for the class. I've posted this year's below.
You can change the manifesto to suit yourself but I think it pretty much says all it needs to just as it is. So it's printed out and ready to go in my journal.
I'll let you know how I'm getting along with the project and I'd love to hear your comments if you're taking the class too - or even if you're not! If it's the latter but you think you might be interested you can find it here
Have fun making memories :)
It's my first year taking the class. I know what you mean about consumerism. I mean, since when is pepper-spraying the other shoppers at Wal-mart the "Christmas spirit." So sad to see what greed has done to the season.
ReplyDeleteI heard about that pepper spray incident - that's just crazy. The other year there was that crush at the door too, trampling some poor man. There's really nothing you need *that* much, is there? I'm so glad we are taking our Christmasses back!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the comment, Deana! x