Simple Beauty

Americans spent over three trillion dollars on Christmas in 2013 (https://www.statista.com/topics/991/us-christmas-season/). Parents expected to spend an average of $271 per child, with one in ten planning to spend over $500 per child. Ironically, after all that spending, children often end up playing with the boxes instead of the gifts. These figures don’t even include the cost of elaborate trees and outdoor decorations.

I live in a Mexican village where many residents make a living by servicing the expats who reside here, or by farming and fishing. Most families survive on less than $500 per month, with the average family size being four. However, the families I know personally often have six members. Extended family units are common, as pooling resources is often the only way to get by.

Last year, I taught conversational English to a group of teens aged sixteen to twenty. As Christmas approached, we discussed their traditions, which revolved around family. Their faces lit up as they described singing, dancing, and eating tamales with their extended families—and of course, breaking the piñata! Later, they shared what they received for Christmas: perhaps a new pair of jeans or shoes, and that was all. Yet the happiness on their faces showed that it was more than enough. Imagine if American parents gave so little, yet their children were just as conte

There is a little tienda where I buy milk, eggs, tortillas, and other essentials. One day, the shopkeeper invited me to see their decorations. The creche—the Nativity scene—was large and placed in the most prominent spot in the living area, and this was what she wanted to show me. The infant Jesus was absent from the manger; he would be placed there on Christmas Eve. Next, she brought out a shoebox containing a beautiful porcelain Jesus, carefully wrapped in soft cotton. She held him with such reverence that I was deeply moved. In contrast, there was a small plastic tree, about fifteen inches tall, sitting on a table. Not a single gift was on display beneath the tiny tree. Here, the focus is on worship, not gift giving.

While many Americans like to say, "Jesus is the reason for the season," their actions often reflect a greater devotion to materialism—making the phrase ring hollow. In contrast, the Mexicans I know truly embody the spirit of the season in their daily lives.

Ajijic, Mexico

December 2018