If you’re like me, you’re basking in the glow of the wonderful Christmas holiday. Relaxing by a warm fire, surrounded by twinkling lights and adoring family members, you drink egg nog, watch the snow fall and envision world peace.
Aw, cut the crap.
This is the most stressful time of the year. We’re bombarded with crass commercialism, want to throw Nat King Cole into the roasting fire along with his goddamn chestnuts, and barely have time to take a you-know-what.
Chill, dude.
Join me in surfing over to Redefine Christmas.org. A simple website with a handsome holiday look, it’s the home page for “a movement that re-imagines the way we look at gift giving during the holidays.”
The site explains:
We often feel compelled to spend money and time on gifts with little meaning. Gifts which are soon forgotten. Rather than giving in to the convention of giving, we can give out – by redirecting some of that money to charity.
The site urges people to give friends and family members donations to their favorite charities — in their names. It suggests asking others to do the same for you.
“Giving this way is more personal,” Redefine Christmas says. “And it can be more meaningful – to the receiver, the giver and the countless people and organizations who are truly in need.”
The site helps users search through nearly 1.8 million charities. You can also purchase charity gift cards, so friends and relatives can choose their own favorite charity on their own.
How nice and warm, the “06880” cynics — and you know who you are — say. But why is Dan wasting valuable pixels on such universal fuzziness?
As with everything else on the planet, Redefine Christmas has a Westport angle. One line at the bottom of the website gives a local address: Box 766, Westport, CT 06881.
Nothing else, anywhere, hints at who’s behind this effort. There’s no “About Us” tab. No “Founders’ Bios.” Certainly no “Read More About The Men And Women Who Care!” link.
I could dig further. I could ask around.
But no. That would diminish the spirit of Christmas. It would defeat the whole idea of giving for giving’s sake.
Besides, I’m outta here. I have to get to Circuit City before it closes.
The joys of Christmas.
