This has been our path. We started following the Biblical Feasts and the others fell aside. Tabernacles in the Fall is our big celebration. It was likely during that Feast that Jesus was born.

My kids can feel the sting when their friends share about their Christmas haul. I tell them that I give them gifts all thru the year. I don't hide them in the closet all year long and then one morning, finally bring them all out. I give them as they have needs or interest--like a bike in the spring or a book on bees when they start asking questions about them all of the sudden.

I also noticed early on that some of my kids can't handle too much at one time and it really showed with gifts. The more gifts they got for a birthday, the more miserable and crabby they were. I started cutting back and they were happier. Weird but true.

We do have some traditions we keep in the winter to boost morale, mainly based on food. Winter is cold, wet, and dark in our area so we do need something to look forward to. We don't have extended family nor many friends so don't get the chance to socialize which is one thing missing in our lives. The friends we do have are soooooo busy during the holidays that we actually don't see them.