Unfortunately, Christmas is too often about gift-buying over everything else. We often use gifts to show our appreciation and love – but about 29% of people are still paying off last year’s holiday purchases!
This is bad for our finances – but it can also have another negative impact.
Prioritizing expensive gifts can be toxic. It teaches our children to value materialism, and that love can be bought. But there’s an option for avoiding this.
Whether or not you celebrate Kwanzaa – the Black American winter holiday alternative – it's a great way to capitalize on more family time. The holiday’s main principles focus on homemade gifts with purpose and celebrating deep relationships, rather than materialism.
This gives us the opportunity to teach children about, and celebrate, our culture. It focuses on authentic love and Black liberation.
Aside from celebrating our own culture, the holiday is also cost-effective! Kwanzaa is all about homemade or meaningful, rather than expensive, tokens of appreciation. Taking money out of the equation, you’re able to focus on more meaningful things.
Celebrating Kwanzaa is not only a chance for parents to teach their children about their culture, but its principles can help us save money and contribute to building loving relationships.