Catching the Christmas Spirit

First of all, I love Christmas. The tree, Christmas lights (you can ask my parents about what I did to our house when I was a little kid), hot cider, going over to Grandma´s house on Christmas Eve, eating tamales (everyone has their own Christmas traditions), the stockings, Eggs Benedict Christmas morning, watching my Beagle open up his gifts. The feeling of being around those who you love and those who love you. I love all of it.

As I search for meaning over the Holidays, I reflect on what I would change about all of it if I could. And (I know I am not original saying this) I think that we mistake all the great feelings that culminate in Christmas for what we give and what we receive instead of the traditions and the people that really matter. More than that, I–and I´m sure I´m not alone in this–find myself buying gifts that people don´t want just for the sake of giving them something.

My advice: if you run across that person that has everything this holiday season, instead of buying them another thing that they don´t want or need, get creative. Buy> my shameless plug goes here: buy Kiva gift cards (you are giving something and helping entrepreneurs around the world!) Or buy gifts from social responsible and cause related not-for-profits like Ten Thousand Villages or Nightlight International *great handmade jewelry! Or give the gift of time: I remember one of my favorite gifts as a kid was a book from my Dad full of outings to the beach, ice dream, hiking, Disneyland, etc. It becomes more than a gift, but an excuse to spend time with your loved ones.

My final thought relates to my own holiday plans: with some of the people in the Arariwa office, we are pooling our money to buy food, toys, and small gifts for the poor that come to sell handicrafts at the Cusco Christmas market on the 24th. So, I encourage you this Christmas as you are reminded of the blessed life that we all live to try to be a blessing to those that need it the most…

Merry Christmas from Down South!

Eric Burdullis is a Kiva Fellow with Asociacion Arariwa *LEND TO THEM HERE! in Cuzco, Peru. As the rainy season rolls in, he is discovering more and more coffee shops in Cuzco (check out The Meeting Place in San Blas if you ever come to Cuzco!) and drinking far too many mate de cocas.