By Thea Jarvis

The annual glut of holiday hoo-ha is again upon us.

The post-Thanksgiving paper--this year Atlanta’s biggest ever--is thick with non-essentials to add to your already overlarge Christmas list: clothes, appliances, gadgets, shoes, toys, jewelry, food. Just turning the pages is enough to give you an overnight case of galloping consumption.

Christmas has become, alas, the yearly opportunity for retail stores to increase their cash flow and a last-ditch chance for harried consumers to see how quickly their mental and emotional well-being can decline.

Hope looms on the horizon, however. It would appear that a grass-roots rejection of this crass commercialization of our favorite holiday is solidly underway.

People are coming out of the woodwork and asserting their need to slow down the pre-Christmas pace. They are prepared to fly in the face of panic and pressure and just enjoy the season. There is a ripening sense that the wonder, joy and friendship shared at Christmas can be enhanced by an added holiday virtue--simplicity.

The revolutionary nature of Christianity is at work here.

While the catalogues and newspaper ads depict chic mannequins moving languidly through the holiday in stark black and white, many are choosing the warmer hues of Christmas past.

While slick magazines portray goggle-eyed children gagging in ecstasy over the latest video game, many are opting for moderation and outreach to those in need.

Television specials that promote Frosty and Santa as the nouveau heroes of the season are sometimes pre-empted by a quiet evening of family Advent reflection. And the frenzied race to get everything done by the big day is being slowed to a crawl by an awareness that such madness does not promote the peace of the Christmas promise.

Believe it. Christmas hype is rapidly exposed for what it is--an empty expression of reality that deserves better.

For those jumping on the bandwagon leading straight to a simplified season, consider the following suggestions for a back-to-the basics contemporary Christian holiday:

MAKE A “BETHLEHEM TREE” by fashioning ornaments based on the New Testament Christmas story. The star, the dove, the shepherd’s crook, the three gifts and many more are found in Mary Louise Tietjen’s practical guide, “The Bethlehem Tree: A Family Advent Resource Book.”

For those unable to get the book, which is available at Notre Dame Bookstore, use some imagination and any felt, glue, cardboard and glitter around the house. Go to town making family symbols of the real Christmas tradition.

FIND A LONELY LEAFLESS TREE in the backyard and decorate it in Advent style with the symbols of the Jesse Tree. The Old Testament ancestry of Jesus is easily adapted to ornament: Noah’s ark, Joseph’s coat of many colors, the tablets of the law (10 Commandments), David’s harp, Jonah’s whale and other symbols can be hung on the family Advent tree. Parish schools of religion generally have full instructions for Jesse Trees in the home.

KRISTKINDL, A GERMAN CUSTOM WHICH TRANSLATES “CHRISTCHILD” allows family members to do something special for one another during the Advent season. Once a week at mealtime, names are drawn so that each person is responsible for acts of kindness toward a family member for the coming week. Doing for each other is emphasized rather than buying.

ATTACH A CHAIN OF 24 LINKS to a bedroom, family room or front door. Each evening before Christmas a link can be removed, signifying closeness to the Christ-birth. Scripture verses might be written on each circle if desired, and the chain may be made from felt, construction paper, burlap, etc.

HOLD A FAMILY PENANCE SERVICE during Advent to ready the family for Christmas and the new year. Reflect upon the past and set some goals, limits and resolutions for the future. Simple prayers and scripture readings can add to the spirit of service.

INSTEAD OF COLLECTING ALL THE CHRISTMAS CARDS in a big basket and forgetting them, let family members take turns reading the cards, and their happy messages, during the evening meal. This could also be done as part of the blessing before the meal.

THE SPANISH CUSTOM OF LAS POSADAS sets aside nine nights for a re-play of the Christmas story. Half the group stands outside with lighted candles and asks those inside the house if they might come in. The question, with singing on both sides, is repeated until those inside understand that it is the child Jesus who remains outside, with his Virgin Mother and Joseph. They are welcomed and received with food and fellowship.

DECORATE THE FAMILY TABLE with an advent wreath. Using greens (everlasting life), four candles (Christ the light of the world and the four weeks of Advent), and simple prayers, families can hold weekly reminders that Christmas is near. As the season progresses, more candles are lit and anticipation grows. Specific prayers to be used with the advent wreath can be found in parish education departments and religious bookshops.

CONSIDER A CHRISMON TREE in which the traditional evergreen is decorated with Christian monograms, symbols such as stars, crosses, shepherd staffs, flowers and crowns. Many craft shops carry patterns or directions for hand-making chrismons.

WRAP YOUR GIFTS with paper that you can easily find around the house: colorful weekend comics, a shiny illustrated magazine, the sports page (great for fans), the woman’s page (usually has recipes), decorated grocery bags, fabric.

IF CHRISTMAS CARDS ARRIVE TOO QUICKLY to really enjoy them, collect them through the season and after Christmas, take one card at a time and put it out on the dinner table each night. The sender can be remembered in the evening blessing and a letter might be sent as a follow-up.

GIVE OF YOURSELF to a group working with society’s devalued persons: a senior citizen’s lunch program, prison visitation, refugee resettlement or teach skills to disadvantaged persons.

GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME on a regular basis to a family member, especially a child, or share a skill by teaching it to someone in your family (woodworking, knitting, crocheting, sailing, gardening, etc.)

PERSONALIZE YOUR GIFT GIVING by making simple offerings. Cook one of your personal specialties, sew a simple pattern, frame a favorite picture or poem, renew old possessions (books, dolls, furniture), plant spring bulbs that bloom in winter, string necklaces of seeds, beans, baked clay or spices on dental floss.

BUY WITH CONSCIENCE and be sure gifts are consistent with your own Christian values. War toys, games that teach competition over cooperation or items that promote racist and sexist attitudes might be replaced by more positive choices.

The Christmas season can be a time when people experience more deeply the mystery of the Christian message. Let your holidays reflect--with simplicity--what you want them to mean and you will find the heart of your own Christmas tradition.