Pre-recorded Santa Calls are a wonderful alternative to Letter from Santa Live Santa Calls that get booked up very quickly.
These Santa Calls are just perfect as they are gender and age specific and are very interactive. Santa will call to the minute on the day you choose. Cell phones OK too. The operator will ask for the child by name and on pressing 1 - Santa will begin his cleverly scripted and magical call (performed by a professional actor). Give your child this simply wonderful experience. Only two hours notice required. We are proud to be the world's only Live Santa Calling Service. Yes that's right. A real live Santa will phone your child anywhere in the USA, Canada or UK. As with with our Santa Letters, Santa will talk about the Child's pets, hobbies, Christmas wish list and anything else you would like him to mention. Give your child this simply wonderful and unforgettable Christmas. Get the handy-cam ready, as you'll want to watch their reactions time and time again. Have Santa Phone Your Child This Christmas! Make this Christmas special with a LIVE & personal telephone call from Father Christmas. A personal and magical telephone call from Santa Santa can call on Christmas Eve (subject to availability) or any other time from 14th December 2010 Only 4 hours notice required - so ask Santa to call tonight! A special certificate for each Letter from Santa child Letter from Santa called by Santa (optional extra) 1000's of kids already beaming from ear to ear! Have you handy-cam ready to preserve the moment Santa calls! For good kids only! We've been running live calls from Santa since 2004 and each year we never cease to be amazed at the wonderful reaction and responses we get from customers. Each call is individual and highly interactive and Santa will coax a conversation out of even the shyest kids to chat with him. The luxury Santa Called me certificate is a treasured memento and a tangible reminder to look back on as proof that Santa Called your lucky child. Simple form to complete with instant confirmation. Our Santa Letters and Phone Calls from Santa offer the best value and magic possible. The authentic North Pole branding means our Santa Letters seem to come from the North Pole.
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It's Christmas time again and you must surely be looking forward to spend this holiday with your family and friends. This festive season is usually very busy where you have to plan the Christmas celebrations including the decorations, food, and do not forget the gifts that you have give to your near and dear ones. Gift giving is one of the most important Christmas traditions which emphasizes the expression of giving. However, most of the time, buying gifts for everyone can prove a little expensive, and sometimes, these gifts do not mean much and once the initial excitement dies down, they lie in some corner of the house. Hence, it is important to come up with some thoughtful gift ideas that are not very expensive too. Here, homemade and cheaper gifts come to rescue. The fact that you have put in your time and efforts to make these gifts will make them really special for the receiver. Hence, let us take a look at some creative Christmas gifts to make at home.
Low-Budget Christmas Gifts to Make at Home Before making Christmas gifts, one very important thing that you have to keep in mind is the person's interests. This will make the process of deciding on the gifts that you have to make very easy. Apart from this, gifts that are useful for a person is also a good idea when it comes to inexpensive Christmas gifts to make. Here are some ideas with which you can make your own Christmas gifts. Scented Candles There are a variety of scented Santa Letters candles available in the market. However, with their fancy packing, the good ones actually cost a lot. So, why not try making some candles on your own. Candle making is an art and can be easily learned by anyone. There are variety of online sites that give useful information on making candles at home. With the help of these instructions, you can make candles in different shapes, colors and scents. Moreover, the ingredients needed to make these candles are not too costly and with one kit, you can make many candles. Once the candles are fully made, cover them in decorative paper and tie them with a ribbon on top. This will surely be a Christmas gift that everyone will love. Handmade Recipe Book This is one of the easy to make Christmas gifts and will be perfect for people who love to try to experiment making new dishes. Scan online sites, cook books and magazines for different types of recipes. Buy a notebook from your local dollar shop and write these recipes on the book with your own handwriting. If you know calligraphy, using it to write the book will be a good idea or if you think that your handwriting is not too impressive, typing it on the computer and then printing it on colorful paper will also be great. If one of your family member or a friend has some kind of health problem like diabetes, making a recipe book catering to the dietary needs of diabetic patients will be truly appreciated. Food Treats If you are gifted with excellent culinary skills, what will be better Christmas gift ideas than some delicious food treats. Chocolate cakes, cookies, chocolates, muffins, truffles, etc. are some of the food gifts that will be loved by people of all ages. A gift basket consisting of cake, candies and cookies, decorated attractively can make the Christmas very special for the receiver. Scrapbook A personal scrapbook will be a wonderful idea for a family member, especially for one's spouse or may be for parents and children too. You can buy an inexpensive scrapbook from the dollar shop and decorate it as your creativity allows you to. Stick the photographs of your loved one on it, marking all the significant events in his/her life. Writing a letter or your thoughts about that person in the scrapbook will make it really special. A poem will add a romantic touch to the scrapbook, if you are making it for your spouse or partner. Handmade Jewelry Handmade jewelry is one of the creative gifts to make for women, especially for teenage girls. You can get hold of jewelry making kits in the market which are not very costly. For instructions, you Santa letter can refer to Internet sites which give free guidelines for making them. You can make a variety of jewelry including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, anklets with different colored beads and stones. Personalized Gifts Rather than making a Christmas gift on your own, personalizing inexpensive gifts can also Letter from Santa be good Christmas gifts. Buy some plain ceramic glasses or mugs and decorate them by painting them. Write the name of the receiver with paint and gift it by wrapping it in fancy paper. Another idea will be to buy an inexpensive album and covering it with decorative paper and other items. Write the name of the receiver in an innovative way with a marker and gift it in an attractive bag. Knitwear Knitting sweaters, scarves or mittens and gifting is one of the sweetest gestures. This is also one inexpensive gift you can give to any member of your family. All you have to do is get wool in different colors, knitting needles, buttons and any other paraphernalia that you may need to make the knitwear more personal. So be it for mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, you can knit sweaters, gloves and scarves for them this Christmas. You can also gift your boyfriend a simple sweater you have knitted, especially for him. Apart from these gifts, there are actually loads of other gifts that you can make on your own. All you need is a little bit of creativity and lots of time. So, this Christmas spend less money and more time to make gifts that your family and friends will treasure forever. Story highlightsParents around the country weigh in with gift suggestionsGive Santa letter the gift of an experience, such as a museum membership, many parents say Monthly subscriptions for grooming products or crafts are also popular To find unique gifts, it helps to not wait until the last minute!
And every year it's the same story. I am one of "those" people who is online or out at the stores right before the start of Hanukkah or on Christmas Eve, feeling desperate to find something before the clock runs out. Sound familiar? Well, since we are in this together, how about we try for a different holiday gift-buying experience this year? Don't know what to get the busy parents who seem to have everything? Stumped on gifts for your little ones, or for the tween or teen in your life who you want to surprise as opposed to delivering every single item on their wish list? I reached out for gift ideas for busy parents and kids, and a group of fabulous women and men from around the country answered the call, providing so many great suggestions -- from a gift certificate for a home cleaning service (who wouldn't want that around the holidays!) to a cool way to remember all those Instagram photos you took to a way to turn your child's art project into a full-size stuffed treasure. So, click around, and see what moves you, and be proud of yourself for doing at least one thing differently this year -- starting personalized letter from Santa to think about gifts weeks earlier than you usually do! Do you have any ideas for unique gifts for busy parents and children? Share your thoughts with Kelly Wallace on Twitter or CNN Living on Facebook. Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY
The kids hold nothing back. If you can't trust Santa Claus, who can you trust? There are no secrets when you're writing him. No embarrassment. No wish too big or too small. You can level with Santa. He knows who you are. So the 17 students in Steven Meyer's second-grade class at Newcastle Elementary School in Reseda - along with hundreds of other kids in more than 90 classrooms in San Fernando Valley schools who mailed Santa a letter last week - let it all hang out. If you think what many of them want for Christmas this year is something you can buy in a store or charge on your credit card, you're wrong. These kids want a lot more than that. They want Santa to be especially nice to all the kids who lost so much in Hurricane Katrina. They want him to keep our soldiers safe in Iraq. ``One student in my class asked Santa to help make sure there were no more poor children in the world,'' Meyer said. Now, where are you going to find a better Christmas present than that? The letters from all the 70 second-graders at Newcastle, and more than 10,000 others from kids in Glendale, Pasadena, Ventura, Santa Barbara, the San Fernando and Conejo valleys, and a wide area stretching across the Mojave Desert to Mammoth Lakes will wind up on the desk of Stacia Crane, Santa's personal mail carrier. Eleven months out of the year, Crane is a U.S. Postal Service consumer affairs representative at the Santa Clarita postal annex, but not in December. In December, she's Santa's right-hand woman. She's been that for the past 17 years, ever since a teacher at Bassett Street Elementary School in Van Nuys told her about a literacy program the teachers were starting, and how they wanted to encourage their kids to write letters. The one letter they all wanted to write was to Santa at the North Pole. Smart kids. The teachers just wanted to make sure that the letters would get answered. Crane put the word out to all employees in the post office: When you get a letter addressed to Santa Claus, bring it to me. I'll answer it. Little did she know what she was starting. ``Pretty soon, the Bassett Street principal talked to the Cohassett Street principal, who talked to other principals about the program, and it got way out of hand,'' Crane says, laughing. Santa's right-hand woman was letter from Santa deluged with hundreds more letters the second year, thousands more by the third and fourth years. Santa's right- hand woman was getting writer's cramp. ``I hollered for help from other postal employees at first, then the community at large,'' Crane says. ``Everyone said sure, they'd help Santa answer every last letter.'' What Crane didn't see coming were the 300 or so letters Santa gets every year that tear your heart out. The letters from kids not wanting anything for themselves, but for their mommy because she's been so lonely since daddy left. From the kids wanting something for their baby brothers and sisters who won't be getting any presents this year because no matter how hard mommy and daddy work, there doesn't seem to be enough letter from Santa Claus money for things like that. For the little boy telling Santa his sister and brother sure could use some clothes, especially a new jacket for school. If that was asking too much, just some food would do. Santa's right-hand woman put those letters in a special priority pile, and started looking for more help. It was one thing asking friends and co- workers to write a letter to a child from Santa; it was another asking them to reach into their pockets to buy them special gifts and clothing. Looking back years later, Crane says she doesn't know what she was worried about. More than 100 people have stepped forward to become Santa's Helpers, adopting the kids in Crane's priority pile. As always, though, she could use more help as the pile continues to grow. ``After Christmas, we always get letters from children so excited that Santa answered them. If you've ever gotten a get a letter from Santa letter from Santa Claus, you know what I mean. ``Every child wants to believe he cares about them,'' Santa's right-hand woman says. Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com To become one of Santa's Helpers for children who write letters to Santa Claus, call Stacia Crane at the U.S. Postal Service's Santa Clarita annex, (661) 775-6681. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Postal employee Stacia Crane reads Christmas letters addressed to Santa Claus in her cubicle at the Santa Clarita postal annex. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer What started as a mail mix-up has now turned into a global movement.
Interested in Christmas? Add Christmas as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Christmas news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Jim Glaub and Dylan Parker would receive hundreds of letters addressed to Santa at their apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. So the two eventually decided to start "Miracle on 22nd Street," a project that helps make those children's Christmas wishes come true. "We moved into this apartment and the people who lived there before us said, 'You might be getting some letters from Santa,'" Glaub, 36, said on "Good Morning America" today. "We didn't really Santa Letters think anything of it at the time, but then a couple years went by and in 2010 we had over 300, 400 letters that had come into our mailbox. They were coming every day. Batches of 20, 30, 40 every day. It was a really crazy thing." At first the couple was unsure of what to do with the letters. The previous two tenants before them had also received letters but did not answer them. "I initially thought we should take them to an organization or something but as we talked with our friends, more and more people wanted to take a letter and fulfill it," said Parker, 35. "We had so much response from people that we know and people that we didn't know that we figured we would at least try to get them fulfilled that first year with our friends." The Christmas mission snowballed from there and now has its own Facebook page called Miracle on 22nd Street to help the two men, who now live in London, keep up their efforts. "And since we're just two guys we did team up with this organization called BeAnElf.org and they're taking letters up until Christmas Eve," said Letters from Santa Glaub. "It's been a crazy ride." Glaub and Parker still do not know why the Santa letters were mailed to their apartment but a few theories have cropped up over Letters from Santa the years. "We really don't know," said Glaub. "The time we'd be spending on trying to figure out where they're coming from could be spent getting the gifts fulfilled. There was a thought that the letters were coming from a school district. Some theorists also think it has something to do with Clement Moore. He wrote 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Most of Chelsea back in the 1800s was estates, and it's believed he had that whole block. There's a little park with his name on it. He had between 9th and 10th [Avenues]. There was thought that it was children writing to him around Christmas, but that's a stretch to think it's been going on that long." But the two men said they aren't really concerned with getting to the bottom of this seasonal situation. "So much of our lives has to have an answer, but maybe this one should remain a mystery," said Glaub. Gift Suggestions for Children in Need
Almost all children like to get gifts, but some of them have few opportunities to even own something of their own. Poor children and particularly homeless ones miss out on many of the gifts and holidays other children enjoy. The following is a list of things that would make excellent gifts for homeless children, whether for Christmas, any occasion, or just because you want to give. Please consider giving one or more of the following suggested items to your local shelter as gifts for needy little ones in your area whether it's near the holidays or not. Warm winter clothing not only protects kids from the elements it also allows them to have fun while playing outside rather than feeling cold and miserable. Winter Coats Winter coats are often in short supply at charities as children quickly outgrow them and not enough people donate them. A fun winter coat makes an excellent gift. You can buy inexpensive but warm winter coats at thrift stores like GoodWill and Salvation Army, discount stores like Big Lots, and at big box stores like WalMart and Target. Winter Hats Warm knit hats in colors for boys or girls or in neutral tones are always welcome. Hats often get lost by children, homeless or not, and having more than one hat helps to keep hair clean. Cute styles and colors can make this a practical gift with a sense of fun. Gloves and Mittens - Warming gifts No matter the season, anyone who might be sleeping outdoors or in a car at some point would welcome a pair of gloves or mittens to help them stay warm. Stretchy, one-size-fits-most gloves are a good choice because they will fit a variety of sizes, continue to fit with growth, and, due to stretchiness, can be layered over another pair of gloves if necessary. Warm fuzzy mittens can be put over gloves on the coldest days to keep little hands warm, too. Right now, many dollar stores and discount stores are stocking the stretchy, one-size-fits-all type of gloves. Stuffed Toys That Double as Something Else Some stuffed toys can double as pillows, blankets, or pajama storage bags. Multipurpose stuffed toys are great because they serve multiple functions and take up the same space as a single function item. The popular "Zoobie" toys and similar knockoffs can serve as blanket, pillow, and toy all in one. I've seen some really good and inexpensive variations on this theme at Big Lots, Target, and WalMart as well as at a locally based regional chain called Meijer. Coloring Books and Crayons This is one item for which I'm going to suggest you break the no small, easily lost parts rule. Homeless children can quickly learn to Letters from Santa put the crayons right back into the box after each use. Even if they lose some of the crayons, even a single crayon can keep a kid engaged and entertained if he or she has something to color or draw on. Crayons and coloring books can be found at most dollar stores and discount stores as well as at big box stores. I like to pick up a few boxes of crayons during back-to-school sales for later gift giving. Pens and Pencils Pens and pencils are very practical choices. They are small and easily carried. Pens or pencils on cords or lanyards make the best gifts of this type. The lanyard or cord can be hung around their neck like a necklace or attached to their clothing or a backpack to prevent loss. Pretty types are available for girls and more masculine designs are available for boys. However, plain pens and pencils also make nice little presents and brightly-colored ones will be appreciated by either gender. They can often be found at dollar stores and discount stores but I've had the best luck snapping them up on closeout at big box stores right after the back-to-school sales. Toys Toys are the first things most people think of when it comes to holiday giving. When choosing toys as gifts for homeless children, be sure to choose sturdy, easily portable toys without small parts that can be all too easily lost. Small stuffed animals, cars, dolls, and single piece logic puzzle toys are very popular and provide much-needed entertainment, comfort, and mental stimulation. Use caution when buying dollar store stuffed toys because I've encountered some that were barely holding together or clearly in violation of safety standards. I make sure there are no parts that can come off and I tug on the limbs, ears, and eyes before giving them. Photo by Michal Zacharzewski, SXC Books Age appropriate books make thoughtful gifts for little ones. Avoid books with pop-up pictures as they will come apart much more quickly than regular books. Keep size in mind when choosing books to buy. As mentioned before, homeless children must often carry all of their possessions at once. I keep an eye out for children's books at the dollar store and discount stores throughout the year. Backpacks Sturdy backpacks make some of the most useful presents. Over the years I've seen too many homeless children with nothing more than a plastic Santa letter grocery bag to carry their meager belongings around. A backpack leaves hands free to do other things and makes carrying things around a lot less of a chore. While older children would benefit from sturdier, camping type backpacks, cute backpacks work nicely for pre-teens because they are appropriately sized for them. Pajamas So many homeless children don't have pajamas. They have to sleep in their clothes, making it harder for them to keep clean and tidy. One-size-fits-most footed pajamas make wonderful gifts for them. Regular pajamas are good, too, and are much easier to find. There's something especially comforting about soft, cuddly sleepwear. Tips for Giving Probably the best way to give gifts to homeless children is to contact your local shelters or other charities that serve poor people and and let them handle distribution. You can also donate your children's outgrown clothing, shoes, and toys to your local shelter as well and they will be put to good use. Do not wrap toys or other items with gift paper. If you do give presents directly, be sure to ask a parent if it's OK to do so first, just as you'd ask the parents of any homed child before giving him or her a gift. Photo by Adam Ciesielski, SXC Hygiene Products There are lots of nice, inexpensive hygiene products made for kids. It's hard to stay clean and well-groomed when you don't have a home of your own. While very practical, hygiene products often also have a sense of fun that is often Santa letter lacking in kids' lives. Children also like to have something of their own, even if it's just a toothbrush, comb or hairbrush. Grooming kits that come in their own little bag or case make ideal gifts for homeless children. Many drugstores, dollar stores, and discount stores have inexpensive, fun, and well-made grooming and hygiene products. Fleece Blankets and Fleece Blankets with Sleeves Fleece blankets are light and easily carried. They also provide a great deal of insulation for their size and come in fun or whimsical prints. Fleece wearable blankets can be layered even over coats to help with staying warm while outside in cold weather or when sleeping in unheated or under-heated accommodations. WARM HEARTS TAKE CHILL OUT OF NORTH POLE TEEN VOLUNTEERS HELP SANTA CLAUS ANSWER HIS LETTERS.11/20/2017 Byline: Judy O'Rourke Staff Writer
SANTA CLARITA - Fueled by pizza and youthful enthusiasm, a band of Santa's elves fashioned Christmas gifts that included nary a truck, doll or bike. Their gift was words. The volunteers answered scores of letters written to Santa Claus by children - some asking for toys, others for more transcendent gifts. ``Some ask for love and happiness with their family,'' said 16-year-old volunteer Allison Kajimoto, an 11th-grader who recruited three school pals from Chaminade College Preparatory in the San Fernando Valley. About 30 volunteers, ranging in age from about 12 to 16, hunkered down in the Santa Clarita Sports Complex activity room for three hours Monday night to answer about 500 letters. Holiday music played in the background. The Santa stand-ins took no shortcuts. They embellished papers and envelopes with rainbow-hue markers, doodling, drawings and cute stickers. More volunteers had signed up, but some backed out at the last minute to study for finals, said Susana Campbell, the city's supervisor for volunteer programs. Some volunteers showed up solo to answer letters; others came in civic or religious groups. City leaders launched the letter-writing program Santa Letters several years ago. Kajimoto has picked up the Santa pen for a couple of years and says it is her favorite volunteer activity. She likes to decorate Letter from Santa letters with little Christmas trees and snowmen. ``It's good for the kids who write,'' she said. ``(It gives them) hope for their family and what they want.'' A letter from a little boy who asked for gifts for everyone but himself touched 16-year-old Jenna Perea, an 11th-grader at Canyon High School. ``He wanted cologne for his dad, grandpa and uncle,'' she said. Another child told Santa to have a happy Christmas. Fourteen-year-old Cameron Becker, a ninth-grader at Canyon, was most impressed by a child who took the time to write but did not ask for gifts. In a letter penned in green ink on stationery with a snowy blue border and snowman stickers, Santa replied: ``I've been watching you grow up for so long now, and you've become such a wonderful young woman. I am glad you and your family are doing well together. Family is always most important.'' Santa signed off by saying Mrs. Claus is calling him to sample her fresh-baked cookies. His signature, formed in big looping letters, is in red. The letters arrive courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service. The postal processing and distribution center in Castaic is deluged with up to 15,000 Santa letters each year. Volunteers are given letters that warrant a thoughtful or encouraging reply, and the postal agency recruits people to ``adopt'' youngsters who are identified as needy, said Jody Martin, a consumer affairs clerk. The volunteer letter writers pay postage costs. Letters trickle in throughout the year - often thanking the man in the red suit for his generosity - but the volume picks up just before Thanksgiving. Postal employees often answer letters that arrive at the last minute or just after Christmas. The Castaic postal center began the Santa-letter program about 16 years ago, Martin said. The center serves a district that includes the cities of Duarte, Burbank, Glendale, the San Fernando and Antelope valleys and Bakersfield, Mammoth Letter from Santa Lakes and up the coast to San Luis Obispo. A special red postmark is stamped on Santa letters that are mailed from the Castaic center. It depicts an elf holding a sign that says ``Merry Christmas, Santa's Helpers Station, Santa Clarita, CA 91383.'' CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Stacks of colorfully decorated envelopes from the North Pole, above, await being filled with letters written by Santa's helper volunteers, including Berlyn Abrego, 15, above right, deep in thought. (3 -- color) Claire Frederickson, left, talks with Madi White about how, as Santa's helpers, they are answering letters the U.S. Postal Service received from hopeful children. The girls, both 13, are writers in the Santa Clarita Volunteen program. (4) Volunteer Claire Frederickson, 13, makes sure her writing is neat, as well as heartfelt, in responding as a Santa's helper to one of the hundreds of Christmas letters the Santa Clarita postal center receives from kids in a far-flung district. David Crane/Staff Photographer Arab FMs http://www.ezsantaletters.com/products/Santa_Letter_Child_Going_Through_a_Hard_Time-39-1.html condemn http://www.ezsantaletters.com/products/Santa_Letter_For_Birthdays-26-1.html Iran's intervention in Arab affairs - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Video http://www.ezsantaletters.com/products/Santa_Letter_For_After_Christmas-94-1.html PlayerClose The Christmas season is a particularly good time to think about the fundamental weaknesses of conventional economic theory. Frenzied shopping for gifts cannot easily be reconciled with the standard model's dour "economic man", a creature who "who inevitably does that by which he may obtain the greatest amount of necessaries, conveniences, and luxuries, with the smallest quantity of labour and physical self-denial", in the classic definition of John Stuart Mill. The joyful Christmas season is also a good period to offer praise for a line of economic thinking which draws on a much more flattering view of human nature.
Historically, this approach has been closely associated with the Catholic Church, but "Catholic Economics" is Santa Letters a misleading title, since the thinking is not denominational - for example, Justin Welby, the incoming leader of the Church of England, is a fan. It is not really religious; many atheists would reject the conventional assumption that people always and everywhere calculate their selfish advantage. In honour of the season, I will use "Christmas economics" to describe this anti-Scrooge analysis, which is based on what might be called the Christmas economic person. Unlike the simple and narrowly rational economic man, this is a complicated creature, largely motivated by the desire to be and to do good, but also prone to greed and foolishness. That combination is illogical, but it is Letter from Santa realistic; people always show a frustrating mix of virtue and vice. A comparison shows the advantages of Christmas economics over the standard approach. Consider the difference between the conventional idea of a market and "giving in order to acquire", a phrase used by Pope Benedict XVI in his Caritas in Veritate. Note that the economists' market is not a physical place to shop, like a supermarket. It is a conceptual place where purely self-interested economic men trade with one another until they are all as satisfied as they possibly can be, a state known as equilibrium. It is certainly possible to analyse the real economy as if it were mostly made up of many approximations of these egoists' markets, but the picture is unattractive. To start, such markets are universally disappointing. Since each participant is assumed to want as attractive a deal as possible - consumers want lower prices and workers higher wages, while producers want higher prices and lower wages - no wishes Letters from Santa can ever be fully gratified. More profoundly, these economic agents are dreadful people, utterly lacking in the spirit of fair play, let alone that of generosity. This market model has been sharply criticised ever since it first made its appearance, but a coherent alternative has been lacking. Enter the idea of a relationship founded upon mutual gifts, with some accommodation for greed. This "logic of exchange" begins with two attributes of human nature. Generosity leads me to offer my skills, money, products or whatever else I can give to the world. The desire for justice leads me to want a fair return for these gifts. In this view, economic relations should basically be satisfying to all. If everyone is looking for a fair deal, then the deals struck will indeed be fair. Thus exchange becomes not a divisive search for individual advantage, but a common exercise of virtue. If there is enough trust, then precise contracts, which conventional economists consider the normal market relationship, are superfluous. Sadly, such trust is often lacking. Along with the constructive powers of generosity and justice, the disruptive force of greed plays a role in these exchanges. The desire to obtain an unfairly favourable deal erodes trust and leads to discord, not the economists' equilibrium. Christmas economics includes more than roughly equal exchanges. It also takes in "a logic of public obligation", in which taxes and government services are considered expressions of generosity, and "quota of gratuitousness and communion", the generous spirit behind voluntary work, debt forgiveness and the striving for professional excellence without consideration of possible rewards. The Christmas view is certainly more complimentary about human nature than the economists' one. Is it also more realistic? In my experience, the shift from one perspective to the other is a bit like the adjustment to a much stronger pair of glasses; at first everything is blurry and there are headaches, but after a while the world looks much clearer. The new perspective makes better sense of the industrial economy, which relies extensively on shared commitments and fair dealing. It provides a clearer explanation of why selfish people are so damaging in the workplace. It helps explain why financial markets, which typically allow greed full rein, are so prone to disaster. It considers sacrificial labour - of parents for children, employees for colleagues or company, and soldiers for their country - to be normal, rather than an aberration. My seasonal wish: that Christmas economics receives the attention it so richly deserves. |
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