If you rail at Christmas displays before Halloween, you aren’t alone. A growing number of Americans are finding that excess commercialism means a less meaningful holiday with excess waste.

The back-to-basics Christmas movement has been around for several years, but this year’s slimmer wallets may be the best excuse yet to unplug the holiday machine. With more environmental concerns and less money to go around, consumers will be looking for ways to dial back the holiday binge.

If simplicity appeals to you, Catawba County Library System has some materials to help you get started. Brand new on the shelves is I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More by Anna Getty. This paperback tackles the problem with ideas for imaginative gifts, craft activities and decorating ideas that won’t bust your budget.

Another guidebook, Simply Christmas: Great Ideas for a Non-Commercial Holiday (394.268282 PAX) was authored by Noel Pax. If you have the time to put extra effort into home-crafted treats, gifts and decorations, this book is for you. Perhaps most useful are suggestions for atypical gifts and where to find them.

No one beats the Amish and Quakers for a simple Christmas which equates to eco-friendly. A book to consider is How to Have a Perfect Christmas: Practical and Inspirational Advice to Simply Your Holiday Season by Helen Isolde (394.2663 ISO). Helpful hints, inspirational advice and practical ideas will help you regain control of your holiday celebration.

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