If the attention has been on Santa Claus bringing a pile of gifts, it’s time to put some “old school” celebrations on your calendar.

As you focus your family’s Christmas celebrations away from the secular, modern and commercial customs — and more toward the religious, historical and cultural customs — you will find reasons to enjoy the holiday season even during the years when your family is on a budget.

You don’t have to banish Santa Claus from your home, unless you want to. We followed the Santa traditions when my daughter was growing up. But Santa and his gift-giving generosity was never the main focus of my family’s celebrations. That was just one part of our Christmas.

A great place to start is to schedule a visit with the pastor, youth minister or director of religious education at your church. Ask that person what holiday season resources they recommend for families. Books, videos and music CDs on this topic are stocked in any church or Sunday School library. The Sunday School staff at my church is even hosting a special program this year that will explain many popular and little-known Advent and Christmas customs to our parish families.

You also want to watch for announcements of Christmas pageants, “lessons and carols” concerts performed by local musicians and choirs, and Advent prayer services. These events are a free or inexpensive alternative to the elaborate ballet and professional theater holiday productions.

If you are looking for religious-themed Christmas materials, the best time to shop is just before Thanksgiving. These items aren’t easily found during holiday clearance sales because they’re hard to find on the retail market in the first place. You will most likely be shopping on the Internet, at the craft stores, in the religious supply stores, or at the church craft shows for appropriate books and supplies.

Some of the inexpensive old school ideas (or create / purchase only once ideas) include:

• Nativity sets and Advent wreaths – While such items can be acquired as beautiful works of art, you can also find a nice selection of kid-friendly religious materials in a variety of price ranges at CatholicSupply.com. For example, the cloth Advent wreath for kids on that web site is only $8.95, which is quite reasonable since you would pay at least that much to buy a metal wreath ring and four taper candles at one of the local craft stores.
• Jesse Tree – This tree, which features ornaments representing significant events and people in Bible history, can be as artistic or as simple as you want. I remember making an apple out of layered felt when I worked on such a project for my seventh grade religion class. If you have a tabletop tree, it can be repurposed for this arrangement. You’ll find design suggestions and corresponding Bible verses at CatholicCulture.org.
• Christmas wafers – I know about this custom from my Polish relatives, who broke and shared these wafers on Christmas Eve. You’ll find them at Bronners Christmas Wonderland.
• Family prayer services and blessings – There are many such traditions ranging from blessing of a Christmas tree to blessing of the door post at Epiphany. Your church or Sunday School library certainly has a collection of songs and prayers from your faith tradition that you can borrow or copy for family use.
• Christmas family heritage scrapbook – If you are already scrapbooking, or looking for a project to get started with, create a Christmas family heritage scrapbook by asking the older people in your family about their cherished Christmas memories. You will find that relatives who were children before the 1950s experienced a Christmas season that was far less commercial and less hectic than what we see today.
• Investigate the history of your favorite Christmas traditions – This is a great project for homeschoolers, a church high school youth group, or a family that has some time in their schedule. Go to your local public library or get on the Internet and find out the answers to questions such as: Do historians really know what day Jesus was born? Who was St. Nicholas? Who is credited with the inspiration of the Christmas tree, and how did that custom get introduced to England and America? Who originally drew the image that we now recognize as the American Santa Claus? Why does an audience stand when the Hallelujah Chorus is performed?

Even while celebrating new “old school” traditions, your family members will probably notice if there are fewer presents under the tree this year. You are not alone. A lot of families, especially here in Michigan, will have no choice but to cut back on expenses this year. The way to deal with that situation is to be honest with everyone up front about “Santa’s budget.”

But you certainly can build lots of cherished Christmas memories without a lot of cash.

After all, that’s what Christian families did for generations before the bulging Santa Claus gift bags crowded out old-time traditions.

I don’t remember at what point she stopped believing in Santa. I do remember that it was a relatively untraumatic situation as compared to what some other families experience.

What did we do right?

I can tell you it wasn’t planned, but that’s just what happened.

My daughter never really got a lot of gifts from Santa. By the time she was old enough to grasp that Christmas meant gifts, I was divorced and single. Gifts from the relatives came from the relatives. While there were gifts to open under our tree on Christmas morning, the number of those packages was relatively few. Therefore, she learned as a preschooler not to expect to see a big pile of gifts all at one time.

Even after I got remarried, the most my husband and I ever spent on the daughter at Christmas was about $100.

I’m pretty sure that’s why, in my home, the Santa myth never got out of control.

It’s one thing to teach children that Santa brings gifts. (You can apply this concept as needed to Christmas friends in other cultures such as St. Nicholas, La Befana, the Christ Child or the Three Kings)

But it’s another thing entirely to teach children that Santa brings LOTS OF GIFTS.

If you decide to create that monster, there will certainly be at least one year during your children’s youth when you cannot meet that expectation. The resulting anger and disappointment (or attempts to avoid it) is sure to make for a stressful Christmas.

How can you gracefully deal with the Santa myth?

• Decide before your oldest child turns 2 years old how Santa or his colleagues will be part of your family Christmas tradition – or not. Keep in mind that babies and toddlers have no clue what’s going on at Christmas. Many of them are downright afraid of a funny-looking guy in a red suit anyway. Since the modern version of the Santa story is so drastically different from its origins with the tales of St. Nicholas the bishop, Christian families can find good reasons to include Santa or not, as they see fit. Besides, there are non-Christians who enjoy the Santa stories too. But those of you who are parents need to make the Santa decision early in childhood, and quite likely you will need to explain your approach in advance of Christmas to the extended family.
• Label only some of the gifts as from Santa. My family’s custom has been that St. Nicholas brought some candy and treats and maybe one present on Dec. 6, while Santa filled the stockings on Christmas Eve. The bigger gifts were usually labeled from parents or grandparents. Why? That’s just what we did. But it was a smart move in the long run: Santa was part of the ensemble. He wasn’t the only one handing out gifts.
• Don’t label Christmas as “just for kids.” Many times, the child will start wondering about Santa long before the parents realize it. Classmates, cousins and friends tend to talk to other kids when they know who is really behind the Santa stories. If Santa brings presents only for children, but not for adults, in your family, what do you expect the children to think and say when they really should be old enough to know better?
• Help your child be Santa for someone else. If you can afford it, find one of the toy, gift and food basket donation drives that are taking place and involve your children in making a cash or toy donation toward the cause. You can also help the children make gifts for other relatives or to deliver to a nursing home.
• Focus your family’s attention on other traditions. There is so much more to Christmas than Santa bringing presents. You can fill your family’s Christmas memories book with attending a production of “The Messiah,” portraying shepherds and angels for a church pageant, lighting an Advent wreath, attending Midnight Mass, serving a Polish seafood feast on Christmas Eve, hosting a house blessing on Three Kings Day, watching a live production of “The Nutcracker” or “The Christmas Carol” or “Annie”, checking out the Toledo Zoo’s Lights Before Christmas, picking out your own Christmas tree at the farm, learning how to make Grandma’s fruitcake and interviewing the older relatives about what Christmas was like back in their day.

There will certainly be a bit of fun gone when the Santa myth is broken, no matter the child’s age.

But if parents set the tone early with Santa being just a part, instead of the main focus, at Christmas, the realization of who’s really bringing those gifts won’t be quite so traumatic.

And when you are a family on a budget, you don’t need a lot of additional stress at Christmas.

Update: sorry, but I had to shut off the comment board on this post because of repeated spam attacks.

One of the customs relating to saints is to designate the honored person as the patron saint of a particular cause, group of people, geographic area, issue or situation.

Here’s the explanation at Catholic.org:

Patron saints are chosen as special protectors or guardians over areas of life. These areas can include occupations, illnesses, churches, countries, causes — anything that is important to us. The earliest records show that people and churches were named after apostles and martyrs as early as the fourth century.

Recently, the popes have named patron saints but patrons can be chosen by other individuals or groups as well. Patron saints are often chosen today because an interest, talent, or event in their lives overlaps with the special area. Angels can also be named as patron saints. A patron saint can help us when we follow the example of that saint’s life and when we ask for that saint’s intercessory prayers to God.

For example, Francis of Assisi loved nature and so he is patron of ecologists. Francis de Sales was a writer and so he is patron of journalists and writers. Clare of Assisi was named patron of television because one Christmas when she was too ill to leave her bed she saw and heard Christmas Mass — even though it was taking place miles away.

Since the Catholic faith is very common among my local readers in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio, I searched through the saint listings at Catholic.org and a similar list at Catholic-forum.com to find saints whose appointed causes seem relevant to the recession that’s affecting our region.

• Patron saint of workers and also of house sellers: St. Joseph.
• Patron saint of job seekers and the unemployed: St. Cajetan.
• Patron saint of bankers: St. Matthew.
• Patron saint of business people: St. Homobonus.
• Patron saint of charitable societies: St. Vincent de Paul.
• Patron saint of desperate cases: St. Jude Thaddaeus.
• Patron saint against poverty (one of many who share this cause): St. Bernadette of Lourdes.
• Patron saint of homeless people (one of several who share this cause): St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
• Patron saint of families: St. Maximilian Kolbe.
• Patron saint of Archdiocese of Detroit: St. Anne.
• Patron saint of Michigan: Our Lady, Gate of Heaven (one of many titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary).
• Patron saint of Diocese of Toledo: Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.
• Patron saint of Ohio: Our Lady of Consolation (one of many titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Update Sept. 25, 2009: I’ve since learned that St. Anne was never officially declared patron saint of Detroit – but she has long been regarded as such and is on the short list of saints under consideration for the title. See this article at Detroit Free Press.

Stock up your dresser and closet with a bunch of solid color T-shirts, tank tops, blouses, skirts, pants and sweaters, and you will get much more use out of each piece of clothing.

Invest your theme money instead on mascot and campaign buttons, awareness ribbons, holiday pins, team logo ties, necklaces, earrings, hats and other accessories that you can wear from year to year, no worry about sizes, and no fuss about a shirt wearing out. You’ll find those doo-dads just as easily as you’ll find that souvenir shirt.

And frugal crafters can create some cool accessories that nobody else will have “seen in a store.” I still have a handcrafted 9-11 memorial pin that a friend made for me in September 2001.

Stock up on solid-color attire in these colors for …

• Red or dark red: Monroe High School games. Bedford High School games. Valentine’s Day. Christmas. Thanksgiving. Pentecost. Ohio State University games. Patriotic holidays. Kwanzaa. Political rallies. American Red Cross blood drive days.
• Blue, light blue or dark blue: Jefferson High School games. University of Michigan games. University of Notre Dame games. Detroit Lions games. Patriotic holidays. Chanukah. Political rallies. Police officers’ support event. Prayer service honoring Blessed Virgin Mary. Baby shower for a baby boy. Mother’s Day. Boy Scout event.
• Green: St. Mary Catholic Central High School games. Michigan State University games. St. Patrick’s Day. Christmas. NASCAR. Green Bay Packers games. Mardi Gras. Kwanzaa. Recycling event. 4-H event. Girl Scout event. Earth Day.
• Orange: Halloween. Thanksgiving. Detroit Tigers games. Bowling Green State University games. Beach party.
• Black: Halloween. Day of the Dead. Kwanzaa. POW-MIA Day.
• Brown: Halloween. Thanksgiving. Cleveland Browns games.
• Gold: Mardi Gras. Christmas. New Year’s Eve. St. Mary Catholic Central High School games.
• Pink: Valentine’s Day. Breast Cancer Awareness events. Easter. Baby shower for a baby girl. Mother’s Day. Beach party.
• Yellow: Military family events. POW-MIA Day. Easter. University of Michigan games.
• Purple: Advent. Lent. Easter. American Cancer Society Relay for Life events. Mardi Gras. Valentine’s Day. Harvest festival.
• Silver: Christmas. New Year’s Eve.
• Khaki: Military family events. Girl Scout event. Goes with almost anything.
• White: Valentine’s Day. Patriotic holidays. Goes with everything.

But in many cases, the answer is pretty flexible when you ask a child or even an adult, “What do you want to be for Halloween?”

A witch. The most awesome superhero ever. No, maybe a princess. How about a “ghost vampire princess” as one fifth-grader brainstormed when talking to me over the weekend.

You are in luck if you get answers like this. The more you can get away from the licensed character ideas, the more likely you’ll be able to assemble something really cool on a budget.

Besides, if you have an All Saint’s Day party where the requested costumes are that of a Bible personality or a Christian saint, you do have to be resourceful. October is off-season for Christmas and Easter pageant costumes – and most of those outfits are handmade anyway and recycled from year to year.

I’ve already seen costume pieces and accessories at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store, and the other retail stores will be stocking soon if they haven’t already.

While a lot of popular costumes are more suited for Halloween than All Saint’s Day parties, some personas do cross over very well for both party themes.

I’m arranging this list by costume pieces so you can repurpose what you might already have in a Halloween or dress-up box – or make plans to buy as little as possible this year.

• Crown: Miss America. Princess whatever. King of the Hill. Homecoming queen. King and Queen from a deck of cards if you need a couples’ idea. King David. The Magi / Three Kings if you need a group idea. King Arthur. Queen of England. Good King Wenceslas.
• Asian dress: Mulan. Geisha girl.
• Black sweatshirt and sweatpants: Mouse. Cat. Dog.
• Pumpkin head: Zombie. The Great Pumpkin.
• White sweatpants and sweatshirt: Snowman. Clown (when you add some accessories).
• White gloves: Queen or princess. Michael Jackson if you use just one glove.
• Cape: Any superhero. Vulcan. Jedi Master. Vampire.
• Ripped jeans: Zombie. Hobo. Scarecrow.
• Medical scrubs: Doctor. Nurse. Paramedic. Missionary. Dentist. Flu vaccination clinic worker.
• Business suit: President of the United States (make some “vote for me” signs to carry). Out-of-work stock broker. Clark Kent (have a “reporter notebook” handy).
• Wand or sceptor: Tooth Fairy. Anyone of royalty. Pageant winner.
• Big cardboard box: Wall-E. A washing machine. An ice cream truck (I saw a boy one year whose wheelchair was converted to an ice cream truck). Box of bandages.
• Sunbonnet: Laura Ingalls. Civil War nurse.
• Tri-corner hat: Pirate. George Washington.
• Black robe or dress: Wicked Witch of the West. A nun (pick any name of a saint who was a religious sister). Grim Reaper.
• Brown robe or dress: John the Baptist. Pocahontas. Kateri Tekawitha. Saint Paul. A monk. A wizard.
• Ugly teeth: Vampire. Zombie. Witch.
• Rabbit ears: The Dust Bunny (carry a duster). Easter Bunny (carry an Easter basket).
• Medieval armor: Joan of Arc. St. Michael.
• Head wrap or head scarf: A sheik. A shepherd. Jasmine. Zombie.
• Football jersey: Quarterback. Beat-up quarterback. Tailgate chef (carry some barbecue tools).
• White robe or dress: Ghost. Angel. Princess Leia. Deacon. Altar server. Blessed Virgin Mary (pair up a blue scarf with the white dress). Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Roman Emperor. St. Helen.
• Microphone: TV reporter. American Idol contestant.
• Money bag: Tax collector. Banker. Apostle Matthew.
• Angel’s halo: Angel. Any saint.
• Snare drum: Little Drummer Boy. Rock and roll musician. Marching band member.
• Necklace with fake gold coins: Gypsy girl.
• Priest’s collar: Any saint who had been a priest. A missionary.
• Blue dress or robe: Cinderella. Blessed Virgin Mary.
• Bishop’s hat: St. Nicholas. A pope.
• Reindeer antlers: Reindeer. Someone’s hunting trophy deer (the best effect will be when paired up with someone in hunting gear).
• Santa hat: Santa Claus. Mrs. Santa. Santa’s official photographer (carry an old camera).
• Stuffed animals: Noah. Shepherd (if you have some sheep). St Francis of Assisi. Veterinarian.
• Backpack: Dora the Explorer.
• Large cross pendant on necklace: Modern-day nun. Monk.
• Multi-colored robe: Joseph of Egypt.
• Large metal key ring: Jacob Marley. St. Peter.
• Big rosary: Blessed Jacinta of Fatima. A nun. A monk.
• Orange sweatshirt and sweatpants: Jailbird. Great Pumpkin.
• Long black skirt: Civil War widow. Orchestra performer.
• Cowboy hat: Cowboy. Country singer.
• Vest: Hippie. Discount store greeter.
• Pom poms: Cheerleader.
• Wings: Fairy. Angel. Butterfly.
• Army pants: G.I. Joe. Military chaplain.
• Pink dress: Sleeping Beauty. Barbie.
• Crown of flowers: Mother Nature. Bride.

For about 15 years, I’ve volunteered as a catechist in the Catholic faith. I’ve been assigned to or subbed in almost every elementary school grade over the years. This fall, I will be teaching first grade.

I’ve always tried to make the lessons interesting and relevant to my students. But this past year, I learned an entirely new way to teach children via the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It’s a Christian religious education program based on Montessori principles. Several Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit already use, or are phasing in, this program. Here in Monroe, Mich., the parishes of St. Mary and St. John have the CGS program available for selected grade levels.

One of the distinguishable features of CGS is hands-on classroom materials. If you visit a place set up as a CGS “atrium,” you will see dioramas representing Bible stories and parables, three-dimensional maps of geographic locations mentioned in Scriptures, models of items used during the baptism rituals, etc.

Regardless of what curriculum your religious education or homeschool program uses, you too can use hands-on materials in your classroom space. And you don’t need a lot of money to do that, despite the prices you might see in catalogs or on the Internet for speciality items. I’m making my classroom materials on a budget.

Many of the hands-on CGS materials are handcrafted, in part by necessity and in part by the personality of the program. Catechists and directors of religious education are encouraged to seek out the talents of woodcrafters, painters, sewers, crafters and artisans as needed.

I was inspired by CGS training to prepare materials that can be used in a classroom regardless of whatever curriculum has been designated for the grade level I am working with. This is a big step beyond my existing collection of religious reference books, coloring books, rubber stamp designs and clip art. But if such materials help the students learn, and I’ve seen that it does, I’ll put the time and effort into assembling them. And once a set of materials has been created, it can be used in a classroom for many years to come.

What are some of the things I’ve been adding to my collection?

Prayer table accessories: It is customary in my parish to include a short prayer service as part of the class time. I typically have my students gather around a small table where appropriate items are arranged: such as a candle, a Bible, a cross, a rosary, flower arrangement, pictures of saints, Bible verses written out.

I used to have a specific tablecloth for the prayer table. But after I saw the variety of prayer table arrangements used in CGS lessons, I bought two yards each of fabric in the common liturgical colors used in our church to add to my collection. In keeping with my frugalista shopping tactics, I waited for a sale to buy the red, white, purple, green and blue fabric. I even used a coupon to buy a spool of thread I needed to hem one of those tablecloths. (The picture at the top of this post was my Palm Sunday prayer table arrangement this spring. The crucifix on the table is the one that has been on display in our home for many years.)

Candles are also commonly used in the Catholic church, but there are safety issues that have to be dealt when using real candles in a classroom and fake candles tend to look fake. Last fall, I found a solution that suited my needs: a battery-operated scented candle that looks real since it flickers inside a glass ball. You can see it in my Palm Sunday picture. I used a coupon and sale to make that purchase, because it was otherwise a $10 item!

My fifth-grade students absolutely loved that scented candle last year. Everyone took turns holding it during our prayer time. When I found refill scent bottles on a clearance sale this spring, I bought as many as I could.

Some of the other accessories I acquired this year as hand-me-downs, discount store or thrift store finds include a clear wine glass and clear glass small plate to represent a chalice and paten, bunches of fake grapes, and stalks of dried wheat. I also found a divided basket at a rummage sale that ended up as the perfect size to carry the wine glass and plate back and forth to the classroom.

Models and dioramas: Several Bible narratives and parables that are taught in the CGS curriculum are accompanied by dioramas. The catechist will read or tell the story to the children, moving the figures as appropriate to illustrate the key points.

After they have seen the presentation, the children are encouraged to work on their own time with those materials. That’s why pieces need to be child-friendly and not easily breakable. A delicate ceramic nativity set, for example, would not be appropriate for classroom use. But I have seen some wonderfully made fabric, wooden and painted clay pieces that are well-suited for children’s hands.

I also need my materials to be portable because I am teaching in a classroom that is used by other students during the week. The storage area I use in the school is in another part of the building – not in the classroom where I teach.

The solution: I’m building my dioramas as self-contained, closeable boxes. Open up one wooden box, and you’ll find clothespin figures of Mary and the angel Gabriel with the inside of the box painted as if it was Mary’s home in Nazareth. Open another wooden box, and you’ll find  clothespin figures depicting the presentation of baby Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. Two cake decorating pillars help to set the temple scene.

I have been using fabric remnants, wooden craft pieces and leftover paints and stains to create these pieces. I bought craft supplies at garage sales and thrift shops and am digging into my leftovers from other projects. When I needed a particular supply at a craft store, I used the store coupons and waited for sales as much as possible. The bag of clothespin dolls I bought is enough to supply several dioramas. I have already started making a set of the 12 apostles!

Another set that I have assembled is a model of the tabernacle area. If you have been in a Catholic church, you have seen a special cabinet or box where the blessed communion hosts are displayed in a beautiful container. There’s always a red candle lit nearby. The faithful are encouraged to use this area as a space for private prayer when services are not taking place.

To create this arrangement, I bought a brass incense burner at a garage sale, and cleaned it up to use as the container for hosts represented by tiny paper circles. Then I sought out a small craft wooden box proportionate to the size of the incense burner. The box I found has a glass top, so that stood on its size and stained, it looks like a beautiful cabinet with a glass door! (The picture really doesn’t do it justice.) At another garage sale, I found a red votive candle holder. Just pop a candle or battery-operated candle into the votive, and the arrangement is complete. Now I can explain to the students something they see every week in church, but might not be familiar with.

Posters, artwork and pictures: Have you noticed that if a teacher has pictures or other visual images of a location or concept, the students tend to grasp the concept much easier? Look in any Bible or Sunday School textbook and you’ll typically see maps, graphs, charts, illustrations, photos and painting reproductions.

Visual aids can easily be used in classroom or homeschool setting where storage or teaching space is limited. I actually brought my laptop to class three times this past year to run slide shows for the students on various topics.

But when it was mentioned in a teacher training session I attendeed that National Geographic was a great place to find interesting pictures for classroom use, I had another frugal “ah-ha” moment. One of the thrift shops in Monroe sells old National Geographics for a ridiculously cheap price and it’s not expensive to get a subscription in the first place. During the past couple of weeks, I’ve cut out pictures of monasteries, volcanoes, beetles and other interesting pictures from National Geographic. Those pictures are now on cardstock and I plan to laminate them.

And about two years ago, I made a collage poster featuring images of Mary from old Christmas and greeting cards.

I know this post is a little off the beaten path for the usual Monroe on a Budget topics. But some people who know me on Twitter, where I’ve mentioned being a catechist, have been asking to see pictures of my classroom materials. So I’ll be sending them a link to this post.

And well, like I said, I’ve been doing these projects on a budget. My frugal blog readers can certainly relate to doing ANYTHING on a budget!

The photos include a woman praying at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, two other women praying at a “prayer station” at Warren City Hall, and a laid-off man holding an open Bible.

From the introduction:

For the most devout practitioners – perhaps 15% of Americans, if measured by how frequently they attend services – following their faith’s precepts often has a profound financial impact: Religion guides how they make, spend, and invest their money. And it often leads to financial decisions and stresses far different from those of people who don’t share their beliefs.

To explore how religion affects the way people manage their money, we visited with three families of different faiths who are struggling to reconcile their spiritual beliefs with their wallets.

Now while the Christian family that is featured in this series is with the Christian Reformed Church, I have definitely seen financial issues intersect with the Catholic and Lutheran faith traditions that I am familiar with in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio. (My family is Catholic, my in-laws are Lutheran.)

I’ve also picked up on some interesting headlines from other denominations.

You’ll find those posts and discussions in my archives under the “faith celebrations” keyword.

One of my nieces is celebrating her First Communion today. She’s getting this handcrafted card from me.

I’ve made many little First Communion paper dolls over the years with my scrapbook supplies and stencils. But I could not find the pattern I had previously created for the girls’ dressy-up outfits. I also had to improvise on the veil today by using a piece of lace instead of vellum paper (I gave my last piece of vellum to a bride-to-be friend yesterday).

But I think this is my best one yet!

Now, how does a handcrafted card relate to living on a budget?

Here is the point: The more do-it-yourself skills you have – whether it be in crafting, computers, gardening, painting, auto maintenance, house cleaning, carpentry, cooking, baking, etc. – the more financial choices you will have in how you will take care of your family needs.

It took about 45 minutes for me to make this card (most of which was puzzling out a new design). But it cost me absolutely no money out of pocket because I used my existing paper, lace, stencils and punches to create it.

Assuming you know someone who is in a First Communion class this spring (a likely scenario for my local readers in Monroe, Mich., where we have five Catholic parishes in two zip codes), let’s talk about how to honor the occasion both appropriately – and on a budget.

First, I will get on my Sunday School teacher soapbox: do not select secular toys, books or movies as gifts for the children on this occasion. Yes, I enjoy Barbie dolls, but I do not give one to a young girl for a religious celebration. Save the non-religious gift selections for birthdays or perhaps Christmas. They do not fit the reverence and beauty of First Communion Day.

What can you get the children instead?

The Faith and Family Live blog has some wonderful, wonderful inspirational ideas. And  … many of them are BUDGET FRIENDLY!!!

• You can find lovely little prayer books, Bibles and religious statues as mentioned in the Faith and Family blog at several stores in the Monroe area. Check both the traditional gift shops and the “dollar stores.” I’m serious! I’ve found some really nice, but inexpensive, religious items at the dollar stores for use in my Sunday School classes.
• You can find saints’ medals at Catholic stores in the metro areas or by shopping on line. These also are generally very inexpensive.
• One of the comments on the board recommended an “adopt a priest” sponsorship program where the money donated in honor of First Communion Day goes towards a future priests’ education expenses. You can adapt that idea to any number of charitable organizations that are available in Monroe or around the world.

I usually make very lovely handcrafted religious cards for the children I know who are celebrating First Communion. My choices have included pictures of Jesus, Mary, and often a young child dressed as if for First Communion.

And a note to you who are parents: if the congratulatory gifts include cash, help your child spend that money in ways that are appropriate to the occasion.

In other words, this is not a toy store shopping spree.

When my daughter celebrated First Communion, we took her money to a Christian bookstore and I told her she could buy anything she wanted in that store with her money. She selected her first “chapter and verse” Bible, and a book about saints.