The best Christmas ever? Often it was pared down.

In tough times, people discover that simple holidays can be the most satisfying.

from the December 23, 2008 edition

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One year the only Christmas present Monika Nagy received was a bag of instant mashed potatoes. Yet she calls it "the best Christmas ever," because she had not eaten potatoes for years. "My father worked in Cuba, and there was nothing but rice," says Ms. Nagy, a certified credit analyst in Orlando, Fla.. "I was allergic to rice and craved potatoes. My mom exchanged one of her blouses with a Russian woman for that bag. That was a real Christmas."

For many years a "real Christmas" at Ben Bradley's house has involved what he calls "wonderful excess." Not this season.

"The markets flattened everyone in my family," says Mr. Bradley of Glen Ellyn, Ill. "Money is tight. Instead of giving gifts to each other, we decided to do something for others. My son is doing what he calls the 'secret shoveler.' When it snows, he sneaks over to the neighbor's and shovels the driveway. My wife 'adopted' a young family that needs help. I'm helping a soldier get back on her feet. My daughter sings at the convalescent center."

Referring to gifts, he adds, "I don't need anything. Another sweater or tie or pocketknife won't make me happier. Getting back to basics around Christmas is the best gift you can give yourself."

Mary Staton, a financial coach in Charlotte, N.C., is adopting a similar attitude. "The holidays are more significant this year as they are being played out on a more realistic and sincere basis," she says. She and her husband, Bill, have asked their children to forgo gifts for them and instead cook a family dinner for everyone to enjoy.

Scaling down is also part of Dandi Daley Mackall's holiday. "I know it's odd, but I'm excited about our family not having as much to spend on Christmas this year," says Ms. Mackall, an Ohio author. "We're being forced to do what we claim we want to do every year. We're cutting back. We're doing what I always did with my mom and sister when we were kids – making cutout cookies and taking them to shut-ins and elderly neighbors.

"I don't think many people even remember what they got for Christmas last year," she adds, "and if they do, can they find it? But volunteering, sending money for disaster relief, picking out a toy for tots, or baking cookies – that we'll remember."

What Toni Andrews most remembers is a holiday 20 years ago with friends in California. Initially, everyone was sad because they couldn't afford to buy gifts or throw a party. Declaring a "dime-store Christmas," they bought stocking stuffers with a $2 limit. They also cooked a hearty meal and scrounged videotapes of Christmas movies.

"In the intervening years, I've spent holidays at lavish resorts, at big family gatherings, and quietly on my own," Ms. Andrews says. "I've given and received luxurious gifts and attended glittering parties. But whenever I'm asked to recall my best Christmas, I think about sitting on the worn carpet of my friends' apartment, playing children's games, and watching three different versions of 'A Christmas Carol' in the company of good friends."

As holiday celebrants put final touches on shopping, wrapping, cooking, and decorating, some will identify with Mark Henderson of Littleton, Colo. Because he started a new business and his wife was recently laid off, their income is down substantially. But, he says, "We realize that Christmas is about the birth of Christ. We have our family, a roof over our head, food on the table, and our health. This is more than a lot of people have, so we consider ourselves blessed. We will do what we can to help out those less fortunate."

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