Each winter brings with it is a tremendous amount of hype surrounding Christmas. Retailers and marketers work their hardest to convince people that the more they spend on Christmas, the better the holiday will be for everyone. Commercials push people to believe that the more generous the gift is, the more loved the recipient will feel. The emotions of Christmas are commercialized and tied to the amount of money we spent, the size of the party we throw, or the number of decorations we put up around our home. For many, the pressure to make Christmas perfect ruins the holiday altogether. For people living paycheck-to-paycheck, the pressure to spend a lot of money on gifts leaves them feeling helpless and unable to show others how much they love and care for them.

However, the truth is that Christmas doesn't need to be extravagant to be celebrated. You don't need to spend a lot of money to show people you love them. There are many simple things you can do to celebrate the holidays that will make it sentimental and authentic. You can focus on traditions or go in the complete opposite direction, beginning your own, new traditions. Here are five simple ways to celebrate Christmas this year.

1. Focus on the Advent season.

Advent is the four weeks leading up to Christmas that many Christian traditions recognize as the time to prepare for the birth of Christ. Advent is a time of reflection and mindfulness. Celebrating may be as simple as buying advent candles and lighting them each week as you count down to Christmas. It may mean buying or making an Advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas. It may also involve meditation, prayer, and reflection on the coming year and how you can live your best life by connecting with the things you want and helping others realize their dreams. Either way, this practice of mindfulness will enrich your Christmas season.

2. Buy Christmas lights for your front entrance.

You don't have to decorate your entire house inside and out to prove to the neighborhood that you are excited about Christmas. One thing you can do is get lights from Christmas Designers to brighten your front entrance. This simple decoration will be welcoming to visitors and a quiet reminder as you leave and return home that you are preparing for Christmas. Often, the simpler the decoration is, the more elegant it appears. While some people find a lot of joy in lighting up the neighborhood, it's not necessarily the best way for everyone to celebrate.

3. Start a gift exchange.

If you have a large circle of friends and family, it can be challenging (and expensive!) to buy gifts for every one of them. Starting a gift exchange may be a welcome relief for everyone in your circle. You can do an exchange that involves picking gifts, you can do a secret Santa, or you can organize a white elephant exchange. The type of exchange you plan will depend on the people you are doing it with and what they are comfortable doing. If you have a goofy group that enjoys a good laugh, a white elephant exchange may take your holiday celebration to a new level.

4. Explore Christmas traditions from other countries.

Mix it up this year by looking at what traditions are common in other countries that you can enjoy or celebrate with your family. You can learn about Saint Nicholas, include a Christmas pickle on your tree, or learn to cook a figgy pudding. There are different ways you can celebrate Christmas while learning about other cultures.

5. Make homemade gifts.

Decide to give all homemade gifts this year. You'll save money, and the gifts will be more personal and heartfelt since you put your time into each one. You can learn a new craft and make gifts, you can cook or bake edible gifts, or you can come up with something personal for each person you would typically buy for. Sometimes it truly is the thought that counts, so don't worry if you're not the crafty type. Your loved ones will appreciate that you took the time to invest in something you thought they'd love.