Christmas Is For Kids, which debuted its annual gift wish list Sunday in this newspaper, could benefit from donations by those of us who have decided this year to pare the number of presents we plan for family and friends.

Why not instead make a combined family, club, organization, girls-night-out group or sports team donation of toys or money to the holiday program for children?

This remains the season of giving, of course, but just how that tradition is fulfilled is open to personal discretion.

Christmas Is For Kids is a regional gift-giving program that assists children who would otherwise go without on Christmas Day. There is no paid staff.

The Attleboro Area Council for Children, its sponsor, pays for costs such as printing, postage and phone expenses. All monetary donations are used in their entirety for gifts for the children. Some of us may cut back on gift-giving this year because packages don't travel well - especially with airlines charging for extra bags - or we want to return to the spiritual core of the season or because the economy means there's little point to racking up credit card bills.

There are many reasons.

But frugality is not such a bad idea. A study in the Journal of Happiness Studies, reports Associated Press, found those who emphasized time with family and spiritual activities had merrier Christmases than those who gave or received big presents.

"Despite the fact that people spend relatively large portions of their income on gifts, as well as time shopping for and wrapping them, such behavior apparently contributes little to holiday joy," the researchers, Tim Kasser of Knox College and Kennon M. Sheldon of the University of Missouri-Columbia, were quoted as saying.

The past few days have been eventful for shoppers. We've just waded through Black Friday and can feel the season boiling into full swing with even more decorations being layered onto those that merchants have had up since well before Halloween.

Christmas trees are appearing in sale lots and it's near impossible to click on the car radio without a blast of "Silent Night" or "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." Big retailers are even parading their goods on Facebook and on Twitter along with traditional advertising avenues.

All of it is terribly seductive, especially since so many people have refrained from extra spending over the past year or so.

Shifting your family or community traditions to focus primarily on those who might have nothing if benefactors do not step forward, is a good way to still have fun shopping while staying true to the season's messages of joy, generosity, kindness and unselfishness.