. >> in lake junaluska, north carolina, bob and diane gayer and their sons jarek and clay are doing achristmas shopping. not at the mall at their church! long's chapel united methodist church sponsored an alternative christmas market, where various booths offered gift ideas that supported local and international charities. diane says projects like this help her family set a different tone for christmas. >> it's a very tricky time for the family. >> expensive. >> it is expensive, and we live in a real me society so the children always think of themselves first. and as a parent, you want them to think of others. >> the tradition of giving christmas presents is often tied to the magi, or wise men, who according to the bible story, brought precious gifts to the baby jesus. but many christians say that tradition has gotten out of hand. according to the national retail federation, americans will spend $563 billion dollars for christmas 2012. the average family is expected to shell out about $750. the federation also forecasts that this holiday season, consumers will be spending the highest