If you’re not careful, the holiday season can pass you by in a blur of parties, gatherings, shopping and gift exchanges that leave you emotionally and financially drained. And not only that, but it can feel as though the meaning behind the season of bringing communities and families together gets a little lost amongst it all.
With some planning, you can have a holiday season that is infused with meaning.
Create Rituals That Promote Togetherness
Part of the fun of the holiday season is looking forward to the rituals that you and your friends or family take part in every year. Try creating rituals that are inexpensive and promote spending real time together.
For example, you could bake together and then spend some time handing out treats to your friends and neighbors, to encourage a sense of community. Decorating the tree together is always a wonderful seasonal activity, especially if you have a plate of mince pies and some mulled wine to enjoy while you are doing it!
It’s also a good idea to create some rituals that get you out of the house and into the fresh air, as otherwise you can be left feeling a little flat. Take a walk through your neighborhood to look at all of the lights and decorations that have been put up.
Give Something Back
A perfect antidote to the ceaseless commercialism of the holiday season is to ensure that part of your holiday tradition is giving something back to the community. You could do this in any number of ways. Perhaps volunteer some time at a homeless shelter or consider making a charitable holiday donation. You could even simply make a point of looking in on older members of the community who might be spending their holiday season alone.
Handmade and Experience Gifts
Rather than spending too much money on gifts, try giving fewer gifts but making the ones that you do give more meaningful. For example, you could give experience gifts such as dance lessons or an art class or you could try your hand at crafting some handmade gifts for your friends and family. Not only will you save money, but crafting is a lovely way to spend long winter evenings!
Learn About Your Cultural Heritage
Try learning about your cultural history from your parents and grandparents, and then incorporate some of the traditional holiday celebrations from that history into your holiday season. This is a great way to connect with your family and to feel like you are reconnecting with your roots.
Don’t Over Commit
This is the number one rule! You don’t need to accept every single invitation that you get over the holiday season. Prioritize spending time with the people who are important to you and don’t run yourself ragged trying to do everything.
Gratitude
Making a point of thinking about all that you are grateful for and discussing those things with your friends and family is a wonderful way to feel the holiday spirit. Make a point of having those conversations over a meal or a mince pie; you could even make it one of your holiday traditions.