Advice On Really Enjoying The Holidays

by Tom Boy

posted on 11/04/2009

Do You Want to Enjoy the Holidays?
It is early November, and holiday gifts, ornaments, foods and decorations are beginning to fill the aisles everywhere from department stores to pharmacies. Soon holiday music will be heard everywhere, complete with people complaining about it - one store clerk last year said it was scaring her to listen to it because she felt like it meant her college semester final exams and term paper due dates were right around the corner. Holiday invitations, plans, gift buying, office parties and innumerable other activities are about to fill everyone but Scrooge's calendars. Meanwhile, the days are getting darker and colder, people are struggling with colds and the flu, and the not-so-recovered economy makes everyone all too anxious. Do you really want to enjoy the holidays? Then these tips are for you!

It's NOT about the money!
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter solstice, or just the New Year, there is not one of these holidays that is really about money! Simply throwing money - or available credit - at them does more than create a stack of bills for January and February. It also empties them of their meaning. So now, before you find yourself up to your backside in holiday alligators, take stock. While you are out walking the dog, nursing the baby, having a cup of tea, in the bath or driving to work ask yourself: "What are my best holiday memories?" There's a good chance those memories are rooted in the things that matter most in your life and in this time of the year. There are bound to be some difficult holiday memories, too. Missing someone at Christmas, for instance, can make you weep - but it can also tell you what you really care about, too. Whether the wisdom distilled from these remembrances takes you to the spiritual roots of seasonal celebrations, to your love for family and friends, to various social concerns, to fun or to love or romance - here is the core of holiday spirit for you. Now ask yourself, "How can these things really be the center of the holidays this year?"

Spiritual Roots
Every mid-winter holiday begins with a spiritual meaning and celebration - at least in the northern hemisphere, all of them are connected to light and darkness, star shine and firelight, warmth and hospitality. You may want to make a special or renewed effort to pay attention to your own religious roots this year, or to learn about those of others. What really is the Salvation Army beyond the kettles and bell ringers? Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate Christmas? What are Hanukkah lights? Is there a special light festival you might visit, or an outdoor, live Nativity? Who was St. Nicholas, originally? When are the services at your church?

Gift-Giving
What do you really want to do about gift-giving this year? Is there anyone who deserves a gift of your time, maybe with a special event or outing? Is there someone who would really appreciate your help? Do you have treasures someone might really enjoy more than you do? And are there others you can support by your gift choices, so that money that you do spend can do double or triple duty? For example, many charities, churches, museums, orchestras, and schools have gift or bookshops you can visit on-line or in person. While many also have gift cards you can give so a donation honors the recipient, many also have very nice gift items for purchase. Do you want to take on giving to a family or children in need through a community agency - and do you want to involve your children or grandchildren in this giving?

Have Fun Together
If the holidays become all stress with little fun, they are not enjoyable for you or for those around you. Try doing half as much with a lighter touch. And consider something inexpensive everyone can do together: A large family I know, for instance, all got kazoos one Christmas morning, and a great time was had by all playing with them. Another family all got marshmallow guns - young and old alike. Yet another family all got miniature radio-controlled cars. Yet another family handed out 5 dollar bills to each member on Christmas Eve, and went together to a discount department store - the idea was to find something for EVERYONE in the family without spending more than the allowance. Get everyone together and go walking in the woods, then come home for hot chocolate. Send a holiday card with the pets dressed up for the holidays, or play board games together for the first time in two years. Go bowling, make snowmen, or drive around looking at lights together.

One More Thought
Here are more questions to lead you into the holidays in a different frame of mind: When do you feel the most love? And when do you feel loved? How can you make your holidays be about Love?

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