Note: The original blog was published in 2022. Here it is again with a few modifications.
I have enjoyed and celebrated the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) in many ways. Many were old-fashioned and traditional. Others have been unconventional and a little outrageous but still provided a memory that I hold dear even today.
My mother loved all holidays. Holidays for her were all about family, cooking, eating, and enjoying time together. Over her lifetime, she held many family dinners during Thanksgiving and Christmas. She enjoyed cooking a multitude of treats for family and friends, which included cakes, candy, cookies, and spent hours in the kitchen preparing turkey, ham, and other mouthwatering dishes for everyone to enjoy. My mom also enjoyed giving gifts. She would spend months picking out items and often would pay for them on a lay-a-way plan until she could bring them home and hide them. I think she enjoyed it more than anyone else.
The holidays were a busy time for everyone in our family. I look back on these memories and wonder how my mother did it all, working a full-time job, raising her children, and being involved with her church and friends. Somehow, she managed it all and on Christmas morning there would be hot chocolate with homemade cinnamon rolls, then a large dinner with extended family arriving throughout the day. She put the “believe” and “miracle” in the holiday spirit between her deep faith, love of family and a childlike wonder for the yuletide.
I have spent the Christmas holiday in Saudi Arabia where we bought a small sickly looking evergreen tree for an enormous price and decorated it with an assortment of made up, do-it-yourself ornaments. I also spent Christmas in Bahrain sightseeing and celebrating with the naval fleet that was in port. A wild and crazy party!
I celebrated Christmas in September, and in April when that was the only time I could be with family, so they set up the tree and we pretended it was December. I have enjoyed the holiday in the nation’s capital seeing the tree on the White House lawn. Also, I have celebrated holidays in many climates from extremely hot to freezing. These times were spent with friends, family, strangers, alone, happy, and sometimes sad.
Psychology Today tells us we should honor our feelings, including sadness, and to create new traditions that will be enjoyed and remembered.
Remember to respect yourself by finding time to invest in something that matters to you and enjoy the quiet moments that are presented. According to the American Psychological Association, 38% of people surveyed said their stress increased during the holiday season, which can lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. They recommend how important it is to recognize your limitations, triggers and to communicate intentions with others if you are not wanting or planning to celebrate in what they may feel is traditional.
Like my mother, I enjoy decorations, cooking and wrapping gifts. I try to do something special that we can all enjoy. But I keep in mind to not overindulge or overwhelm myself with projects plus to keep my self-care a priority.
My point of all this rambling is not about a holiday called Christmas or the many other holidays celebrated in December such as Saint Nicholas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Three Kings Day, or Boxing Day–it’s about HOW we enjoy moments of time and connect to ourselves and others.
My hope for you with the upcoming holidays is to be full of moments that will bring warm smiles and memories for many years to come.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.”–Helen Keller
Robin Anne Griffiths, E-RYT 200, YACEP * Behavioral Change Specialist * Yoga Instructor * Meditation Facilitator * Personal Trainer * Author * Speaker *
