CULTIVATING A JOYOUS CHRISTMAS SEASON
My Word of the Year for 2021 was "Cultivate" and it feels good to come full circle with some tips for cultivating a joyous Christmas/New Year. This is my last post for 2021 and to be honest, I'm pretty okay with that.
I'm ready to have a break and focus my attention on Christmas and family -
because family is what makes Christmas even more special.
For those of us who celebrate Christmas as a reminder of the birth of
Jesus, it's a time to reflect and to be grateful, and it's also a time to
celebrate and to enjoy each other's company while we eat, listen to
Christmas carols, share gifts, and generally bask in some Christmas
joy.
I thought today I'd share three suggestions for helping to make it a joyous
Christmas season...
1. RELAX YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Keep it simple. You're not the Brady Bunch and you don't have Alice
running around doing everything in the background to make it happen. I was guilty of wanting the perfect Christmas, of trying to maintain it on my terms even after my kids left home and married. It took a period of adjustment to realize that Christmas doesn't have to be on Christmas Day, it can be moved around a little to accommodate everyone. The food doesn't have to be magnificent, there's always more than enough and it's not about how fancy the table is, it's about who's sitting at the table with you.
Gift giving has simplified for us too - we all have more than we need, so we focus on our grandgirls and buying them small, fun gifts that don't break the bank. We buy for each other if there's something my husband or I have on our wish list, and the rest is just about being together and giving the gift of taking time to be a family enjoying each other's company.
2. FOCUS ON THE ONES YOU LOVE
As I mentioned above, Christmas for me is all about family. I used to want it to be all about fitting into a neat little Christmas box of being together on Christmas Day - but that would take away the opportunity for our adult children and grandgirls to share Christmas morning in their own nuclear family units (we live 2 hours away from both our children). It would also mean our children's spouses couldn't have Christmas Day with their families.
So Christmas has morphed for me - it's not about celebrating on a particular day, it's about being together - all of us - in the same room at the same time. If it's a day or two after Christmas I don't care, I just want my family to be together and I can wait a few days for that to happen so that everyone is happy and unstressed. Causing angst and upset is the antithesis of the Christmas Spirit and I never want the occasion to overshadow the meaning of the season - and I know my kids appreciate that and are more willing to make the effort to visit when it fits in around their other commitments. It's not "me first" it's about "me too" that counts for me these days.
3. REMEMBER TO BE GRATEFUL
Australia seems to have taken on a lot of American traditions over the last several years. We jumped into decorating our houses with Christmas lights, then we leapt into Halloween (not a favourite event for me), and then Black Friday Sales (also not a favourite). Who knows what's next? What we've missed out on is our version of Thanksgiving - a time where we stop for a moment and appreciate all we have. Seeing we don't have Thanksgiving, Christmas is a great time to pause in the rush to decorate the tree, stock up the food, co-ordinate all the events, and just be thankful for all we have already.
I'm beyond grateful that we have all we need - yes, there's always space for a thoughtful gift, but to know that I already have enough, that my family is doing well, that we're all healthy and happy, that we are financially secure, that we're surrounded by people who care for us, and that life is good - why wouldn't that make you grateful? I hope we all stop for a breath over the Christmas period and give thanks for the multitude of blessings we have in our lives - because that's really what the Christmas spirit is all about - love, joy, peace, and gratitude.
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR
So, I'm off to remind myself to keep these three tips in mind and to
enjoy my family time - because nothing beats time with family for me! I'd
like to take a moment to say thank you to those who have regularly come
here for a visit, and to share their thoughts in the comments, (or on my
Facebook page, or by email when I turned the comments off for those few
months). I appreciate each and every one of you and I do hope you'll be
back to continue the journey with me next year.
At this stage I'm planning on returning on Monday 3rd of January with my
Word Of The Year for 2022 - I've been mulling this one over for a while, and in the
end I've decided to choose a word that is fun and just makes me smile. I
hope you'll check in to see what I've chosen and to share your word with
me in the comments.
In the meantime.....a very happy, merry, and joyful Christmas to you and
your family. I hope you pause for a moment to remember the reason for the
season in amongst the celebrations. See you in 2022! xxx
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What does Christmas mean to you? Are you anticipating family and
festivities, or is it all a bit of a stressful and tiring time? I do hope
you look after yourself and remember to keep your focus on with those you
love, doing things you love - it's not about creating the biggest or
flashest event. Christmas isn't a competition, let's sit back and enjoy
this lovely time of the year.
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I'm not much of a Christmas-y person. And like you I appreciate that it's not necessarily about that one day.
ReplyDeleteFor example I caught up with some old school friends yesterday as a few come home to visit their parents each Christmas so we have the chance to get together and it's just lovely. As we grew up in a small town we knew each other from kindergarten age to the end of high school and then into adulthood - though some of us had moved away by then. It's like at least 17yrs of history we shared and I think those formative years means that when we see each other, it's like we've barely changed. Even though (to others) we may have.
Hi Deb - that's one of the things I like most about old friends - you slip into a mindset that is decades younger at times - and yet it feels right. I love the reminiscing and the way the old and new blur together. I also like that Christmas is a great excuse to catch up with family and friends (and eat wayyyy too much in the process!) Merry Christmas!
DeleteRelax, Reduce, Gratitude & (Focus on) Loved Ones. This is excellent advice, Leanne.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a wonderful Christmas.
See you next year!
Those tips are what I'm putting into practice Donna - they help keep me sane, and they also help remind me what Christmas is really about. I hope you have a great Christmas too and roll on 2022!
DeleteThese are all great tips and reminders Leanne, and I plan on spending my time in the next few weeks with family, some of whom I've not see in person since February this year - and they're in the same country as me, just not the same state! I'm still a tad anxious something will happen to prevent it all going to plan but fingers crossed all will be well. Relax and enjoy your family time and celebrate how you want to. It's been another great blogging year for you and I wish you well for 2022. Thanks for all your support.
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - I'm so grateful that all my family live in the same State - I guess that's what happens when we live so far away from the rest of the country and the rest of the world! I truly hope you all get the opportunity to celebrate the Christmas season together - I expect to see lots of photos popping up on your blog! And here's cheers to 2022 and our new WOTY - it's going to be a lot of fun xx
DeleteEnjoy your Christmas break and holidays. Our Christmas celebrations last nearly a week by the time we squeeze in family celebrations with each side of our families (having 4 sets of parents/ step-parents between my husband and I). So for us, Christmas is about family too.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne - that's a lot of family to co-ordinate, but spreading it out is definitely the way to go without over stressing everyone in the process. I'm loving how cruisy our Christmas will be - some busy bits, lots of relaxing bits, and just spending time with loved ones - Merry Christmas!
DeleteSo good. See you next year. Yes, for me Christmas is all about time together. With any holiday, I don't need to celebrate on the particular day, as long as we find a time to be together. It's usually not stressful for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm the saame Kirstin - I think the more you let things go and the less you try to control all the little details, the more relaxed everything is and you get to enjoy it all so much more. I used to be so concerned about trying to make everyone happy and to keep it all flowing smoothly - now I let others take responsibility for themselves and just aim to have a time together where we can enjoy each other and chill out.
DeleteHi Leanne, Merry Christmas to you and your family. I love everything about this time of year and am looking forward to spending the day with my family and enjoying quality time.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue - Merry Christmas to you too. I've enjoyed your family Christmas photos so far (the perfect example of it being about togetherness and not which day it's on). I'm also looking forward to seeing the other side of your family's photos too. x
DeleteI enjoyed this post; there is so much wisdom here! Love the picture at the end and the quote from John, a Christmas story in one verse. As to following American/US traditions, my mom's favorite quote from Shakespeare, "To Thine Own Self be True." Blessings, Michele
ReplyDeleteHi Michele - I've just slowly figured out that it's not worth the stress and angst of trying to make others jump through hoops that nobody really cares about. What matters is making happy memories and remembering why we have Christmas in the first place. x
DeleteWishing you & yours a joyous Christmas! Happy New Year too.
ReplyDeleteSame to you Pat - I hope you have a wonderful time in your new abode and enjoy lots of community spirit with those around you.
DeleteYour points are spot on, Leanne. So important to keep the essentials of the season.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas season and a happy new year. Looking forward to reading about your WOTY soon.
Hi Corinne - I'm looking forward to the whole #WOTY thing again in a couple of weeks. It's a great way to jump into another year of blogging and I hope it jump starts my blogging mojo for 2022!
DeleteChristmas is so much more than the perfect meal & the perfect gifts. It's really about celebrating our Savior with the precious people He has given us & showing grace to those who try our patience. God is LOVE!
ReplyDeletePerfectly said Barb! Yes to every single word - and it's such a shame that it's been lost in the greed and commercialism of our society. x
DeleteGreat tips for living in the moment and cultivating joy with our family, Leanne.
ReplyDelete~Lisa, Visiting from One Word, strengthwithdignity.com
Thanks so much Lisa - and thanks for popping over to visit and comment - I'm off to check out your blog x
DeleteLeanne it has taken me years to get to the point where I had to lower my expectations about Christmas so that I could experience the joy of the season. Just like you write here...everything doesn't have to be perfect - all that really matters is the people you get to spend it with. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas. See you in 2022.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine - I fought the long hard battle to clutch my idea of Christmas to my chest and not let go, then I realized that it really didn't matter and I was holding onto something that wasn't even authentic to me - it was just something I thought Christmas should be. Once I relaxed and went with the flow, things got so much better - and now I love the Christmas season again x Merry Christmas to you too xx
DeleteI had to laugh at "You're not the Brady Bunch and you don't have Alice running around." Isn't that the truth! lol. I could use an Alice in my household besides myself. We are pretty flexible with when we celebrate Christmas as the kids have gotten married and are establishing their own traditions. The traditions have continued to morph even the past two years with covid stuff. Who knows what next year will be like? I love your word Cultivate.
ReplyDeleteMy 2021 word was Uncertainty. It was a doozy to deal with. For 2022 it will be Release (that's one of the things I learned to do after a year with Uncertainty).
Glad you linked up at our December One Word linkup! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Hi Lisa - I'm so glad I found your link (and will be back next year!) I think we all have to take a step back and renegotiate Christmas when our kids create their new family units. It's selfish to expect things to stay the same - and often what comes out of the shuffle around is better than what we were holding onto.
DeleteUncertainty was an interesting #WOTY and I bet you learnt a lot through it. I chose Release as my first ever #WOTY and it began the journey for me. I think you'll enjoy it in the year ahead. Have a lovely Christmas and see you in 2022! x
Ah Leanne, how much did this post hit me...in a good way. I even went back and read those older posts. "We" can cause all sorts of challenges for ourselves can't we once the 'kids' are out of our control...i.e. they grow up. I know I held onto memories for too long at times and yes I got sad but I also acknowledge now that I can CHOOSE to do something about that and I have. Go us!! What a great way to end the Monday Link Up Life This Week with your post! Thanks so much for joining in and I look forward to starting 2022 Life This Week on Monday 3 January 2022. Warm wishes and stay well! Denyse.
ReplyDeleteHi Denyse - and yes, it can be such a tangle getting our heads around letting go of the old way of doing Christmas and adapting to what works best for the newly formed family units. Fighting for first place is a pretty ugly way to deal with the season of joy, so I'm happy to hand that over and take whatever I'm given - and when everyone comes without obligation it has a much nicer feel to it. I'm so glad you enjoyed my posts and I look forward to linking up again next year. Merry Christmas my friend x
DeleteI love what you said about Christmas not being all about me, but me too. Of course, our needs are important, but not more important than everyone else's. I'm with you 100 percent on not getting so hung up on a specific day that your children feel stressed instead of happy--or just refuse to participate at all. Enjoy your family and your week off blogging. See you next year!
ReplyDeleteHi Christie - I think I've been through every emotion on the spectrum at some stage over the last 15 years or so of Christmas adjustments. When I gave up my "right" to what I thought Christmas should entail and made it about what worked for the family as a whole, it got so much easier and so much less stressful - and so much more like Christmas should be. See you in 2022!
DeleteI hope that you had a wonderful Christmas. Wishing you peace in 2022.
ReplyDeleteThanks Patrick - it's been spread out over a few days, so I feel like I'm getting good value from the season! Wishing you all the best for 2022 too.
DeleteWe had some lovely Xmas gifts coming in from our friends!
ReplyDeleteThose very good tips. Very realistic.
Wish you and family a great 2022. Looking forward to your word of the new year.
Hi Pradeep - I had some lovely gifts this year too - it makes all the difference when you get something special. And yes, I'm looking forward to everyone's #WOTY for 2022 too. See you in January!
Delete