Hello Elegant Readers!
I pray that you are having a wonderful and peaceful Christmas Holiday Season! Christmas is my favorite time of the year. My wife and I decorate our home with four trees and put up lights on the outside. With all the Christmas hype, are you feeling a Christmas Letdown? In speaking with people and how they describe their holiday, this is a very true emotion felt by many people.
JT standing next to one of our Christmas Trees
The buildup to Christmas is months in the making. You start seeing retailers advertise for Christmas in July specials. And then once Halloween is over, the gift-giving season is in full-swing. Every store you go into, or every website you click through, they are trying to sell you something. Black Friday Steals, Doorbusters Deals, Cyber Monday Deals! It’s everywhere! Retailers are telling you that you need to buy a gift for everyone, from your mailman to your co-workers, to your long lost cousin Jimmy who you haven’t seen in twenty years.
Christmas Day arrives. You have your gatherings, whether with family or friends. You distribute your gifts, and partake in a feast (or two) and have a sweet treat (or two). And then before you know it, it is over. Just that fast, all the hoopla is over and Christmas is done for another year. It’s time to start planning for New Years. And the Christmas LetDown starts! Why? With the months of planning and purchasing gifts, preparing meals and organizing gatherings; it is all over in a matter of few hours. Here are a few quick tips to avoid the LetDown and to be able to enjoy more of Christmas.
Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas
With retailers forcing their agenda of purchasing a gifts for everyone; you must step back from the commercialization and shift your focus on why you are celebrating Christmas. My wife and I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, first and foremost. Without Jesus, there would be no Christmas and no gift-giving season. If you are a Christian, Jesus should be the center of every part of your life, including Christmas. As Christmas Day approaches, take some time to read about the Birth of Jesus and reflect how His birth forever changed the world and forever changed humanity. It is an amazing story that should never be forgotten through the deluge of gifts. Many churches often have a Christmas celebration. Find one in your area and be sure to attend. This will help keep the true message of Christmas in the foreground.
Make Christmas Last More Than One Day
Christmas is only one day on the calendar – December 25th. Many people plan their celebration for that day, or maybe Christmas Eve. Since the holiday is on a random day during the week, many people only have that one day to celebrate before going back to work. And with New Years Eve the next week, people turn their attention to the next holiday. The key is to make Christmas last longer is to spread out the festivities. If you are planning a gathering for friends, try for the weekend before. If your family is out-of-town, you can visit them on a weekend in January. Another thing that I like to do is to continue saying “Merry Christmas” beyond December 25. If you have many people who you are giving gifts to, then spread out the distribution throughout the entire month of December. If you have more than one gift for a spouse or a child, then give the gifts to them over a course of days. All of these things will keep the Christmas Spirit alive and burning in your heart.
Avoid the Hoopla and Enjoy the Season
The Christmas season is a fast-paced ride and it can be quite overwhelming. The key to really enjoying the Season is to step back, slow down and enjoy every moment. If you are buying gifts for friends and family, be sure to make a list of who you are buying for, how much you want to spend for that person and then start searching for the gift as early as possible. Don’t wait until the last moment before going out and finding the gift. It will make the buying process less stressful. If you are making home-made gifts – cookies, lotions or crafty items, make sure you have all of your supplies and start the process early. Then as the Christmas approaches, you are already finished and you can sit back and enjoy visiting with family and friends.
The Christmas LetDown can easily set in when we get caught up in the craziness that other people have placed on Christmas. If you step back and remember why you are celebrating and learn how to avoid the rush and hoopla; then Christmas will never be a burden again. You have to put your mind to it and make an effort to follow through with these tips.
Let me know if you have felt a Christmas LetDown and what you did to do to combat it. Or if any of these tips have helped you through the Season.
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