Published on 12, July, 2020
So, for me, there is little good.
Good = buying anything that includes fresh foliage and making table decorations with it (and collecting foliage to add) then the arrival of January.
Bad = expectations, expense, overload of everything..
Ugly = years from childhood of trauma related to this time of year, not just at home with my parents but also the financial and social obligations that were too much for me.
These now cause cyclical depression.
Also, lack of any real meaning as I'm agnostic.
My survival tips after 4+ decades of active involvement:
Cut down as much as you can on present buying without falling out with people - I've managed to now no longer buy for the vast majority of my family and half my friends (half = 1).
I found approaching this with people very anxiety making and I was concerned about conflict but I've been surprised that on the whole, most people are accommodating and some people even seem to be positive about it.
Cut down as much as you can on socialising (as above).
Try to learn to say 'no' if you are anything like me, too obliging for my own good.
This is a just a short synopsis of thoughts that have been racing through my head today.
I'd love to hear anyone's own version of the above.
For me a positive thing is the lights if not over the top as they brighten up the dark nights. Christmas films in the weeks before as they are usually good stories with a happy ending so relaxing to watch. I used to like the Christmas Specials especially comedies but not much of that now. I stopped watching soaps and don't understand the dramatic tragedies they now have at Christmas as that is not the sort of thing I would watch to relax.
I like decorations made from the raw materials like foliage and the opportunity to be creative. As a child we were creative and re used decorations too. This probably was because my parents were children during the war. I enjoyed fairly simple family Christmases.
I don't like Christmas being over commercialized. I think it is sad that people spend more than they have. It often feels like the actual reason for Christmas is forgotten, because the origin is based on a baby born in simple surroundings.