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.
Up until a few years ago, the gift-giving was quite frankly a nightmare for me. I'd got two grandmothers, an uncle, four aunts (three with husbands), seven cousins, my parents, and my son. Admittedly, their gifts from me were usually of the homemade edible kind, but even so, the cost of the ingredients, along with suitable packaging soon mounted up.
My son and my mother are now the only people I exchange gifts with at Christmas, although that's mainly because since my two grandmothers died, I no longer get to see the rest of my family. I don't go overboard with the gifts I buy for my son and mother, but I do make a point of ensuring the gifts they get are what they want.
I am fortunate to be in a situation where I don't have to worry too much about socialising at Christmas. It's on my terms (and my son's), not that I have anyone locally that I can socialise with... unless one counts my mother.