It’s that time of year again, dear friends – the year is coming to an end, the days are short and the nights long, and we all need a bit of rest and cosiness to wind down over the holidays. And even though it looks like we might have most of our parties cancelled AGAIN due to the new Covid variant, that is not going to stop us having a lovely time at home.
After my Dad’s death in September, I really thought I wouldn’t be able to get into the Christmas spirit at all this year; but then, once December started and with it all the Christmas films and ads and songs on TV, I realised that maybe I actually needed it more now than any other year. The Christmas season is special to us all, no matter whether we’re Christians or not; most of the seasonal traditions are much older than Christianity, anyway – winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, which is today, has been associated with celebrations, decorations and food and drink for thousands of years.
So, make this holiday season special again despite the circumstances, dear friends – it’ll warm your heart and give you power for the New Year! I myself started out with decorating, as always, with the stuff we already had and a few new inexpensive things I bought online. Dress the house in green and red, deck the halls with bows of holly!
Then, we got in some special food and drinks; after all, this is the only time of the year we can traditionally indulge in all that luxury and calories without regret! (Let’s save the diet and the fitness studio for next year…)
There are lots of seasonal treats exclusively for Christmas time, so we really should take the opportunity to taste them; how about a big mug of mulled wine to warm us during the cold winter days, for example? Oh, and don’t forget to put on your Christmas outfit, this is the only time of the year you can really use it…
And, of course, this is also the time to spoil each other with little gifts that bring joy – like surprising your significant other with a yearbook of their favourite comic from their childhood, for example!
There are so many fun things to do during the holidays, even though we probably won’t be able to socialise and go out much; just look at the TV schedule, you’ll find lots of festive family films and Christmas specials there! Why not go childish and watch a nice animated movie like Shrek or How to Train Your Dragon – anything goes in December…
Look out for seasonal computer and android games, too, they guarantee endless fun and entertainment to both big and small kids; me, I’ve been playing “Snow Farm” on my tablet for hours every day lately, it’s just so cute and simple and… Christmassy!
And hopefully we’ll also all find time to just sit down and listen to Christmas carols; they’re just so elevating and heart-warming. This is my favourite, perfectly describing the Yuletide atmosphere here in lovely Wales…
Merry Christmas, dear friends, have a wonderful holiday season!
Roberta Franklin 