Amid the bustle and the buying, the eats and the treats, take time to rekindle the real spirit of the season.
Keep a candle burning
The constantly burning flame, holding back the darkness, is a potent symbol of life in the heart of winter. On the first Sunday of Advent (the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas), some Christians carry home a taper, lit from their church’s Advent candle, and keep it burning until Christmas Day using a series of candles. Keep your Christmas flame on the table during family meals. You might also like to follow the tradition of lighting three more candles — one for each week of Advent.
Support a worthy cause
Make a donation in someone’s name to an organization you know he or she would like to support,
Write a letter to your past
Is there someone you wish you’d thanked for a kindness you’ve remembered all your life? An old friend with whom you’ve quarrelled and would like to be reconciled? Someone you’ve never been able to tell “I love you”? Now is the ideal time to grab pen and paper and write a note to tell them so.
Give a gift that’s really needed
Often we buy people presents just for the sake of buying them something. But there are many things the people on your list would love that aren’t store-bought.
Create a new family holiday
If it’s traditional to spend Christmas Eve with all your husband’s relatives and Christmas Day with yours, you may feel you miss out celebrating the holiday at your house with just your immediate family
Create a Christmas gift book
Buy a beautiful blank journal to record the gifts you and your family receive as well as those you give. This book will come in handy when it’s time to write thank-you notes, and in subsequent years, it will help you avoid giving the same gift to a friend or family member twice. It also serves as a lovely record of the thoughtfulness of others — and yourself.
Trim the tree stress-free
Give each family member his own part of the tree to decorate. “Using beautiful red ribbon, divide the tree into sections so that everyone gets his own place to work,” she suggests. “This will eliminate the familiar ‘Hey! I was going to put something there! That was my spot! I quit!’”
Eat by tree light
After the tree is decorated, have a meal around it. Turn off all the lights except for those on the tree, and admire its beauty. This is an especially good idea after a stressful afternoon spent Christmas shopping at the shops.
Watch a meaningful movie
Pick a seasonal flick that celebrates sharing and compassion. Try The Bishop's Wife, a 1947 film starring Cary Grant about an angel summoned to Earth to help struggling members of a community, or It's Wonderful Life, the perennial favourite from 1946 in which a downtrodden James Stewart learns how much his existence really matters.
Keep Christmas Eve simple
Instead of slaving to prepare a fantastic spread on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day, suggest a simple meal, such as pizza, or let guests make their own sandwiches from a selection of fillings. That way, you’ll have more time to relax and enjoy each other’s company — which is what Christmas is all about.
Set an extra place at Christmas dinner
Each year, there are many people without families who spend the holiday alone. If you know someone like that, extend an invitation to join you at your table. Cooking for an extra person won’t take much more effort, but it will make all the difference to your guest.
Go to church
Whatever your religious practice throughout the year, Christmas is a time to wake up our spiritual selves. Many find that the familiar carols and readings stir an understanding of God that proves elusive at other times of the year. This Christmas, remember the real reason for the festival — the birth of Jesus Christ.
