Over a week ago, two radio stations in my area switched to holiday music. Plenty of houses took down Halloween decorations and put up Christmas lights on the same day. And the stores have been pushing BUY THIS NOW! for months.
Face it, we are living in a post-rule universe, at least when it comes to carefully-delineated holiday décor. For a Diva like me who was brought up to think that wearing white after Labor Day should be approached with (a) caution and (b) a deep understanding of the differences between cream, ecru, and eggshell, the whole thing can be bewildering.
So let’s talk holidays.
Years ago, I drove myself so very crazy over this sort of thing that I actually burst into tears that things weren’t Perfect. I have learned a great deal since then and I gently suggest that you check out the “December Delights” postings under the Resources tab for some suggestions on approaching the holidays in a way that promotes more joy than dread. (Hint – a “reverse Advent calendar” is key.)
Central to all of this is finding what gives you joy. If you want to blast Christmas songs from now until Epiphany, do it. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to tie fancy, perfect bows from scratch – here’s a tutorial to get you started. Want to make thirty different types of cookies? Get to it – they’ll freeze! Whatever it is – dressing up your dog as an Christmas elf or watching the Hallmark Channel on an endless loop – let no one steal your joy right now. At different times in a life, the holidays can be hard and the tools you use will vary from year to year. Maybe this is the year to walk around the town square and marvel at the twinkling lights; maybe this is the year to read A Christmas Carol out loud over a week of dark evenings. Maybe it’s the year to go caroling with friends; maybe it’s the year to ask friends to come by and serenade you.
One thing that I’m trying this year is to have an Advent calendar. Over the last several years, it seems that these have exploded in popularity. When I was little, every day in December, you opened a tiny door in the calendar to reveal a small picture – sheep, maybe a donkey or cow, shepherds, Wise Men, and so on – until Christmas Eve when the final door revealed the Christ Child. While those Advent calendars are still easy to find, it seems that every hobby has its own calendar for the countdown to Christmas. Many are filled with pocket-sized samples of chocolate or candy, but others feature whisky, skincare products, gourmet goodies, and just about anything you can imagine.
So imagine. If you enjoy gardening, there’s a calendar for you. Same for jazz fans. Or pastry cooks. You can build your own as a gift, which would be incredibly thoughtful. Or you can go for something you can find easily at Lidl, or Aldi, or Trader Joe’s. (TJ has others, but really – $1.29? That’s unbeatable!)
Now, it may be said that these calendars aren’t in the “true spirit” of Christmas, and that may be true – I can’t see inside your heart, so who’s to say? What I DO know is that we Divas have a lot to do in the next month. The lioness’s share of decorating, gift-buying, card sending, wrapping, and a half-million other things that are necessary to bring about Christmas miracles fall on our shoulders. Enjoy a daily piece of chocolate, eaten slowly and with great delight. In my case, I suggested to my Beloved that I’d really like a stationery calendar, which has arrived. Just imagine what might be contained in those two dozen slim booklets! I expect to be delighted with notes, bookmarks, clips – all sorts of captivating treasures that are meant to be enjoyed and used, thus spreading wonder in the wider world, which is in sore need of it just now.
Go forth with joy, Divas. The world needs us.
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