- 8 WAYS TO MAKE THE HOLIDAYS LESS HECTIC AND MORE MEANINGFUL -
8 WAYS TO MAKE THE HOLIDAYS LESS HECTIC AND MORE MEANINGFUL
Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of Christmas and the opportunity to get together and celebrate with loved ones but if we take out the red, gold and green ornaments, the carefully wrapped gifts and the sumptuous feasts that often come with it, would you enjoy Christmas as much? Underneath the shiny objects, what is it really that makes Christmas a special part of our lives?
Have you ever wondered what do we truly want from the Christmas season? What is it that we put our hope on that makes it merry? What do we long to have that makes Christmas our favorite time of the year? Have you actually taken time to consider what is truly underneath all the commercialism and consumerism that Christmas brings?
Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of Christmas and the opportunity to get together and celebrate with loved ones but if we take out the red, gold and green ornaments, the carefully wrapped gifts and the sumptuous feasts that often come with it, would you enjoy Christmas as much? Underneath the shiny objects, what is it really that makes Christmas a special part of our lives?
I know this blog promised a listicle of ways to make the holidays less hectic and more meaningful (promise, we’ll get to that) and probably didn’t come to find yourself confronted by these questions but if we are truly to find ways to make our holidays more meaningful, then these are essential questions to ask. After all, once the lights and decors are taken down, the holidays would boil down to those memories that made an impact.
Shall we go back to answering the questions then? As cliché as it gets, Christmas is about love. But not just any love. We mean God’s incredible act of love for you, for me and for all of humanity. “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17) And when we celebrate, we extend that same love to others. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
I thought it’s essential to clarify the true meaning of Christmas first in our hearts and minds so it would be easier for us to make it less hectic and more meaningful. Thus, without further ado, here are some ways we put together to help you navigate the season without getting lost in the midst of all the shiny objects that come with many of our Christmas traditions.
1. take time to reflect on the true meaning of christmas
We touched on this already but it’s one thing to briefly read about it and a totally different experience to meditate, pray and discern what God’s incredible act of love means for us personally. Once we truly recognize how precious God’s love and grace is in our lives, then everything else becomes secondary. What’s more, Christmas will no longer be just a season but will truly reside in our hearts regardless of the time.
2. give thanks and give more
I would have used the line, “it is better to give than to receive.” But for this instance, I am opting to use “give thanks and give more.” Only to put emphasis on our capacity to give based on what we are grateful to receive and if we can somehow fathom the depth and the height of God’s love for us, then we know that we have an infinite well that we can draw from so we can give love to others this Christmas and beyond it.
3. START CREATING YOUR GIFT LIST AND SET YOUR BUDGET EARLY
The holiday rush can make us more impulsive so It’s easier to stay within budget if we give ourselves time to list and think of the gifts we would like to give our friends and loved ones early. Not to mention the extra peace of mind we can have if we’re able to tick this off our list soon.
4. give meaningful gifts
Top of mind would be going DIY, choosing local or going for brands that have an advocacy. Not only will it make our gifts extra special for our loved ones but it can give us twice the joy knowing that we are supporting a cause that we truly believe in. This is my shameless plug cue for our holiday gift sets. Here’s the link if you wish unwrap big savings whilst giving meaningful gifts to your loved ones.
5. plan a gift exchange for gatherings with many attendees
I’m going for quality over quantity with this recommendation. Planning a gift exchange will not only save you time from having to wrap up many small items, this will also allow each one to think and allot for at least one quality gift (does not necessarily mean expensive) over small trinkets that could end up gathering dust in our homes.
6. choose heartfelt messages over generic lines
Doesn’t have to be long but adding an extra line or two that reflects something shared between you as the giver and the receiver of the gift can sometimes spell the difference between a gift card that is set aside afterwards or one that is kept in a box of memories somewhere.
7. BE THE PRESENT
Can’t emphasize this enough. While gifts are something to look forward to. Sometimes, all that’s needed is for you to show up to show that you care.
8. GIVE TIME AND ENERGY TO THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED
Reality is, while we talk about the different ways we can celebrate Christmas, there are so many others who don’t even know if they will have food on the table on Christmas eve. Let’s keep them in mind as we prepare for the season and find ways to extend our Christmas shopping to include and give to those who are need.
There you have it. I’m sure there are a host of other ways we can make the holidays less hectic and more meaningful and we would love to hear from you if you would like to add to our list. But amidst all the things that will keep us busy, may we not lose sight, of what Christmas is truly all about.
“Our battle (during the holidays) is to get underneath all the commercialism and consumerism, to actually experience Christ Jesus, Our Savior, who has come – and who will come again.” – from “We Fall for the Feeling of Christmas” a Desiring God article by Matt Chandler
Chandler, M. We fall for the feeling of Christmas: The subtle war in our celebrations https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/we-fall-for-the-feeling-of-christmas
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I’m Des and I’m an entrepreneur, certified aromatherapist and Christian cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner. After leaving behind a 10-year career in the corporate world, I took my certification in aromatherapy and started Aurae Natura. My hope goes beyond providing you reliable and credible information about aromatherapy and therapeutic-quality essential oils but to serve you meaningful content that will also nourish you mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
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