by Monica Beck
This is supposed to be a happy time of year, but why do so many Americans appear so stressed out? For some people, the pressure associated with the Christmas and the holiday season often reaches a fevered pitch. There just aren’t enough hours in a day. How can we fit it all in: work, shopping, decorating, socializing, cookie baking, wonder-making for children— along with our regular day to day responsibilities? It feels like the commercial aspect of the holidays is sucking the meaning right out of the season. The holiday season is supposed to be about giving, but at what cost? It may be overrated, but peace of mind can be priceless.
Has Christmas been hijacked? How can we regain the true meaning of Christmas? Do we really need a commercial holiday at the end of the year to harness our ‘Christmas Spirit’? With Black Friday and the like, retailers have taken us hostage. Similarly, why is there so much more attention given to community service at this time of year? Our help is needed all year long. If we are compassionate shouldn’t we offer our time and money (as we are able) throughout the year? Remember Ebenezer Scrooge’s efforts were a bit late. Are we doomed to follow his pattern —selfish and miserly all year long, and then at the end of the year offer a knee-jerk charitable response related to guilt?
The Holiday season is supposed to be a magical time of year, a time of wonder, but stress and cynicism have taken its place for many of us. That sense of wonder and hope has been replaced by a profound angst, fueled by the competitive spirit and the rampant consumerism instigated by the media. For example, look at private holiday light displays. They have grown at such an alarming rate that sometimes they threaten to blind the unsuspecting passer-by. Excessive consumerism also creates holiday related stress by the debt people incur over the holidays, leaving them the rest of the year to dig themselves out. What fun is that?
The Holiday is what you make it. Starting in the fall, consider ignoring the media displays of Christmas crap, it’s harvest time anyhow. Who says you have to put your lights up the day after Thanksgiving; do it when it feels right. Ignore Black Friday, just out of spite. If you allow the media to turn you into a consumer-driven machine, it will! Just turn off the radio and television, or practice tuning it out at least. Otherwise, you are bound to feel stressed, caught in a trap and the joy begins to seep away. Repeat after me “This doesn’t feel good, and it may give me an ulcer!”
Now, some added suggestions to keep our future holidays a pleasant experience: First, ignore the ads; plan ahead, don’t procrastinate. As the year progresses, buy thoughtful and meaningful gifts for those people who are significant to you. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make all the cookies you wanted to. Be satisfied with what you can do, and what you’re able to give. Attend only the parties that are important to you. Slow down and learn to say “I’m sorry I can’t do it all, but thanks just the same.”
Don’t forget to show the holiday spirit privately and publicly throughout the year. Help a friend or relative as the need arises, volunteer a few hours here and there for causes that are important to you, but most of all— express your love all year long. Each and everyday can be a holy day.
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