Are you looking forward to Christmas this year? It seems that for many of us the thought of something bright and festive ahead offers a beacon of hope and optimism.
No one has been spared from the global pandemic and many have been affected by serious health, loss or financial problems. So the idea of comfortable family touches and a bright, Christmassy home provides a definite feel-good factor.
Yes, there are people who have prospered, even seen their businesses grow, but the pessimistic mood around the world has cast great shadows. We have had time to reflect on what is really important in our lives and for many we have realized that relationships with the people closest to us are the most important thing in their lives.
Nine out of ten people who have worked from home have said they want to continue doing so. Placing less emphasis on powerful clothing, status, and impressive spending and instead staying at home, dressing more casually, and mostly working their own hours to fit in has become more important to many.
After so much time in lockdown, being limited and restricted for much of the year, the idea of celebrating true family values at Christmas offers something to look forward to, a time to spend with loved ones, to appreciate our home, family. and friends, even if it is through online communication.
These months of lockdown have shown that money and expensive gifts are not love, even though it may have felt that way in years past when there was a spending frenzy to buy the latest toys, gadgets and all the other items kids said they wanted. Those times when we spent money that we couldn’t afford to make up by working long hours, being a single parent, or trying to invest everything to make that moment special. Some families got so deep in debt that it took up to three years to pay it off.
The confinement has reinforced many family ties and values, it has shown us that home, relationships and time in nature are what really matters. So, this Christmas, even if we are ‘only’ exchanging homemade cards and inexpensive gifts, or perhaps because of it, the true spirit of Christmas will be especially evident. And what is more beautiful than receiving a card made with you in mind. Or a can of preserves, a homemade cake, a knitted scarf. All these things that have been done, given and received with selflessness and love.
Thoughtful gestures also make a difference. When someone gives you a Christmas gift that will really benefit you, maybe a babysitting voucher, an offer to cook dinner, help in the garden or with decorations, foreign language lessons or to play the guitar, you know that they have given it to you with some thought Much more relevant to you than an expensive fragrance bought at a department store.
Gifts for our partner can also be more thoughtful this year. When a loved one gives us a compilation of ‘our’ special music, a scrapbook of our time together told through tickets, souvenirs and memorabilia, or a special photo gallery, we can feel especially loved and cared for.
After the year we’ve had, many of us have realized what’s really important. We have recognized how much of what we have previously strived for is no longer as important to us as it once was. We don’t need all the frills, and we may not be interested in spending money on things that are now considered wasteful or require overspending. Especially when previous Christmases have seen many families spend so much that it has caused them great anxiety and hardship.
So this year’s Christmas can be a time to celebrate our homes, families and friends and make the holidays festive, comfortable and cosy. We can take inspiration from Thanksgiving in the US, a time when more families travel home to celebrate a family meal together, yet no gifts are exchanged.
I may be wrong, but this year I suppose many of us will be looking forward to displaying our Christmas decorations and trees with gusto. Let’s celebrate the true meaning of Christmas!