Simple Traditions for a Cool Yule

Christmas Cactus – Photo PS McRae

This month’s San Juan Island Senior Signal newsletter shared some tips for managing stress throughout the holidays. The article, reprinted from the website She Knows: 5 Tips For Helping Seniors Manage Holiday Stress has good advice and I recommend it. It got me thinking about how observing simple traditions can be a meaningful way to enjoy the holiday season while taking a step back from the festive frenzy.

Christmas shopping can be fun but being broke isn’t. If gift giving has become a financial burden it’s time to simplify. Baked goods, a jar of jam, or a thoughtful card are appreciated and are enough to let your loved ones know that you care. Finding and using a favorite family recipe is a fun way to share memories while creating new traditions.

You’ve been to the parties and performances and they were great but now its time to put on your pajamas, make some hot chocolate, and hit the couch for holiday home movie night. There are the classics; It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Miracle on 34 th Street, and you can hardly go wrong with these. A few more recent films I like to watch every year are The Holiday and Love Actually. It’s fun to find a few you like and make watching them into your own holiday tradition.

Finally, journaling… whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Solstice, or none of the above, these dark nights at year’s end lend themselves to writing lists, taking stock, and making plans. Writing on a plain legal pad or in a beautifully bound journal the important thing is taking some quiet time for self-reflection. May peace be with you during this holiday season and throughout the coming new year.

Winter Window – Photo PS McRae

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