Celebrating Christmas With The Family: How To Enjoy It
“Christmas, children, is not a date. It’s a state of mind.” Here’s how Mary Ellen Chase felt about it. But what about the people who don’t experience it that way? These are the people for whom we are writing this article especially. So read on, because with our tips, celebrating Christmas with the family will be something you can still enjoy, or at least something that you can get yourself through again.
Yes, not everyone likes the holidays and all the festivities that come with it. For most people, it is a wonderful time of year, a time when we are more empathetic and happier. But for others, this is a very different story. They see no reason to do anything special. They suffer because they feel compelled to celebrate something they don’t want to.
Celebrating Christmas with the family: tips to enjoy
Whatever the case, as Charles Dickens said, “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it there all year.” In other words, it’s probably not a good idea to overdo it during this part of the year. By that we mean not to be too negative, but also not to try too hard to be happier and more empathetic these twenty days out of the year. Because when the weather is over…then what?
The truth is, there could be plenty of reasons why celebrating Christmas with the family isn’t something we enjoy. Maybe because it will probably turn into an argument at the table, or because a loved one can’t be there anymore, or because you just don’t like this part of the year. However, there are ways to get yourself through it and who knows, you might even be able to enjoy it. In any case, this is how psychologist Graci Molines sees it. Pay attention, here are the tips:
want it to be
The first trick is to really want to have a good time. No matter how much you don’t like this part of the year, or how many problems there are within the family, it’s still a good opportunity to enjoy yourself. It’s a time to strengthen bonds and have fun. Therefore, it is essential to have a good attitude towards these celebrations.
Determine what is important and what is not important
When you are with your family you may feel like arguing over the smallest things. And with such an attitude, it certainly will. However, if you try to be receptive and not ready to “strike” at every meaningless comment and action, you will not only give yourself the opportunity to have a good time, but everyone else will too.
The people you love are in themselves reason enough not to argue. Because after all, this is a part of the year when feelings play a big part for the people who enjoy it and who can’t wait for it to finally arrive.
Focus on the positive side of things
Christmas is a great time to focus on the bright side of things, not the other way around. So if getting together with your family seems exhausting, try to focus on the things you love most about them. There has to be someone you care about in particular. There must have been fun times and tender moments that you really enjoyed.
Improve your mood
Forget that gloomy face and see celebrating Christmas with the family as something you love to participate in and want to contribute to. You won’t just make other people happy if you do that. It also helps you get yourself involved and makes it harder not to get something positive out of the celebrations.
Find the empathy in yourself
There we have it again… that eternal empathy, necessary as ever. And especially when we celebrate Christmas with the family. If you put your mind to the thoughts and feelings that others have at this time of year, the whole party thing will be more manageable for you too.
And who knows, you might even like it! The idea is that if you can empathize with the feelings of people who do enjoy the holidays, it will be easier for you to have a good time, too.
respect others
This tip may be very similar to the tip above. What matters, however, is that we remember that everyone has their own way of life. Of course it can be very difficult at times, but we should absolutely always respect other people. Listen to what they have to say, and even if you disagree, at least be respectful of their thoughts.
Don’t bring up difficult topics
Finally, psychologist Graci Molines has one very important tip. At family gatherings, where everyone knows each other well, we all know that there are topics that can be uncomfortable. So why exactly bring this up at Christmas? It is definitely not the right time to make someone feel uncomfortable.
Celebrating Christmas with the family shouldn’t be difficult for anyone. Whatever the case, use our tips to try and have a good time with your family. Plus, these tips aren’t just helpful for getting through this part of the year, they’re great for any social gathering. Try them out!
