Tuesday Thoughts And Can we Please Sow Down Christmas

Isabelle

Nov 3

4 min read

Can We Please Slow Down Christmas?

Dear Friends,

I sometimes think that being an immigrant gives you an interesting perspective on holidays. You get to experience traditions from two different cultures, and sometimes you also get to wonder how on earth one country manages to squeeze two major holidays into such a short period of time!

Soon we will prep for Thanksgiving, and when it is barely over, the leftovers are still in the refrigerator, and suddenly Christmas is knocking at the door. Meanwhile, my German upbringing tells me that Christmas should be approached a little differently. We celebrate Advent.

And honestly, I sometimes miss that slower approach to the holiday season.

In Germany, the Christmas season traditionally begins with Advent, which starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. It is not about getting everything done as quickly as possible. It is about preparing, anticipating, and enjoying the little things along the way.

One of the traditions I grew up with is the Advent wreath. A wreath made of evergreen branches with four candles, usually placed in the middle of the table. On the first Sunday of Advent, we light one candle. The following Sunday, we light two, then three, and finally all four on the last Sunday before Christmas.

There might be some homemade Christmas cookies on a pretty plate, a cup of tea, Christmas songs playing in the background, or someone reading a continous story or 24 little stories. Nothing particularly elaborate. Just small traditions that make the weeks leading up to Christmas feel special.

And then there are the Advent calendars!

Growing up, of course, we had the chocolate ones. I still love those, and I see absolutely no reason why we should outgrow them :). But just today, I was looking at all the Advent calendars available for adults. There are calendars with different teas for every day, little ornaments to add to your Christmas tree, beauty products, books, and all kinds of small surprises. I even saw one with tiny pickle jars!

I actually have a soft spot for making my own Advent calendars. One year, I put together a little box calendar for a friend and filled it with affirmations. Twenty-four little reminders she could open each day. Some encouraging words, a little inspiration, and perhaps a reminder of something she needed to hear. And years ago, I put similar notes in walnut shells for a younger friend.

This year, my youngest daughter, 21, still gets her own Advent calendar. A German friend brought me a calendar made with some adorable Christmas socks, and I am going to fill them with different small gifts. Nothing extravagant, just little surprises to make her smile each day.

I love the idea that an Advent calendar doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate. It can be homemade, personal, and filled with things that mean something to the person receiving it.

And imagine making one for yourself! Twenty-four little notes with things to look forward to: make your favorite tea, watch a Christmas movie, bake some cookies, take a walk to look at Christmas lights, buy yourself a little treat, or simply sit down for fifteen minutes and do absolutely nothing. Or make one for your family! Let the creativity begin.

I rather like that idea. After all, not every little pleasure needs to come wrapped in expensive packaging.

Perhaps we need a little less rushing and a little more enjoying.

I am certainly not suggesting that we abandon Thanksgiving or stop enjoying the excitement of Christmas. I love both! But I do think we could make the weeks between them a little easier on ourselves.

Perhaps we could start by spreading out the preparations instead of trying to do everything at once. Buy a few gifts early, prepare some food ahead of time, and don't feel obligated to decorate the entire house the day after Thanksgiving, unless you love it!

And maybe we could be a little more selective about what we actually want to do. Not every tradition needs to happen every year, and not every invitation needs to be accepted.

Most importantly, let's leave a little room in our calendars for the things that make us happy. An evening with a cup of tea, a Christmas movie, baking cookies, or simply enjoying the lights on a walk.

We spend so much time preparing for the big day that sometimes we forget that the days leading up to it are part of the celebration, too.

Perhaps we need a little Advent in our American Christmas!

I think there is something beautiful about looking forward to something without constantly rushing toward it.

Maybe this year, instead of asking ourselves how much we still need to get done, we could ask a different question:

What would make these next few weeks enjoyable for me?

Perhaps it is a new Advent tradition, a cup of tea by candlelight, baking something you haven't made in years, or simply enjoying the Christmas lights on an evening walk.

And if you happen to have a chocolate Advent calendar, by all means, enjoy that little piece of chocolate every day. I certainly won't judge as I will get my own:)

I'd love to hear from you: Do you have a holiday tradition you grew up with that you still cherish? Have you ever made your own Advent calendar, or would you enjoy receiving one?

Share your thoughts in the comments or simply reply to this email. We might just inspire each other to make this holiday season a little more enjoyable.

Wishing you a wonderful start to the holiday season!

PS: Message me for a free consult to start moving toward a more confident you.

You are loved. Deeply loved. Loved beyond measure.