Is there anybody who does not complain about the commercialized and stressful version of Christmas? But rushing around for Christmas presents and in order to get our end of the year things done AND enjoying this peaceful and quiet time of the year at the same time IS possible, even necessary for satisfying Holidays. Why don´t you do it different this year just for yourself...? Read on to find out how ....
First of all, not only Christians seem to celebrate this holiday. Otherwise the stores would not be so packed before Christmas and there would not be so many Christmas movies and Christmas songs. Besides, it is not accurately Jesus´ Birthday - he was a Leo, which is some time in late July until late August. Some of the popular customs have pre-christian or secular themes and origins.
So what is this holiday all about? Happening around the winter solstice - the longest night of the year, it has been a time of significance for as long as mankind can remember. In the longest and darkest night, hope and faith are needed the most. That´s what carries us over to better times.
This year I am spending the Christmas Holidays with family on the country side in Austria. Outside everything is covered with some 10 inches of snow, temperatures are 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius) and more. Human live cannot survive very long outside. These conditions make the meaning of hope and trust much more clear. Hope and trust that nature will awaken again that the days and living conditions will become more friendly. Also, being surrounded by sound muffling snow, everything slows down. The attention turns naturally inward. This is a good time for reflection. Social connections and support are more important than ever. In order to cherish these relationships, gift giving is a natural impulse. Coming from the heart it is a divine action. Spending some quiet time and truly devoting yourself to being of service to the other person and wanting to come up with something that brings true joy to the person who receives the gift, is a powerful experience and a break from daily life, where To Do Lists are clear and calculated.
Christmas is also at the end of the year. We all have many things that we are trying to finish before the new year arrives. This is contradictory to the notion of slowing down and going inward. I believe that both movements complement each other rather than exclude each other. In order to be able to go inward it is necessary to have our affairs in order. At the same time it gets more clear what to finish and get in order once we spend some time to look inside ourselves and remember what it was we set out to do when this current year was still fresh and new. I recommend alternating times of rush to get things done and looking inward to get the focus and priorities clear.
Christmas has so many notions that it encompasses. I wish you, dear reader, the most peaceful and joyful Holidays and a satisfying and clear order in your life. There is a time for everything, you get to arrange those things in your own life. Enjoy!
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