We have a family tradition of putting up a Christmas tree. It started from the time Angel was born. One of my mom’s close friends, a Christian lady gifted us a big and beautiful Christmas tree which had shimmering lights when you connect it to a power source. She gifted this as a baby homecoming present. Angel as a night owl would stare at it in awe in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes forgetting to let out a ear piercing howl, much to our relief (albeit a short respite it was). This, then became a tradition as she grew up. We decked the tree up, bought Christmas accessories, ate plum cake and sang carols. There was this joyous spirit all around from the 20th of December until the new year.
Here is Angel as a 5 year old with her beloved Santa and Christmas tree!
This year as well we set up the tree, however celebrated Christmas camping near a lake. It was a different and fun experience making our own snowman, miniature Christmas tree , dancing , unwrapping gifts and spending time with our loved ones.
As all good things come to and end (and so do the bad ones of course, nothing lasts forever, remember?) , we took down the Christmas tree yesterday, carefully wrapping it up, the various decorations that adorn the tree, the little Christmas stuffed toys and the Santa I bought 6 years ago from the Christmas market at Zurich were all packed and put up the attic.
Angel had a look of sadness , she always dreads good things coming to an end though she knows deep down her heart this will eventually happen. It’s back to normal, waking up early, school, studies, ballet class, early to bed, she sighed.
And I was mentally thinking of my early mornings, rushing to get a workout in, the maddening traffic, getting to work in time to find a parking slot, the good and bad days at work – hustle it is . But what fun would it be if life was stuck in the Twixmas phase forever (The period between Christmas and New year where there is a lull, it’s time to relax and recharge is called Twixmas). This would not seem as fun if it were a forever phase, we value it and enjoy it because it has been earned and it’s different than what a normal weekday entails.
I reminded Angel, that though we pack up the tree, our memories of the year gone by, the time spent with our loved ones, our good and bad moments will stay on in our minds. The ritual of packing up symbolises bidding farewell to a year gone by and being ready to embrace the new one with open arms.
While most posts on social media in the past 2 days have been about the achievements and highs of 2023, I was struck by one that spoke about what did not work in 2023 and what the author of that post would want to do differently in 2024 as a result of the learnings. It’s undoubtedly good to celebrate ones achievements and be proud of the progress made but its equally important (and this could often be in private or with a loved one) to introspect on our lows, our failures , things that we are not proud of and do we aspire to do something differently in the new year as a result of the learnings?
Twixmas for me was not as relaxed as it usually is as I was working (though the workload wasn’t as heavy as a regular day in the year). I took the time however to reflect upon the year -the good, bad and ugly .
Being grateful for your blessings- be that in the form of good health, a home, love, friends, indulging in things you love -taking a moment to appreciate it and say it aloud to the people who matter makes a significant difference .
So as I told Angel, dont be sad my dear one – as we bid farewell to another year gone by, we will fondly recall those special moments, there will also be moments we dont wish to recall and wish to erase form our memory all-together but lets think if there are lessons hidden beneath that we want to carry forward. Let’s usher in a new year with hope and optimism, while Christmas seems miles away, the journey in getting there will surely be an eventful one-let’s bring it on- shall we?
How do you celebrate the holiday season? Any fond memories you would like to share? A new year resolution or WOTY (Word of the year perhaps?), do share your thoughts and wishing you all a fantastic start to the New Year
Thats “us” celebrating Christmas in 2023!
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