Merry New Year

Ah, the holidays. There is something so refreshing about seeing them end.

This year is the first that I’ve had my own place, so I took it upon myself to find my own meaningful ways of cozying up for the beginning of winter. I think a lot of Christmas traditions are empty ceremony, and I've definitely had my fair share of holiday cynicism, but being a Scrooge and shunning Christmas as a whole doesn’t really suit me. I believe there is value in ritual as long as it is carried out mindfully.

I decided to see how I could adopt Christmas in a way that nurtures my well-being, rather than decimating it by carrying on with all the commercially-mandated rigmarole. Here’s what I found enjoyable about the season this year:

+ Stringing cranberries and popcorn: This is a tradition I learned from my mum, and one I’ll definitely keep. It involves a certain measure of patience, and the result is a decorative garland that is pretty and simple. Not to mention biodegradable.

+ Hanging real pine garland over my windows and doors: It’s an inexpensive way of being able to enjoy that comforting pine smell without all the fuss of a tree, and they don’t look out-of-place or depressing if they are still up after New Years.

+ Putting mistletoe up over the bathroom mirror: If you want to put the moves on someone in a doorway, just do it. There shouldn’t have to be some little plant dangling up there for an excuse. It can, however, remind you to love yourself every morning while you’re brushing your teeth. Don't accept this as an act of vanity; 'tis is the season for spreading the love, and it starts at home.

+ Avoiding the mall: Just about everyone on my list this year either got books, or things I made. I enjoy the challenge of the creative process when it is met with the motivation to brighten someone’s day. My favorite gift to give this year was a portrait I painted of my father in a bear suit, which got a little laugh out of him – exactly what I wanted for Christmas. Mix CD's and knit goods are also very sincere.

There were also a couple of things I learned didn’t work for me:

- Mulled wine and roasted chestnuts: Maybe I did a poor job cooking them, but neither was very palatable. Next year I’m sticking to hot rum-and-cider and gingerbread.

- Tacky decorations: I hung the bright red stockings that my grandmother gave to my roommate and I. She also gave us place mats and pot holders with images of Santa Claus and a snowman holding hands. Very cute. While I enjoyed the daily reminder of how sweet my grandmother is, they became a bit of an eyesore. I took them down after a week. Sorry, Gram. (Though the pot holders stayed – they won their place in my kitchen by being practical).

- Sticking around on Christmas day: I enjoy celebrating Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve, and sharing gifts and breakfast on Christmas morning, but by the time the afternoon hits it seems like everyone’s energy level drops through the basement. Next year I’ll avoid sharing in the communal lethargy by driving north to Maine or Vermont to enjoy some solitude as my own Part Two to the holiday. I’m finally set on the fact that there is nothing wrong with wanting to be alone on Christmas.

At the end of all of it, a new decade begins. I am grateful for the fact that Christmas, a holiday so concerned with the past, is balanced each year by the immediate onslaught of a holiday that encourages us to look into the future.

Happy New Year! May your 2010 be full of blessings, and may you find the wisdom it takes to be aware of all of them.