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With Thanksgiving
behind us and continually before us, it’s time to start looking forward to the
Christmas (winter) Break – once we get past those lousy finals, of
course. With all of the stress surrounding the end of the
examinations for students, end of financial year for the workers, it can be difficult to get excited about the
holidays: our days are spent cramming for exams and finishing up essays, preparing reports and meeting targets, and
when we finally get home, all that we want to do is lay in bed and relax.
Trust me, I’m all about sleeping over break.
But
spending the entire vacation in bed or on the Internet is kind of boring,
especially when there are so many fun things to do during the holidays that we
can’t enjoy during other times of the year. So start infusing some
holiday spirit into your high school/college/work routine, and get ready for the
most fun-filled Christmas (winter) Break ever!
When you come home with frozen hands and lips, the best way to warm up is with a hot holiday drink.
Bake cookies (yum!).
Spend an afternoon baking cookies, trying out new recipes in addition to family favorites. Definitely save some to munch on later, but consider giving cookies as gifts, as well– suggests making a batch for your male/female neighbors. “It could be a great way to facilitate a friendship with them!”
Spend an afternoon baking cookies, trying out new recipes in addition to family favorites. Definitely save some to munch on later, but consider giving cookies as gifts, as well– suggests making a batch for your male/female neighbors. “It could be a great way to facilitate a friendship with them!”
Do a Secret Exchange with friends.
Grab a big group of friends, pick names out of a hat, and stick with a manageable price limit (maybe $20). Depending on your friends, you could stick with gifts that are sweet and sentimental, or you could be a little wild – everybody buying silly, useless knick-knacks, or “adult” gifts like alcohol
Grab a big group of friends, pick names out of a hat, and stick with a manageable price limit (maybe $20). Depending on your friends, you could stick with gifts that are sweet and sentimental, or you could be a little wild – everybody buying silly, useless knick-knacks, or “adult” gifts like alcohol
Learn about a holiday different from the one you
traditionally celebrate.
It can be easy to get caught up in the holiday we grew up with, but between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and all the different ways to observe the holidays, there’s a lot to celebrate in December. Spend some time with a friend of a same faith but different culture and see how they celebrate the holidays – who knows, you might even want to incorporate some elements of their celebration into your own traditions. And of course, you don’t have to be religious to celebrate the holidays – Festivus, anyone?
It can be easy to get caught up in the holiday we grew up with, but between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and all the different ways to observe the holidays, there’s a lot to celebrate in December. Spend some time with a friend of a same faith but different culture and see how they celebrate the holidays – who knows, you might even want to incorporate some elements of their celebration into your own traditions. And of course, you don’t have to be religious to celebrate the holidays – Festivus, anyone?
Head to the theatre for a seasonal play.
Whether at a well-known venue downtown or at the cinemas, there are tons of holiday productions taking the stage this time of year and sensational movies too. “Every year, I check out a local theater’s rendition of A Christmas Carol. I really get a kick out of it, and it feels good to support local productions,” I say so.
Whether at a well-known venue downtown or at the cinemas, there are tons of holiday productions taking the stage this time of year and sensational movies too. “Every year, I check out a local theater’s rendition of A Christmas Carol. I really get a kick out of it, and it feels good to support local productions,” I say so.
Enjoy your favorite holiday tunes.
Although you might be sick of them by New Year’s, the fact remains that you can’t listen to these tunes any other time of the year (without facing some serious ridicule, that is). So take advantage of them while you can! Whether you love classic crooners, religious hymns, or more modern songs (Mariah Carey, anyone?) crank up the volume and belt ‘em out like nobody’s listening. If you don’t have a lot of holiday music on your iPod/phone, plug your favorite tune into Pandora and let it create a holiday station personalized just for you!
Although you might be sick of them by New Year’s, the fact remains that you can’t listen to these tunes any other time of the year (without facing some serious ridicule, that is). So take advantage of them while you can! Whether you love classic crooners, religious hymns, or more modern songs (Mariah Carey, anyone?) crank up the volume and belt ‘em out like nobody’s listening. If you don’t have a lot of holiday music on your iPod/phone, plug your favorite tune into Pandora and let it create a holiday station personalized just for you!
Gratitude
What are you thankful for?
Taking time to think about the question can actually be good for your health. Uncle
Oreva explains that cultivating a sense of gratitude involves actively noticing
the good things that are occurring in life.
“Feeling grateful allows
us to connect to those things that make us feel glad to be alive,” she notes.
Some individuals may refer
to the practice as “counting your blessings,” but it is essentially taking the
time to acknowledge what is going right for you and your family.
Whether you use a journal, share on Facebook, or write on a
slip of paper you place in a special jar, I suggest taking time each day to
write down three to five small things you are grateful for.
“Research shows that writing down what you are grateful for
is more effective than just thinking the thoughts,” and i believe so too.
What more fun things do you intend to do? Share with us. Send an email to ritspokeads@gmail.com
Have a merry Christmas in advance!!!
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