Festive Rituals For a Calm Christmas

Christmas time can be busy and fraught and quite frankly sometimes exhausting.  A never ending to-do list and all the enforced jollity can be wearing.  Of course there is lots of fun to be found amongst the busyness, and joy is usually not far away, but sometimes we all need to take a little time to slow down and remember where to look for it.

Finding balance and equilibrium at this time year becomes especially important.  Despite the crazy days (and nights…) at a time steeped in tradition, it is actually not too hard to find or create rituals to restore and repair tired and weary bodies and minds.

So what are the festive rituals which can help us get through and hopefully enjoy the Christmas season?

Read a Christmas Poem or Other Special Poetry.

Poetry can be wonderful for when time is short or you don’t have the concentration or head space you might  usually have to read long pieces of prose.  I have a few collections of Christmas Poetry which I have already pulled off the shelf and stacked next to my favourite chair.  They are ready for those moments when I sit down with a warm drink, light a candle and have some much valued time to myself.

Set Aside Some Time to Write Cards

I know that not everyone sends cards these days.  I still love to send and receive them.  A hand written greeting will always be appreciated.  Rather than letting it become a chore, set aside an evening or couple of hours.  Put on the fairy lights, play some Christmas music and pour yourself a glass of Baileys (or other Christmas tipple).  Pull out your best pen and enjoy being reminded of those friends you may not see very often as you send festive greetings across the miles.

Fairy Lights

Enough said.  Just fairy lights. Everywhere.  In our house, these will usually go up before the Christmas tree.  They mark the beginning of decorating and preparing our home for Christmas. Switching on fairy lights as soon as I get in from work or when I get up in the morning instantly makes me feel Christmassy. Who doesn’t feel calmer after sitting amongst twinkly white lights!

Go to a Carol Service

Going to a church carol service (or two) has been part of my Christmas tradition for as long as I can remember.  I have attended many.  From small local services by candlelight in the tiny village in Norfolk where I grew up, to the cavernous St Paul’s Cathedral in London, they have always been special. There is something very poignant about hearing the Christmas story and singing familiar songs in a beautifully decorated church. Wherever you live, I can guarantee there will be a Christmas Carol Service somewhere nearby.

Bake Mince Pies, Gingerbread, Toffee…..anything!

One of my favourite things to do at any time of year is some ‘kitchen pottering’ on a Saturday afternoon. I am always calmed by spending time in my kitchen baking or creating something hopefully delicious to eat.  In winter I make lots of soup, in summer I am more likely to bake tarts or cakes.  At christmas however the mincemeat comes out and I will be found baking a batch of mince pies.  In recent years I have always made a batch of Nigella’s Christmas Rocky Road too. Baking can be methodical and mediative, and  the result is hopefully lots of yumminess for you and anyone else you care to share your goodies with.

Dinner For Two

For some this might be a special date night, for others an evening with a best friend or favourite parent!  My husband and I have had a ‘house Christmas do for two’ for many years now and it is very much part of our Christmas.  We usually plan it a few weeks in advance and try to go somewhere a little special.  It’s a lovely interlude just for us at this time full of people!  Find you favourite person, friend, colleague, sibling, it doesn’t matter.  It just needs to be someone you want to spend a lovely relaxing evening with. Having an evening planned with someone you love and who you don’t have to make an extra special effort for is hugely restorative.

Go and See Some Local Christmas Lights

London really comes into its own in the festive season.  The displays on shop fronts and windows, and lights strung almost everywhere get better and better, and going to see them is such an important part of my Christmas. It is not just London though. Wherever you live I am sure there is somewhere not to far away where you can enjoy Christmas lights, a glass of mulled wine or mug of hot chocolate.  Wrapping up warm, and taking a twinkly walk is a good way of building a bit of fresh air and exercise into the festive period.

Do Something Charitable

“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.” — Mark Twain

At a time of year when the emphasis is on indulgence and spending money, it is good to remember those that are not as fortunate as we might be.  Most of us will have a charity which is especially close to our hearts and offering them a little bit of extra support at Christmas time, financial or other wise is a lovely Christmas ritual to have.

I hope that some of these suggestions have resonated with you, and you too find ways of introducing Festive Rituals, to give you times of  calm and joy this Christmas.