This is a dark time of the year. Thank goodness for Christmas. Even though I really miss not being able to be in Texas this Christmas - nobody does Christmas better than Germany!
The Advent season is a magical time to brighten up this dark time of year. When I think of Christmas, I think of candles and lights, delicious smells of cinnamon and cloves steaming from warm cups of mulled wine mixing in the air with caramelized sugar from hot candied almonds and Schmalzgebäck. Advent is the perfect antidote for the short dark day of winter. And then – there is 2020. This year has been difficult for everyone; testing our resilience. Let’s be sure to bring Christmas cheer into each of our lives and homes, in spite of the unique limitations this year. Here are a few ideas of how to bring Christmas cheer into your home – even (or maybe especially) this year.
MAKE IT SMELL CHRISTMASSY
1. This is a time to invest in some good quality scented candles. Working from home has made the divide between work and free-time a little bit fuzzy. The wonderful scent of a Christmas candle can be the perfect signal that the work day is done and that it is now time to relax and enjoy some hominess. The more it smells like Christmas, the better!
2. Make dried oranges for decoration. Thinly slice one or two oranges and sprinkle with some cloves. Place them on a baking sheet with baking paper and let them dry in the oven on low heat (100 C˚) for about six hours. It will make your house smell warm and cozy and add a beautiful homemade element to your Christmas decorations. BTW – it also makes a lovely Christmas gift.
3. Bake some cookies! Nothing says Christmas like a plate full of Christmas cookies. Add some of those dried orange slices and you have a lovely Christmas gift for your friends, family, and colleagues.
4. Fill the house with pine branches. This year I made a very simple advent calendar by using a pine tree branch and just hanging the packages on the branches with fun clothes pins. It adds color and makes your house smell so good!
MAKE IT SOUND CHRISTMASSY!
4. Christmas songs can be just a little too much for me sometimes, so I like to mix it up a little. Since I relate oldies from the 40s and 50s with Christmas time, I have added songs from Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller to my Christmas song playlist, which can really put me in the Christmas spirit. (Check out my list of 100 songs that I like to listen to at Christmas. 😊)
5. Christmas is a time to dream of a better world. Watch movies that make you feel good. Some of my personal favorites are The National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Griswolds’ Christmas), The Holiday, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Carole, Love Actually and It's a Wonderful World. Do you have any other suggestions?
And finally MAKE IT FEEL CHRISTMASSY!
6. Buy yourself a brand new, cozy pair of pajamas or a comfy Christmas sweat shirt. I also like to wear warm fuzzy Christmas socks in this season.
7. Take a warm bath using oils with Christmas spices. Don’t forget to take a warm cup of mulled wine with you and turn on some music that puts you in the Christmas mood.
8. And finally, remember – Christmas is a time of giving. Find something that will make you feel generous. For everyone it is something different. Maybe there is a person in your neighborhood who you think is lonely. Bring them one of those bags of cookies you just made, volunteer at the soup kitchen for one of the Christmas meals, or find an organization providing Christmas gifts to those who are not able to afford them. Maybe this year, you are spending Christmas alone – do you know anyone else who might also be spending Christmas alone? Invite that person over for a warm cup of mulled wine or maybe even Christmas dinner.
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