I was recently talking with a friend who, due to various schisms in his family, doesn't really celebrate the holidays. He said he didn't understand the fuss. All of his friends who celebrate Thanksgiving, or Hanukkah, or Christmas, or Kwanzaa, or New Year's inevitably end up stressed out over spending days trapped with their relatives, and broke from buying knick-knacks or gift cards for the dozens of people on their lists.
I suppose that's true, but only if you let it be. My own family got a reality check last year thanks to some unfortunate estrangements and the economic downturn, and since then we've become a lot less focused on the consumerist aspects of the season and a lot more interested in using the end of the year as an opportunity to reconnect and spend time together. Presents are practically optional at this point (except for the kids, of course), but what's mandatory is showing up, doing something fun, and enjoying one another's company.
All that to say, it's easy to get swept up in the Black Friday sales and must-have-gift hoopla. But remember to take a rest. Bake a tray of cookies. Build a gingerbread house. Make snow angels in the yard. Play a board game with the family. Pop in a classic movie. Head out to one of the dozens of fantastic local seasonal events (check out the calendar in this issue for some ideas). The Brits refer to their vacations as "holidays." Maybe we should take a page from their books and this year, just relax a little.
Guides
Step aside, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." There's a group of bakers in town who are taking your housing game and making an even sweeter deal. Making gingerbread houses is typically a casual, family-friendly activity, but some fans of the...
Guides
We hear a lot about what the holidays "used to mean" - family, friends, good will, etc. But some time ago (let's be real, practically from its onset) commercialism shoved all that warm fuzzy wholesomeness in the corner, and the season became a...
Guides
For anybody under 30 (or maybe even 40), it must feel as if God wrote "White Christmas" on the eighth day of Creation - right after He took a quick rest and cranked out "Silent Night." But, like everything else, "White Christmas" really does...
Guides
Holiday Events [ CALENDAR ] COMPILED BY ERIC REZSNYAK AND ALYSA STRYKER Ongoing [ EXHIBIT ] Festival of Trees Through December 6. More than 100 holiday items on display. Granger Homestead, 295 N. Main St, Canandaigua. Mon-Wed 1-5 p.m.,...
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