Have Yourself A Merry Christmas and Holidays!

By Silas Emovwodo

I could not get the lyrics of this song out of my head no matter how hard I tried. I tried writing on some other subjects but this song just kept nagging until I decided to write about Christmas. So, here is the lyric of the song:

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
With the kids' jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap-happiest season of all…

You will agree with me that the year 2017 which is about folding up has been a rather dramatic one for us as a nation and as individuals. You will also agree with me that we could use some cheery article especially at this season of celebration to calm down and relax.

Like the song says, Christmas and the accompanying holidays are the most wonderful time of the year and this is no doubt a time of the year you want to make memorable for yourself and your loved ones. My aim therefore in this article is to show you how to have yourself a very merry Christmas and holiday without breaking a bank and regardless of where you are spending Christmas holidays, you can make the most wonderful time of the year memorable by making a few changes to your routine. Find out how to go about it below:

           1.   Give a small gift to someone you don't know.  I am pretty sure there is that neighbour you have never talked to, the watchman of the nearby shop or the woman down the street, anyone. No one would say no to a gift wrapped in a smile on a Christmas Day and during the holidays. Remember, it's not the value of the gift, it's the pleasant surprise you give them that add up to both your joy.
2.      Invite somebody new to a Christmas meal. Is there someone who is all alone this Christmas who could do with a family? Or is there a family member who has been left out in the cold for years following a family dispute or other problems? Christmas is a time to bury hatchets, to unfold our charitable spirit and share amongst all. Invite someone special to your Christmas dinner and share the warmth amongst each other all the while opening your heart and acting upon charitable intentions. I discovered from personal experience that the dining table is a good place to bond and build a relationship.
3.      Make Christmas snacks/drinks. As a child, my mum ensured we did this every Christmas Eve or earlier and sometimes after Christmas so we could have something to give visitors. However, we switched to making special Christmas and New Year salad (I was chiefly in charge and prepared it on the eve) as we grew older. But I honestly miss those times as kids when we made snacks together. We made chin-chin, rock buns, puff puff, pancakes, zobo drink, and soya milk among others. The cookies may not be beautiful, the chin-chin may be too sugary (we liked that, lol) or sugar wasn’t enough but as kids, we had a blast! This seemingly simple exercise had a profound impact, it helped us bond and increased our creativity as we came up with different recipes and flavourings for our drinks in particular.
4.      Make time to make Christmas and the holidays a family occasion. Many people work until the moment of Christmas and miss out on the preparations leading up to it, while others rush back to work right after. Make an effort to take off one day or more if you can before and after Christmas, to share time with the family making Christmas craft, food and decorating in a holiday theme together. Visit the stores together to shop, visit the zoo, museum or some fun places and go and see a Christmas movie as a family. Take it easy for a change and feel the spirit of Christmas rather than having it thrust upon you. Nothing makes memories last for longer than the memory of peace, tranquility, harmony and a slow pace all at once.
5.      Don't forget those who aren't home for Christmas and the holidays. There are people who cannot be home for Christmas - troops, doctors doing emergency duty, volunteers in refugee camps, a family member in the hospital, an exchange student overseas and many other reasons. Show them you are thinking of them by contacting them the best way you can - phone them, e-mail them, YouTube them - any way that works best for you. Just make sure they are a part of your Christmas celebrations in your heart and mind and that they are aware of this.
6.      Visit family or old friends you haven’t seen in a while. Make a list of precious families to reach out to this holiday season. Get excited about seeing them and love on them! You could make it a little more fun by surprising them with a little treat!

7.      Give gifts and pray over your gifts. Pray over gifts, really? Just do it. You will be amazed at what God will do with your heart.

8.      Pick that trash. This season, don’t just eat and litter the surrounding. After your hangout with loved ones, make it a point of duty to #PickthatTrash and #BinthatThrash appropriately. That way, you make the cleaner’s job much easier and you contribute to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable world.

9. Share with us. Tell us which of the above listed you have done/will do or your own unique way of having yourself and loved ones a very Merry Christmas and holidays in the comment section below. That way you help add to our list and make this season memorable for us as well. Looking forward to reading your comments. Thanks

Many of these activities can be done whether you celebrate Christmas in a snowy climate or under a blazing hot sun; wherever you are in the world, your Christmas celebration should always be filled with the spirit of love, peace and joy.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so have yourself a very Merry Christmas and holidays!🎄🎅🎄