Here we are at one of the big celebrations on the Advent calendar. Christmas is an event that requires preparation. I was looking through a prospectus for evening classes when we lived in London and came across a course called Christmas Stress Workshop, That seemed an appropriate learning experience for those who are just not ready for all the stress coming their way.
Some of our Christmases have been perfectly relaxing, but there have been the odd one or two that sent stress levels through the roof. The expectation is always that Santa will come and his gifts will be brilliant, then you can all sit down to the challenge of a mighty feast before collapsing in front of the telly for a snooze.
Some devout Christians may have attended Midnight Mass or gone to church on Christmas day. Us heathens will have cracked open some fizz, put on Nat King Cole’s carols, and made sure that Christmas dinner is underway.
The key ingredient to a stress-free Christmas Day is lightness. Not exactly treading on eggshells, but certainly paying attention to each others’ wellbeing and respecting the space we all need to get on and make the day special.
After all, it is just a roast dinner. You don’t need seven different vegetables and three sauces. Keep it simple and then the chef can leave the kitchen when the meal is cooked and enjoy his or her labours in peace. That’s when the lightness should shine…a short interlude when glasses are filled, the vegetables are passed around and favourable comments are made about the tenderness of the meat or the exquisite flavour of the vegetarian food.
Good luck.
odespinner 