So, for much of the Christian world, Christmas – the actual holiday – happens on December 25th. For me? It happens in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Ever since Darryl and I have been married, it’s been the same. Christmas, to us, is largely the month of December.
Having said that, it’ not like our Christmas is a month’s full of opening gifts every morning or chugging down eggnog each evening. Instead, it really is a very quiet, calm celebration that we enjoy each year. For two people who are pretty quiet (okay, he is 😊) and who work from home, you wouldn’t think that we need to just settle it down and be quiet for a month, but we do. And that’s what our Christmas celebration gives us.
First, it starts with the decorations. I’m not a Santa, red-and-green kind of Christmas decorator. Instead, my Christmas décor matches my house and it’s a lot more subtle. It’s more of a “Christmas/winter at the ski lodge” kind of look. The reason? First, it matches the house particularly now that we have the post-and-beams. But more importantly? It’s very calm and soothing. There isn’t a single “fussy” element to it. Mostly, my decorations are made of natural materials, including a real tree, and rely on soft lights and comfy textures to pull it off. While my house does not give off the strong Christmas vibe others may be wanting, it works for us. I can leave most things up long after Christmas and while they’re up, it reminds us to slow down, be cozy and relax. So, that’s why decorating is so important to me and why I make sure it’s done by Thanksgiving day. The idea is to celebrate a whole season here; not just one day.
The second part of our celebrations is that Darryl and I have learned that in December, we need to shut out the work noise in the evening. Granted, we both still have pressure-filled jobs and that’s sometimes hard to do. When one of us simply can’t – we do still have significant professional obligations in our lives – it’s okay. But for the most part and on most days, around 5:30 p.m., we shut it down and it’s family time. This is huge for us. Most of the time, we either work at our jobs or work on our house until at least 6:30-7 p.m. each night, settling down in time to clean up, shower, eat, watch an hour of TV and go to bed. (It’s not unusual to eat dinner at 8-8:30 p.m.) In December, all of that shifts. We shut it down early, we make dinner together, we have a glass of wine by the fire and we just spend time together. Do I wish we could do this all of the time? Absolutely and my hope is that someday we will. With our planned schedule of doing our hardwood floors upstairs over our Christmas/New Year’s break, we have a chance that soon we will be able to complete the last of our interior renovations. But right now? This is our lifestyle and that is what makes December so special.
And finally, Christmas for us is about family time. Every other year, we travel to New Orleans for Christmas with Darryl’s parents. In the intervening years, we celebrate Christmas at home and with my family. But that’s really focused on “The Day”. The rest of the time? My sisters and I have a ritual where we adopt a family and provide all that they need for the holiday and we wrap those presents and the ones for our own family together. It’s a great day filled with wrapping paper, sisterly teasing about Christmases past and an ever-constant scramble to find scissors, pens and tape. As noted above, Darryl and I take the time to cook together and even do a little bit of grocery shopping together. We also indulge in a couple of good meals out and at least one bottle of champagne in front of the Christmas tree. With Darryl’s parents, we have a tradition of going to Celebration in the Oaks, a wonderful Christmas display in the heart of New Orleans. But you get the picture: we take the time in December to make time for simple, fun events.
So, as I am buckling up to finish the hard push this week (so I can coast the rest of the year), I am reminded of why we do this. That by the end of this week, I will have plenty of extra time and energy to focus on clearing the path forward for us. Being part-time (and then a little more with most of my work done for the year), I can pick up, plan, provide pet care and basically settle this little family down so that by 5 p.m. each evening, all we have left to do is simply enjoy each other. On January 2nd, the gun will go off again and I’ll be off to the races. But for right now? It’s all about finishing strong for one more week and then shutting it down.
Happy Holidays, y’all. Let the silent nights begin.
The Yuppie Homesteader 