Santa's Tips for Celebrating the Holidays

Christmas is approaching. The signs are all there. We’ve been here before. Familiar tunes flow from department store speakers and often from our own lips; garland and gifts take over guest rooms and closets; yoga classes and movie dates are postponed in lieu of shopping expeditions hunting for perfect presents and food for feasts. We organize tree-trimming gatherings, and climb rickety ladders retrieving lights, ornaments and stockings; we watch Miracle on 34^th street for the 34^th time as we tie ribbons and bows around foiled packages. We often spend money we don’t have in pursuit of an ideal nestled into our memories leftover from Christmases past.Now, let me be quick to add, I LOVE CHRISTMAS. When I contemplated converting to Judaism in my former marriage, I was perfectly willing to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and spend the day fasting in quiet contemplation on Yom Kippur. However, giving up Christmas was out of the question. But, just for the sake of this exercise, try imagining a different kind of holiday, one that might not feel as harried. What would your ideal holiday look and feel like?Over the next couple of weeks Be Brave. Lose the Beige will be posting a series of tips for celebrating the holidays. I also encourage you to share your own tips. We could all use a little help with the frenzy of the holiday festivities. Be on the lookout for the first tip. (Spoiler alert- Tip No. 1- “Color Your Christmas”)