Happy Christmas from Spectrumecons

Another year has just flown by and it is Christmas time again. Christmas is my favourite time of the year. When I was a child, it was about getting presents and having time off school. For most of my adulthood, it was about having time off work and getting presents. I think the priority switched from presents to having time away from work. Working in the city five days a week with a long commute was draining. Christmas gave me 10 to 12 days off where I could relax and enjoy.

In 2017, I left the ‘employed’ workforce to start up my own business. Most of the time I don’t need to travel to the city. Reduced travelling, without needing to spend a fortune to move nearer my workplace, is a massive bonus from working out of my home.

Now that I run my own business, and have significantly more control over my own time, Christmas could have diminished in value. That has not been the case; it still feels just as great as it did in the past. I no longer see Christmas as a great time to recuperate from the exhausting work year.

Instead, I get to appreciate a different side of the holiday. I think I enjoy the Christmas feeling and atmosphere. So many people coming together to show appreciation for each other or even just spending time together.

I am part of a very small family. In Australia, it is just my sister, 3 awesome dogs, and myself. My mother and brother live in England. We sometimes celebrate Christmas together as a family, unfortunately not this year. There is a good chance that we will all be in England for Christmas in 2019. That has not really spoilt anything this year. We still managed to talk as a family on Skype for a few hours on the eve of Christmas Eve.

Christmas only comes once a year and it is over in heartbeat. I think that is one of the reasons it is special. The less we have of something, the more we able cherish it. Imagine eating your favourite food every day, it wouldn’t be your favourite food for very long. The same can be said about Christmas.

Christmas can also be a very painful time of year for some people. To be alone at Christmas, can make people sad, especially if they were hoping to have the company of others. Seeing others out having fun with their families can add to that pain. If you know of any people who might be alone this Christmas, maybe you could think about sharing some Christmas cheer with them. Sometimes the simple little things can mean a lot.

In my 2017 Christmas post, I shared about the pagan origins of many of the Christmas traditions. I discussed the origins of decorations and gift giving. I ‘wrapped up’ the post by sharing what I did for Christmas.

This year, my message is really about making Christmas whatever you want it to be. It is good to understand traditions and their origins but nobody is compelled to follow them. Nobody is compelled to dismiss them either, even if they aren't part of the Christian tradition.

If you want to dress up and go carol singing, go for it.

If you want to go out and party like 1999, go for it.

If you want to want to sit around an open fire roasting chestnuts with your grandmother, aunt, cousin etc. go for it.

If you want to spend a day at the beach with your dogs, cats or bird, go for it (a possible option for a warm Australian Christmas).

If you want to stay home and watch television, go for it.

Whatever you end up doing and whomever you end up doing it with, remember to make the most of it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I wish everyone an amazing Christmas.

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