7 Meaningful Christmas Reminders

So many of us want Christmas to feel like Christmas again, and maybe we just need a little Christmas reminder. We’re tired of the commercialization of every aspect of the holiday. It seems like the Black Friday kick off to Christmas does everything it can to detract us from feeling and doing anything that creates the true spirit of Christmas. I’ve found myself lured to the many “How To” articles related to reducing holiday stress, simplifying the Christmas season, and making the most out of your Christmas. In an effort to bring more meaning to Christmas for our family I’ve compiled my favorite Christmas reminders.

1. Don’t do more — do less.

It’s almost ironic to have the first Christmas reminder be a suggestion to do less. I know, the idea goes against every well-intended plan for a festive and memorable season, but doing less leaves more time for the real meaning of Christmas.

My family and I have a tradition of retreating to the mountains for the week after Christmas. I love this tradition and feel very protective of that time; however, a few years ago, we logistically couldn’t make the week work and so we opted for the week before Christmas. This required a shift in our planning, and we had to simplify and do less. A magical thing happened as we unloaded some of the holiday burdens to save a family tradition: we…