Ho Ho Ho, happy Halloween-mas! Every year the holidays seem more of a marketing Smashburger. There’s the bloody ketchup of Halloween, the meat of Thanksgiving and the relish of Christmas all on a sesame seed New Year’s Eve bun, leaving only a wilted piece of Romaine lettuce to last us the entire month of January. This year let’s slow things way down and take control of our holiday experiences to bring some practical magic back into the last quarter of the year.
Take stock. It is early October. Where and in what condition are your Halloween or Dia de los Muertos decorations if you have any? Take an hour on a weekend and peruse. The young’uns will probably love helping with this chore and, if they are old enough, it might be time to delegate the decorating.
It’s not too early to do up the front porch. One of the issues with holiday decorating is that it is too little (or too much) too late. It will feel like a burden or a waste of time if you dig everything out, tidy it and stage it only to have to take it down in a week or less. Even worse—leaving it up for weeks after the holiday. You don’t want your skeletons spooking your neighbors’ reindeers.
If you have the desire and bandwidth, do a little visualizing and journaling before each holiday. You might involve the family in some blue sky brainstorming at the dinner table. What do you want to do less of for that holiday? What would you like to do more of? What could you add, if anything? What new tradition would they like to try? What are your friends and extended family doing this year? Is there something completely outside the normal box that you would like to consider?
For example, if you always stay home in October for the normal pumpkin carving and candy, what would a trip to Patzcuaro, Mexico for the Day of the Dead festivities look like? If not this year, could you start planning for next year?
A carved pumpkin lasts only three to five days, so plan your patch visit and jack-o-lantern session with that in mind. Candy has a habit of magically disappearing if purchased too early, so use your judgment, but probably don’t buy your treats too early.
Thanksgiving in America is almost always centered around a feast, so menu planning and a centerpiece, if that floats your clipper ship are the main tasks. Order your turkey in advance if you want a fresh one. Fresh turkeys only last a day or two in the refrigerator, so plan accordingly and make some room. A frozen turkey takes 24 hours of thawing in the refrigerator for every 4-5 pounds, so if you go that route, it will be in there for a while.
If you are new to preparing the full Thanksgiving meal, why not use AI to create a shopping list and time out the whole prep and cook? Check out Substack, Instagram and You Tube for how-to videos and interesting new recipes, not to mention Pinterest for tablescapes.
Again, you might want to color outside the lines and order sushi or Thai food and have a gratitude gathering with your friends. Provide craft supplies and create a centerpiece as a group or write and share your gratitude lists. If the weather is good, take a hike.
The winter solstice time of year is where I really like to get creative. Since it is the darkest and usually cold season, the distraction of planning cards, gifts, meals and parties is really welcome.
One of my most memorable Christmases was due to some extra visioning and planning. I spent a lot of my spare time in late November creating and sending handmade cards. I spent early December planning the party and the meal and arranging lodging for guests. My ex-husband killed a wild turkey for the dinner and it was the tastiest (but a little tough and scrawny) turkey I’ve ever had. (We did have to supplement with a roast.)
That Christmas was memorable for the setting—a snowy cattle ranch. Setting matters so much. If your home or a place you traditionally celebrate a holiday has been fraught with arguments or criticism or any kind of negative memories, consider switching up the setting, or at least do some serious space clearing and smudging.
This is the time to use the good dishes and silver or anything you love and have tucked away. Anything broken (string lights, ornaments, dishes, etc.) should get tossed as soon as you identify it, and replace if necessary.
Giving back is always a heart-warming and soul-satisfying way to spend the holidays. You might participate in warm coat, toy and food drives. There are old folks’ homes, first responder stations and hospitals to bring goodies and good vibes to. Be sure to look into volunteer opportunities well in advance so that you secure a spot and time to understand what will be expected of you. Try justserve.org and familylife.com for ideas. Getting out of the shopping rat race and into service pretty much guarantees a wonderful holiday.