Don't Let Go of the Christmas Spirit

by J Gardner

The holiday season always seems like a whirlwind of shopping, parties, pageants, and family gatherings, a month or two of furious, but joyful, activity, leading up to Christmas and the New Year celebration. By the time it's all over, most of us need a breather, a bit of time to relax and reflect and renew.

No matter how wonderful the holidays have been, by January many families experience a kind of celebration withdrawal. Most of us naturally miss the lights and the music and the fellowship of the holiday season, and the gray winter days of the next few months just seem to emphasize the fact that the wonderful feelings of Christmas are over, for nearly another year.

But the feelings generated by the season leading to Christmas need not vanish completely, for the calendar, beyond December. Though Santa Claus's visit is the high point of the holiday season for families with children, there are many other aspects of these days that can be kept fresh and alive, throughout the year.

It's wonderful that many families donate clothes and toys to their favorite charities before Christmas, to help others who may be less fortunate. But donations drop off in January, as the holiday season ends. It's the perfect time for a family to gather last year's gently-used toys and drop them off at a donation center.

Clothes that have been replaced at Christmas or outgrown are also perfect for a January donation. Families can make January a time for collecting and preparing those toys they won't need any more. They can make the trip to the donation center a real outing, knowing that they are bringing joy, like the joy of the holidays, to someone else's family.

There are many activities, like volunteering, that families engage in throughout the holidays, which are just as rewarding and necessary the rest of the year. Once a family has experienced the joys of giving and gathering at Christmas, there's no reason to let those feelings lie dormant for the rest of the year. The holiday feelings can be year-round feelings.

About the Author

Imaginary Greetings assists thousands of families globally by enhancing and extending their children's once in a lifetime magical beliefs like not ever before possible. You too can make this happen with a letter from Santa Claus.