Is it even possible to spend the Christmas season in peace? Have you noticed that while nature goes to sleep in winter, we tend to do the opposite? Instead of slowing down and reflect on the past year that went by so fast, we focus on making Christmas perfect, which makes the whole run-up to Christmas Day more stressful.
In this video, I aim to offer you a moment of peace after a busy day. Especially now, during the Christmas season, we have to pay more attention to ourselves. You can also see my favorite products from Lush – they have some special products for the Christmas season.
Christmas traditions are nice, but in my view, one should choose those that fit their lifestyle and liking. We like to go to Christmas markets, Chloe-Sofia loves to ride the carousel, we stop by the ice-skating rink, overall, we want to soak in the atmosphere. Geneva looks different during the Christmas season. If we feel like it, we get a bag of hot, baked chestnuts and a glass of mulled wine.
I like to give presents, and since I discovered the furoshiki method, I always look for beautiful cloth that I could use to wrap the gifts. It is a more sustainable alternative to wrapping paper.
Going out for a romantic dinner is another way how to step out of everyday stress multiplied by gifts shopping, house cleaning, cookie baking, and mental preparation for Christmas.
Every year at the beginning of December, you will find chocolate cauldrons (in french Marmite) made of chocolates and filled with marzipan vegetables in every chocolate and bakery shop in Geneva. They are part of an annual celebration of defeat of the attempt of the Duke of Savoy to conquer Geneva in December 1602. The tradition is that the youngest and the oldest persons in the room break the cauldron together, citing “Ainsi périrent les ennemis de la République! ” (Thus perished the enemies of the Republic). It refers to a Lady called Catherine Cheynel, also called Mere Royaume, who saved the city. While she was making a bowl of soup in a large cauldron at night, she spotted the soldiers climbing up the walls of the city, pour the soup on them, and the noise woke up the city’s militia.
Christmas season is about a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, our savior. Thus it should be time to slow down and engage in spiritual reflection. Go to a Christmas concert in the church, take a stroll through a Christmas market, reconnect with a friend or a family member that you have not seen for some time or listen to Christmas carols while you’re doing something at home. As I said, it’s the spirit of Christmas that makes it such a special season. What if this year, instead of material gifts, we focused on love, peace, kindness, and sharing good vibes and praying for others?
