Celebrating winter festivities often provides extra joy, even if you’re not frolicking in the snow. And if you’re in recovery, you have another reason to spread good cheer: continued progress with a healthy new direction. So here are some suggestions to make the season bright.
Create a holiday playlist
As a gift or for yourself, music is sure to touch on every emotion. Making a playlist of both holiday songs and other favorites is a wonderful way to add a soundscape to enjoy the weeks ahead. Did your grandfather always sing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli to your grandmother while she was cleaning up the kitchen? Do your kids love the version of “The Christmas Song” by Ne-Yo? Is one of your favorite hymns “Because He Lives”? Does the song “New Year’s Resolution” by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas have special meaning for you and your partner?
Whatever music adds to your inspiration and holiday spirit, share it easily through services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Deezer.
Light up everything
It’s often delightful to drive through neighborhoods ablaze with creative decorations and lights. If you usually don’t make a big deal about decorating your home’s exterior, why not give it a try this year? Children especially love to help with the setup and will be tickled over the results. Make it even more of a game by providing scorecards at the end of your driveway that people can put into a special box for you to review later.
If you like the thought of expanding this holiday tradition, here’s the history behind it.
Bring people together with virtual fun
Current technology allows people to come together in new, fun ways. For example, set up your laptop, tablet, or phone and invite everyone to participate in a variety of online board games—a great activity for all ages! Virtual puzzling is also a playtime trend that might be worth a try, too.
For a more holiday-specific activity, try Holiday Hijinks, good for family, friends, and co-workers; host an online white elephant or Secret Santa gift exchange; or get everyone scrambling around for a scavenger hunt. You can also host virtual parties with themes, such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve.
Get creative
Tapping into your crafty side or an interesting hobby is a wonderful outlet and allows you to create many memorable moments. Encourage friends and family members to make holiday masks out of paper plates, then take pictures as if you’re in a photo booth. Throw an outdoor hot cocoa party at a local park, with guests bringing different cocoa recipes to try. Make original holiday ornaments and mail them to friends.
Your hobbies provide a wonderful outlet but might also spark inspiration for gift-giving or sharing time together. For example, if you like collecting vinyl records but have a few unplayable discs, try making a table, coasters, and other funky things with them. If you have a stack of family holiday photos, turn them into new treasures.
Look to other cultures for inspiration
A national holiday tradition in Iceland is Jolabokaflod, or the Christmas Book Flood. The concept is simple: you give books to friends and loved ones on Christmas Eve, and people spend the rest of the night reading. In Finland, people enjoy a big feast on December 24th, relax and rest on December 25th, then visit friends and relatives on December 26th.
You can also celebrate the winter solstice, as the darkest night makes way for longer and brighter days. In Iran, families gather together for Shab-e Yalda, when they enjoy big feasts and poetry readings, staying up well into the next morning. Close to dawn, they’ll eat pomegranates and watermelon, believing the red of the fruit represents the glow of life. In Canada, specifically Vancouver, people participate in the Solstice Lantern Festival, creating mazes with the paper lanterns to “let go of old thoughts and find new possibilities in the coming year.”
Get in touch with your faith
However you choose to define it, spirituality has many benefits for everyone–not just those in recovery. Many major belief systems celebrate momentous occasions between October and January, so you have numerous options to connect on a deeper level with whatever leads to your center.
If you don’t align with a particular faith but still want a sense of wonder and relationship to the universe, you might find it outdoors. Maybe arranging a hike along a semi-frozen stream followed by an open-air potluck would be a welcome change of pace for you, family members, and friends.
The Staff at Willingway Wishes You Well
We hope your holiday season is filled with comforts and joy. And if you or a loved one has a need for our services, we can help.