Christmas: a time to make memories
Christmas time is, for many people, a very bitter sweet time of year. Whether it’s because you don’t celebrate it and feel forced to be more happy than you actually are, or because you’ve lost someone you would’ve wanted to spend the season with. or any other reason, really… And, honestly? Same. I mean – there’s definitely things that are inherently linked to the holidays that I wish I could just ignore. However, there’s also so many memories linked to the Christmas season, that I just can’t help but be excited for the holidays – every single year.
Family
One of the things I love most about the holidays, is that I get to see my family. I have quite a lot of family (78 people “officially”, with two more on the way, at the time of writing) so it’s not always easy to get all of them in one location at the same time. However, the holidays are just the excuse we need to actually make that happen. Especially when all of my grand parents were still alive, we would have these “set days” for each side of the family, and it was honestly just the best thing ever. From Christmas Even until the Second Day of Christmas, every day had it’s routine, we knew what to expect, and we knew that we would be absolutely exhausted by the end of it – but what a small price to pay!
In more recent years, even pre-corona, as my cousins got partners, as my generation started their own families, the size of these days has definitely gone down quite a bit, but even so… Just getting to pick up my grandfather to celebrate Christmas Eve with us, or passing by my godfather to wish him a happy end of year… They don’t have to be big things, for us to really enjoy them, you know?
And – honestly? My favourite part of any party was always the bit where it was winding down, and you could just sit down and enjoy the feeling it left behind. Cue one of my favourite Dutch words, by the way “nagenieten”: to enjoy something still, even after it has ceased to happen…
Friends
Another thing about the holidays is that – even though, admittedly, they are very busy for everyone – we always try to hang out with some friends. Whether that’s just to have some yummy food and have a movie night, or we actually go out and enjoy visiting a Christmas market, or going out for dinner, or even just having a game night? The holidays have the perfect kind of cosy weather to guarantee a fun night.
And loved ones
And of course – there’s, probably, my favourite thing about the holidays: the bf. You see, the bf’s a Christmas Eve baby. And, technically, since exactly a year ago today, he’s not even ‘the bf” anymore, but rather “the fiancĂ©”. And, technically technically, this will also be the last Christmas he spends as “the fiancĂ©”, as we’re in full preparation for our wedding, early next year. But, yeah… The fact that I get to spend this season with him? Probably my favourite thing about the holidays…
-Saar
