Finding traditions and holidays

Many of us struggle with finding traditions and holidays that work for us, for many reasons, it’s something I have struggled with. Today we are going to talk through ways of doing this.

I have spoken many times here on the blog about struggling around Christmas, there feels to be a lot of pressure around it. I have also lost family members that enjoyed this holiday or were a part of my celebrations and the time of year triggers my grief again.

It is also difficult because having ME/CFS and struggling with chronic pain, decorating and being social can be very difficult for me. This leaves me feeling overwhelmed with social pressures and struggling with what I want the holiday to feel like.

But this year, my goal is to try and find my own traditions and holidays taking away the social pressures and instead just enjoying the passing of the year. This was a decision I made for myself last year, so I have been following lots of crafting ideas and YouTube videos of how others have done this.

So, if you have changed, or of a different religion than the main holidays, or struggle with health issues that make it difficult, here are some ideas:

Finding Traditions and Holidays

• Decorate for the season – One of my favourite YouTubers, It’s a Charming Life, decorates seasonally instead of for specific holidays. This means that decorations are less specific to the holiday, and so decorations can be up longer. This is less strenuous, and the decorations will be whatever style you enjoy.
• Let go of social pressures – Everyone celebrates differently, however, from movies, and TV shows we know how we are ‘supposed to celebrate’ but is that true? Or can you skip a big tree if you want? Order a takeaway for dinner? Or even go on away instead of buying chocolate eggs for Easter? Letting go of how you think you are supposed to celebrate, leaves you able to make your own way and celebrate how makes you happy.
• Look to your family for ideas – I find myself often thinking back to my childhood for how I want to celebrate things. What did we do that made me the happiest and trying to bring them into the now without pressure to be perfect or the same.
• Do what feels right to you – It is all well and good following holidays and finding your childhood happy place, but if you do not like a holiday… skip it! I know shocking and revolutionary, but you make the rules so do what fees right to you.
• Stop spending – Holidays come with shops full of decorations and present ideas (Christmas I am looking at you) but stop. Holidays should be about time together not who bought the best presents or who has the best decorations. Instead try making things crafting is wonderful for those of us who are sick, and I have a whole Pinterest board of craft ideas.

I am hopeful to start decorating seasonally from this year onwards, I want to follow the Wheel of the year and find ways to make things that will show respect to Mother Earth. My faith as an Omnist witch is very dear and important to me. Finding ways to use that as inspiration to decorate will be a way to move away from the holidays.

I love themed things, and always wanted to decorate my home for them, but having pain and fatigue made it impossible. I will possibly be sharing my journey with this on my YouTube channel so if that is something you would like to see let me know in the comments.

I hope these ideas give you pause to think and ideas for finding traditions and holidays that flow with your life and your illnesses. I am hopeful that this way I can start to really love and enjoy the holidays again.

Thank you xx

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