Take the (Christmas) pressure down

Are you adding too much to your load this year?

Good morning!

The calendar is a weird construct we’ve inherited, don’t you think?

“We need to catch up before Christmas!”.

Um… it’s just a date on the calendar. We can catch up anytime can’t we?

“You need to get this done by Christmas!”

Yeah but you’ll probably sit on it for a couple of weeks so I’ll just do it in January instead.

“In the new year I’m going to get fit!”

Why not start today? Who cares about a one-day blowout on the 25th. You can go for a walk or a run right now if you want to. Plenty of other people are.

The creation of the ancient calendar reminds me of the famous scene in Monty Python’s ‘The Life of Brian’…. What have the Romans ever done for us?

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Except in this case I reckon the Romans (and the Egyptians, and Pope Gregory XIII) created a construct that in an attempt to provide clarity is choking us with its expectation.

None of these ancient fuckers ever had an overflowing inbox, a house to clean, relatives arriving to stay, grocery shopping to be done, cars to be serviced… all “before Christmas!!!!”

It’s all very anxiety provoking and the pressure builds. Racing around to get gifts, clean up, buying a shit tonne of food… for what purpose exactly?

Why does Christmas lunch need to be more special than any other time we’d cook for family or friends? It can still be a really nice meal without the added stress.

This year we’re hosting (12 of us in total) and I’ve axed the seafood course. It’s completely gone. I love a prawn as much as anyone but look it’s only going to be 17 degrees here so tradition be damned! Even suggesting there’d be a ‘seafood course’ feels unnecessarily ostentatious.

I’m cooking a nice roast with Turkey and Ham. 2 choices of meat is 100% more choice than I’d normally offer anyone else coming to dinner. I don’t have Cousin Betty and her husband Jim turning up for a bite to eat on a random Monday in May and saying ‘now tonight we are serving your choice of…”. Sorry but I’m a family member not a First Class Flight Attendant.

I’m not baaa humbugging Christmas by the way. I love it. The tree is up. The carols are being sung. I’m just being realistic. The pressure we place upon ourselves is crackers.

I’m saying all this to give you a leave pass.

Unless you are celebrating the religious origins of December 25 then I say work out what your capacity is between now and then and go with that.

If you have room for something extra added to your to-do list then knock yourself out.

If not, let it go.

It’s just a date on the calendar after all.

See you (calendar permitting) in January,

Wade