Stacey Seaside

Whatever you call it—enjoy it!

Whether it is individually celebrated in quiet peace or with a gaggle of friends and family, may you turn the corner on 2024 and jump into 2025 anyway that pleases you!

How many of you are out there looking at images of happy folks gathered around a table beaming with smiles and ready to feast saying, “Yeah, that is not gonna happen here.”?

We set an expectation of wildly unattainable goals and then wonder why we are miserable while we scroll through the feeds of others on social media.

The trick is to finally accept what your reality is.

And not allow anyone to “Christmas Shame” you because you are not having a ball

during “the most wonderful season of all.”

I often find myself a victim of my own nostalgia. I remember Christmases spent in Indiana when I was young and at home in the States when my sons were little. My youthful gatherings in rural Indiana meant my Aunt Fran’s house was bursting at the seams with tons of people, there was always Greek food and a card game or two.

My sons experienced a less Greek gathering with my parents and my brother’s family on those trips home when they were little.

But those times are gone.

I am never getting that back–until one day, if I have grandchildren, maybe their parents will let me make some magic with them?

If I lived in a city I would happily volunteer on the day at a soup kitchen.

And I no longer putting anything into gifts, beyond coming up with something fun for the annual gal pals Silly Santa Celebration. Although I have been making my shortbread cookies for years and distributing those to friends and family. Gift exchanges ended in the family when my children finished high school.

I could attend the local church services but even they defy my religious memories.

In my home parish, at All Saints, there was a beautiful 5 pm vesper service on Christmas Eve. Following the service, the choir would sing beautiful carols. We attended these services when we were no longer doing the Indiana or Florida Christmas meccas. Following the vespers, my family would return home to a quiet feast.

I tried to replicate the church experience in Mykonos in the early years. It was utter disappointment. I joined a very sparsely attended vesper service at the island’s cathedral. There was a handful of older women and the priest. It finished in 30 minutes. Everyone bustled off quickly afterwards. The next year I tried the Christmas morning service, starting at 5 am and ending at 7. Families who had a dearly departed member served boiled beef and broth following the service in their memory. Many folks made their way down to the waterfront–the Yialo- to follow it up with cafe and perhaps something stronger?

This didn’t do it for me either.

So when my children were small, we stayed home from Christmas Eve through Boxing Day. We wore our pjs. We watched movies, we waited for Santa’s arrival. We opened gifts Christmas morning and played with our new toys and each other all day long. It was quite perfect.

Now, leaving the island is a non-negotiable. I don’t travel during the holidays because I hate the crowds,. There is traffic anywhere I go. And of course there is always the travel anxiety and frustration of flying and connecting flights.

Did I mention weather? Anywhere I would choose to go–yes, even Florida, it is cold, I hate the cold. I am only happy to look at photos of snow, not to actually experience it. So I stay put in Mykonos. I like to stay home quietly, not making a fuss.

Often the weather is warm enough to picnic on the beach and swim–which I have done on the last few Christmas days.

And the best part is the island truly shuts down between Christmas and Epiphany. Many stores close –hardware shops, school supplies, mini-markets, pharmacies, even doctor’s offices. There are probably no more than 5000 people on the island if that! Rumor has it that there isn’t a boat ticket available from now through Monday! It is a wonderful time to really enjoy the beautiful peace of a place normally chaotic.

I can actually spend Christmas Day and New Year’s Day alone, happily.

But the only way to do it is I simply dispense with having any expectations. Instead, I remind myself to appreciate what I have and not what I don’t have.

And I am blessed because there are alot of “haves” in my basket.

I encourage you to make your own fun, even if you are on your own and not being social, by choice or by circumstance–however you celebrate this holiday season.

The “holi-daze” are quite diverse so do not get stuck on trying to have “a perfect” Christmas. Don’t let anyone insist on you having “Christmas Spirit” unless it is a new kind of cocktail you want to try!

Christmas isn’t the only celebration that is on currently. What follows is a list of the many winter holidays occurring in December and January across the planet.

Christmas

A Christian holiday celebrated on December 25, marking the birth of Jesus Christ. It is often observed with gift-giving, festive decorations, and family gatherings.

Hanukkah

A Jewish festival lasting eight days, commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. Celebrated with lighting the menorah, playing dreidel, and eating fried foods.

Dongzhi

An East Asian winter solstice festival celebrating the balance of yin and yang. Families gather to enjoy special foods like tangyuan (sweet rice balls) in Chinese culture.

Yule

An ancient pagan festival marking the winter solstice, originating in Northern Europe. It involves feasting, lighting the Yule log, and honoring the rebirth of the sun.

The astronomical event when the Earth’s tilt is at its maximum relative to the Sun. The winter solstice (December) is the shortest day of the year, celebrated in many cultures as a time of rebirth and renewal.

Soyal

A Hopi Native American celebration of the winter solstice, focusing on purification, renewal, and setting intentions for the coming year.

HumanLight

A secular holiday celebrated on December 23, promoting humanism and values like reason, compassion, and hope for a brighter future.

Alban Arthan

A Druid celebration of the winter solstice, translating to “Light of Winter.” It honors the rebirth of the sun and the cycle of life and nature.

Sanghamitta Day

A Theravada Buddhist holiday honoring Sanghamitta, the nun who brought the sacred Bodhi tree cutting to Sri Lanka, symbolizing the spread of Buddhism.

Koliada

A Slavic midwinter festival, often tied to the solstice, featuring rituals, caroling, and honoring the sun’s return.

Shalako

A Zuni Pueblo celebration held in late November or early December, marking the end of the Zuni year with ceremonial dances, blessings, and prayers.

Uttarayan

A Hindu festival in India marking the sun’s northward journey (Makar Sankranti). It celebrates harvests and is known for kite flying and joyous feasting.

We Tripantu

A Mapuche Indigenous celebration of the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, marking the New Year and renewal of life.

Willkakuti

An Aymara Indigenous festival in Bolivia and Peru celebrating the Southern Hemisphere’s winter solstice and the Andean New Year.

Korochun

A Slavic pagan festival marking the winter solstice, associated with honoring ancestors and the struggle between darkness and light.

Yalda

An Iranian festival celebrating the longest night of the year, traditionally observed with poetry readings, feasting on fruits like pomegranates, and family gatherings.

Saturnalia

An ancient Roman festival honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture. It involved feasting, role reversals, gift-giving, and merriment.

Newtonmas

A secular holiday celebrated by some on December 25, honoring Sir Isaac Newton’s birthday, emphasizing science and reason.

May peace, joy and love be yours in 2025

Thank you for supporting me through 40 blogs this year!

I am hoping to deliver 52 blogs to your in-box in 2025.

Stacey Seaside Scribbles will return on Thursday, January 8 2025.