Having just wrapped up Christmas, my sweetheart announced that December 26th is the saddest day of the year. His reasoning is that there’s all the pre-Christmas buildup, then Christmas Eve, then Christmas Day. After that? Nothing. At least not in the United States. It’s kind of a letdown if you look at it that way, so I choose to see it in a different light.
To me, December 26th is the day that all sorts of pressure is lifted. Didn’t get the cards mailed? Doesn’t matter now. Didn’t make a gingerbread house? Doesn’t matter now. Didn’t get all the decorations put out? Doesn’t matter now. Didn’t catch your favorite Christmas movie? Doesn’t matter now. Maybe next year. December 26th is when you can take a step back, evaluate all the things that you enjoyed about your Christmas celebration, and start to relax. Of course it’s easy for me to say that, since December 26th falls smack in the middle of my winter break.
If you’re very fortunate, on December 26th there may be new bikes to ride, new lego sets to build, new gadgets to set up, new books to read, or new clothes to wear. The decorations are all still there, the sweets and treats are still around, and you probably have enough leftovers to make cooking unnecessary. December 26th is a day to take a walk around the neighborhood, take a deep breath, and enjoy what’s left of the holiday season, without all the pressure of the actual holiday itself. December 26th isn’t sad, it’s not sad at all.
BulgingButtons 