'Twas the Week After Christmas ... • Hilary Bernstein

Without fail, every single year, the week after Christmas always look and feel the same:

On December 26, I wake up and wonder why so very much red and green is all over my house. Suddenly, all of the Christmas cards and decorations that looked so festive just a day before look like a little too much. All the new presents my family received need to be put away. And all of the reusable ribbons, bows, and gift bags need gathered and stored away until next year.

By December 27, I wonder how so. much. cheese. entered my home. While a week earlier I thought charcuterie would be a tasty addition to Christmas parties, now charcuterie lunches and dinners have lost their sparkle. The red decorations and dishes still look like too much, and it’s beginning to feel like the Christmas trees have run their course.

All of the same thoughts and feeling return on December 28 and 29, I have no idea what day it actually is. The thought of taking everything down and putting it neatly away feels like it’s too big of a task. After so much running in December, so many parties, and so many people it’s nice to sit around in pajamas all day long. Unless, of course, there are a few more opportunities to get together with family and friends, and then it’s time to change out of pajamas, take a mid-afternoon shower, prepare some cheese and crackers, and get ready for people.

By December 30, I fully realize that the year is coming to an end and that a new year–and all of the busyness of daily life–will be ramping up yet again. So to try to prepare myself, I start taking down all of the Christmas decorations and wonder why my house looks so empty.

On December 31, I want to have a relaxing New Year’s Eve with good food (perhaps something other than cheese?), games, and movies, but I’m also fully aware that my Christmas decorations are only taken down and not stored away. So I work as hard and as fast as I can, trying to pack everything away until next November, but fully feeling the pressure that the final hours of the year are ticking away.

How you might use this week …

I know online influencers say that they love to use this in-between week as a time to reflect on all that’s happened over the past year and set goals or make plans for the new year. For many years I tried that and only ended up feeling defeated with my pile of cheese, crackers, and unorganized decorations.

I’ve worked the week after Christmas, shopped my share of after-Christmas sales, and one special year I spent the week preparing for my January 4th wedding. There’s nothing wrong with filling this week with activities.

But somehow, for the past seven years or so, I’ve managed to let the reflections, goal setting, and bargain shopping slip away.

Without fail, every single year, the days between Christmas and New Year's always look and feel the same

The need for rest

Maybe, just like all of life, when we gear up for something BIG and then experience it, the natural response is a bit of a physical and mental letdown. It’s a natural release of all the pent-up hurrying and scurrying.

After I host a massive gathering during any time of the year, I need a day or two to collapse until I feel energized again. And just like I always feel like I could use a vacation from my vacation when I get back into the rhythms and routines of everyday life, perhaps this week after Christmas is a very good thing. Maybe after all the hosting and visiting, giving and receiving, overindulging in food and people and purchases, it’s best to rest.

Instead of feeling guilty over an inability to keep track of time or get frustrated with an entire week that has a lack of direction, what if we’d lean into this week of leisure?

Margin, relaxation, and rest all are necessary for life, even if, at the end of December, they might come disguised in the form of cheese-filled meals, messy piles of used gift wrap, and rooms that are half-undecorated.

Instead of feeling like you have to be productive, stay in your pajamas. Curl up and take a nap. Enjoy peace-filled moments before the everyday rush of life returns in January.

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Hilary

Hilary Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, homeschooling mama, and writer who believes every Christian woman can live with peace and purpose. She's happiest when she's hosting friends and family for dinner, going on date nights with her husband, singing along to the radio, traveling with her family, and spending cozy nights at home. The author of fifteen books,Hilary also is Women's Ministry Director at The Chapel in Green, Ohio.