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Usually when I think of Christmas every year, my chest tightens an inch. The stress between the already work-intensive everyday life (you don't want to drag old burdens with you into the new year), having a boozy Christmas market with friends over mulled wine and the pressure to find the right gifts for everyone you love is the same every time. The stress dominates the actually contemplative time until you finally collapse completely exhausted on Christmas Eve.
The past year has managed to get worse than the one before. Must have something to do with growing up. The level of difficulty increases every year. However, I am comforted by the thought that this is what the apprenticeship to be a bon vivant looks like, who happily shares his anecdotes at the dining table with dim candlelight in friendly faces.
You can see, even my writing style has already changed despite Corona most Christmassy set. But what else can we do?
How did Christmas go again?
This year will be different - thanks to Corona. Really! The pandemic swallows up a lot of energy and an end does not seem quite in sight. But is that really that dramatic for our self-created Christmas stress? Humans are creatures of habit and usually do not get that much smarter on their own. He has to feel.
No Christmas market, no shopping madness, no meticulously tackled "Travel through world history". Imposed calm and deceleration. Maybe not that bad after all. Went Christmas not even like that before?
Necessity makes inventive and a crisis offers opportunities for new paths.
Is there Christmas compression?
Christmas is what you make of it. Your Christmas, your rituals. This is exactly how it looks with your compression. If you like to wear colored compression, pick up the color of your stockings in your Christmas look. If you prefer to be covered, buy some glittery or patterned nylon tights and pull them over your compression for the necessary glamor!
Do everything with her, just don't let her stop you from feeling festive!
This year I did my best and put together three Christmas outfits. One for every holiday. The first is this beautiful floor-length evening dress, which not only goes perfectly with mine mediven®550 in cherry red with the Swarovski * motif Crystal fits. Find yourselves at Evening dresses like to choose something to which many colors could go. So you can enjoy them for many years without being restricted by the color of your compression.
I do not want to complain
This virus has freed me from a turbulent hamster wheel, from which I probably only myself with a stunt woman-worthy double-woppel-Köpper with subsequent schwipp-schwapp-Kusselkopp (Ruhr area language for somersault) could have saved. Would definitely have been worthy of an Instagram story. Well, next year then.
I want to accept this teaching of calm. This is exactly where I see my personal opportunity in this crisis. Learning to take free time again, something that I had increasingly forgotten in the last ten years.
Such a workhorse with a big watering can full of passion doesn't just drop the pen at 17 p.m. and then the deluge. There was still an hour left, here and there something still needs to be done. Oops, 22pm again.
I'm relieved in a way that I can't get lost in this year's Christmas print. No question, I will miss those beautiful evenings at the Christmas market, but how beautiful have they really been in the last few years? What images come to mind when you think about it? I see hopelessly overcrowded places, the stalls were sometimes more exciting and until you have something to drink and something to eat in each hand, it usually takes a flaky half an hour, because everyone wants something different.
So I come to the conclusion that this point can fall flat for a year. The earth turns a few more times. The next tetrapack mulled wine will rush in faster than I would like.
Back to the Christmas tree roots
Thanks to Corona, this Christmas will be different in every way. I would like to be inspired by previous Christmas festivities and make more demands on spending time together with my own household on the festive days. What do we need for a nice, homely get-together that captures the special spirit of this festival, but orientates itself back to its roots. Commerce and gifts aside, such a mess comes to an end quickly - and then what?
Then it should be Christmas, but full pot!
Since we will probably celebrate together with our furry new family member, we need new rituals that can be implemented well as a couple. And maybe even as a dog.
The top 5 rituals from mine "Our Corona Christmas should be more beautiful"-Battle plan
- Put together a playlist together in advance
The best is one that both likes, is allowed to fiddle through in an endless loop and does not cause any displeasure. Michael Bublé is unfortunately too much sometimes.
- Tinker Christmas tree decorations
Every member of your household makes a decoration for the tree. Straw stars, golden sprayed acorns, dried orange slices, painted mouth and nose guards - something different every year.
Little by little, this creates little memories that you bring out every year and that you look forward to diligently manufacturing.
Tip: maybe create a few more works of art in advance for the family members you won't be visiting this year. Then you are somehow present and share the party with each other.
- Cooking together and setting the table festively
Now let's be honest between the two of us, how often do you pull out the fine china for yourself? Exactly, at Christmas! Out with the good place settings and the unused napkin rings. If not now then when?
Cooking together is a great opportunity to give yourself a nice present together. Love and joy go through the stomach and you always have to take care of it for important upcoming decisions. In addition, you can put on a lot of delicious mulled wine yourself at home and enjoy it while cooking.
Tip: Do not cook elaborate recipes for the first time at Christmas. Wasn't a good idea believe me. Think of something special, but simple. Or fall back on an absolute classic that you have already mastered, but for which you never take the time.
- Look at the light window
A long walk with Hundi is on the plan. Alternatively, I would also allow a hot water bottle. It also warms the heart. You can look so wonderfully into the brightly lit windows.
Tip: If you take the walk in the morning, collect a few twigs, pine cones and even more twigs. Then use them as decoration on the table. It makes me feel like Martha Stewart.
- The big entrance
Since the run-up to Christmas is so narrow and I always associate past Christmas parties with the finest thread, this year we will throw ourselves in the finest robe that will catapult us into a festive Christmas feeling in a few seconds. How often do dress up together? Exactly, somehow never. Not at all this year.
Out with the good suit and the much too beautiful dress to hang in front of you in the garment bag. Turn it up and dress up. Christmas is a feeling and I want to wear that to myself.
Christmas in times of Corona - what remains?
You can see that Christmas is in a year that passes by without a face and unexperienced, perhaps more important than ever.
After all, what remains if that also falls away without a sound?
* Swarovski is a registered trademark of Swarovski AG
This article was created in cooperation with Medi.
Pictures: Michaela Kern
Hi, can you read minds ???? My husband and I and our children (who now have some households) also talk about this, and EXACTLY AS we do it ... are now more relaxed and adventurous than ever before ... Thanks for food for thought and great letters ❣️
Dear Caroline, a great contribution! I enjoyed it! 🙂 You speak from my soul - I see this year's Christmas as an opportunity and not as a punishment! ... it will probably be the only one of its kind in our short life! Let's accept it and make it beautiful!