A cure for the post-holiday blues

• Ten sure-fire ways to help prevent the post-holiday blues this season.

Anticipation is a powerful thing, especially during the Christmas season. Advent is a time of anticipating the birth of our Savior. For children, the days leading up to Christmas are filled with anticipation of Santa’s arrival. 

But once the presents are opened and the eggnog is gone, the post-holiday blues are prone to creep in. But for me, the time after Christmas is a joy! There is no pressure – the house is as decorated as it ever will be. Presents have been given. It’s the ideal time to bask in the afterglow and enjoy the season for a few more days. 

Here are ten sure-fire ways to help prevent the post-holiday blues:

1. Go on a Christmas lights tour. Load up the kids or a bunch of your friends and head out to see the lights. Rarely does anyone take down lights immediately after Christmas, so take advantage of that and don’t miss out on the show! 
2. Go to church on Sunday. You may have missed the pre-Christmas services, but the Sunday after Christmas is a perfect time to reflect on the season and the early life of Christ. It marks the first Sunday in ordinary time. 
3. Clean out a closet and donate items to charity before the end of the year. Start the new year with an organized closet, and you can make room for the new things you received for Christmas while helping those in need. 
4. Visit area museums. The week after Christmas is a great time to visit museums and enjoy the current exhibits. 
5. Bar hop. Bars and restaurants are still decorated for Christmas and offer special holiday cocktails. 
6. Be lazy. You work hard all year. Take a day for yourself and snuggle up with a nice warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and lose yourself in the Christmas movies on TV. 
7. Write thank-you notes. It is scientifically proven that gratitude gives you a boost. 
8. Go to the movie theatre. Watching a blockbuster movie on the big screen with a box of popcorn is good for the soul.
9. Take a day trip. Take a drive and explore a nearby town for the day. 
10. Take a walk. We are fortunate that we live in a temperate climate where walking is possible year-round. Think of all those poor schmucks in Minnesota who are snowed in while you enjoy Mississippi’s fresh air and sunshine. 
11. And for a bit of lagniappe, plan a fun New Year’s Eve. It can be a night out on the town or a fun night in with friends. Don’t forget to make your list of New Year’s resolutions! 

Our family hosts an open house on New Year’s Day. There is a big pot of black-eyed peas and turnip green soup on the stove for good luck and prosperity in the new year. We serve a heaping helping of cornbread on the side, along with champagne to toast the new year. Having a house full of friends and family to start the year off together is always a blessing. 

Be intentional about what you will do in the week after Christmas, and you should have no problems avoiding the post-holiday blues. Happy New Year!