A real Christmas doesn’t have to be loud, curated and in-your-face. It doesn’t need an overspend competition on who can rack up debt to pretend they want all the over the top things. It doesn’t need to be religious to be real. And it doesn’t require anyone to push through exhaustion or pretend things are fine.
A real Christmas works with the life you’re living.
What I Mean by “Real”
For me, a real Christmas is about fitting my life.
It looks like:
- a home that feels calm
- food that’s easy to manage
- enough supplies to avoid unnecessary stress
- actions that support people and animals who are already tired (because who isn’t, by the end of the year?!)
- not spending much time with people who expect a performance
If those things are in place, the rest is optional.
The House: Reset, Not Reinvention
I don’t deep clean for Christmas. I reset the house so it functions well.
That usually means:
- clean bedding and towels
- clear kitchen benches
- floors in the main living areas done
- rubbish chucked out and bins reset
- a quick check outside — paths clear, hoses put away, pets sorted
- grocery shop done to last me Christmas eve to 2 Jan.
If the house feels safe and workable, that’s enough. I try to do this before xmas, so that no one has to clean and wash stuff over those few days of rest.
Food That Makes the Days Easier
Christmas food doesn’t need to be impressive. It needs to be reliable. In my family, it’s the simple things we do each year that make Christmas.
I have a basic Christmas shopping list that does us for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks. It’s the same each year, covers everyone’s preferences well enough and makes for great grazing and leftovers after our one sit-down meal (lunch) together.
I make sure the pantry can carry us so there’s no pressure to shop, rush, or improvise when we’re all just trying to have a peaceful time.
Quiet Preparedness
Public holidays are a great opportunity to slow things down. Shops close. Services pause. That’s reason enough to be quietly prepared so you can just chill out, in my book.
Before Christmas, as part of my end-of-year, high-risk weather season prep, I check:
- medications and pet supplies
- basic first aid – kits are stocked, and in the places they should be
- cars are clean, restocked, fluids topped up and cars all fuelled up
- everyday household essentials are stocked – cleaning stuff, TP and hygiene items, food.
It isn’t about expecting anything to go wrong. It’s about creating space to rest without worry. If I do my prep, I know I can jump in the car and go camping for a few days without drama.
Meaning, Without Performance
I don’t chase tradition for tradition’s sake. I love little traditions, and as I look towards creating my own little family, I like finding things that fill my heart a little.
We do Secret Santa in my family – it keeps the financial burden down, and brings the joy up. We operate on a budget that fits all of our circumstances, and people can opt in or out each year as they please. The idea is, it makes us each consider the people in our family more closely – the gift should have meaning, and show we pay attention to each other, rather than be about a dollar figure or one-up-man-ship.
Anything that requires pretending isn’t worth keeping.
When Christmas Is Heavy
Christmas can carry grief, longing, financial strain, job stress, fertility journeys, family distance, or simple exhaustion for a lot of people. It should be a time to take a break, but it can also be when all these things pile on top of someone to squash their joy.
You don’t owe anyone cheerfulness. You also don’t owe anyone to be a misery guts.
A real Christmas makes room for whatever is already there — without asking you to tidy yourself up for other people.
What do you do to make Christmas work for you?
Horizon Homestead 
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