By Victoria Q

It’s finally the time of the year to wear thick clothes, sit down with a blanket and sip a warm cup of cocoa. Who doesn’t like Christmas? Everyone loves Christmas. No matter what age we are, we just couldn’t be bored of Christmas. Chocolates, cakes, mint candies, puddings, jellies are never too much to eat.

When it’s around this seasonal time of the year, we get excited and have fun. It just seems like we get back to our childhood. We love to watch Disney’s movies, build a snowman, have a snowball fight or play sledding like Kelvin in the movie “Home Alone”. I can’t deny but this is indeed the most exciting season of the year for me.

But the Christmas season also can be quite stressful as it required a lot of planning. Christmas gifts, decoration ideas, Christmas meal plans and many more. Some people find it overwhelming and get a mental breakdown even before it begins.

Christmas is supposed to be enjoyable, but we sometimes let stress take away our joy. Why don’t we try another approach to a stress-free Christmas? Yes! Let’s simplify and enjoy the true purpose of Christmas: spending every meaningful moment with people we care about by reducing the things we have to do.

Enjoying a minimalist Christmas does not mean you can’t buy gifts, put up a Christmas tree, or decorate your home. You can still put up a fresh huge Christmas tree with plenty of lights and décor hanging around. And I’m going to tell you how you can celebrate minimalist Christmas in simple ways without feeling overwhelmed.

1. Host a Potluck Family Dinner

Instead of having a big group dinner in a luxury restaurant, which may cost even more expensive during the seasonal time, you can make a swift to self-host a potluck family dinner at home. Not only you can cut down on the cost, but this is also a great bonding time among family members. Sitting down with everyone, discussing what to cook, the procedure of the night, everyone’s responsibility, and making the food lists can create a good bonding time with them. You also get to deeply know everyone’s like and dislike so it’s easier to have another potluck or just a normal family dinner the next time.

2. Bake Christmas Cookies with Kids

How many of us have memories of baking with a parent, a grandmother, or other family members? To be honest, I don’t have any memories of baking with them at all. My mum dislike baking and my grandmother was really good at baking but she passed away even before I have a chance to learn from her. You can make those memories with kids and ignite their passion for working in the kitchen. I know there will be a huge mess – flour flying around, egg hits the floor but that’s fine. Baking should be fun and don’t let the mess take away the joy. There’s some preparation you can do beforehand. Have a plastic tablecloth over the work surface, prepare both wet and dry kitchen towels and clean as you go. Focus on creating the best memories with them and you’ll realize the mess isn’t a problem.

3. Gather Around for Christmas Night

This seasonal time of the year is also the time for us to gather around with people that matter to us. Thinking of seeing people that we don’t always get to see gathering around for dinner, game or spending the night together are just making this moment even meaningful. So, take this opportunity to invite your closest friends over a relaxing and exciting Christmas night with some drinks and snacks. The holiday season should be about bonding with the people you care for.

4. Christmas Vacation

Travel creates a great bonding experience for the family. This is because when you take a vacation together, you become a team and work on it together. When at home, parents and children are working on their own things such as job, school, homework, housework and more. This makes little to no conversation among the family members. But vacation gives the opportunity to spend quality time together away from the distractions of everyday life. Going on vacation is also a good way to create lasting memories that are cherished for a very long time.

5. Handmade Gifts

When we talk about Christmas, of course, we’ll think of gifts. It is just like a set – Christmas and gifts. Giving out and receiving gifts is a very special moment. We get excited and looking forward to seeing what we will receive. At the same time, we’re worrying whether the receivers will like the gifts we bought for them. Shopping for gifts can be quite stressful because we often try our best to get the perfect gift for each person. Instead of being overwhelmed to find the perfect gifts and travelling everywhere, giving out handmade gifts is a better choice. This can be a candle, soap, cookies or art piece. Giving handmade gifts makes it unique because there’s nowhere else can find the same gifts.

Stay tuned for more Christmas content.