How to create a festive atmosphere 
Automatic translate
Christmas is associated only with pleasures - gifts, delicious food, Christmas songs, snow… However, celebrations are also a way to renew and deepen relationships with family and friends.
Emotional inventory of the past
It’s better to decide in advance who you want to meet and with whom your relationship leaves much to be desired. It is important to remember that at the holiday table it will be too late and it will be difficult to calm hostility. You should not expect that the situation will somehow become clearer. If the other person thinks the same way, you will have to face an unpleasant situation: awkward silence, ignorance and perhaps even an argument at the table. A few days before the holiday, you can make an appointment in a cafe, bring flowers or chocolate. Forgiveness is the best preparation for Christmas.
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General activities
During the holidays, people mostly gather around the table. But you shouldn’t expect that a richly laid table will help you become closer to each other. It is important to think not only about the stomachs of the guests, but also about the hearts.
If you have invited a relative with whom you have long lost contact, you can inform him about family events in which he did not have the opportunity to participate: get a photo album, show a video from the last holiday. The guest will feel at home.
If a gift is purchased together, it is worth packing it together. There is something magical about preparing and decorating. This is a great opportunity for honest conversation, memories and emotions.
Maybe a walk or dancing on the home floor will diversify your family leisure time? Maybe we should take those dusty board games out of the closet? Such activities enliven the family atmosphere and provide a reason to laugh.
You can also invite everyone to show off their hobby during the family reunion. Anything a person is proud of can be shared. The approval of others gives you self-confidence and makes you constantly strive for more.
Pleasant trifles
A few days before Christmas, it is worth thinking about the people who are dear to you. Gym friend, dentist or postman? You can prepare cute little things for them that cost almost nothing, for example, a Christmas tree decoration, homemade gingerbread, or a candle. Spontaneous gifts are like a boomerang - they always come back, sometimes even with a vengeance. The easiest way to connect friendly people is selfless kindness.
Key to conversation
Nothing connects like honest conversations. Television, alcohol or food only seem to fill the holidays. In fact, they will forget about it if you don’t think about a full exchange of emotions and thoughts. At Christmas, we need to talk to each other as much as possible, remembering the golden rules: do not interrupt, do not judge and actively listen. The best topics are family jokes, funny stories from the lives of family members or friends, memories of vacations or youth.
Rules of festive life:
- When visiting (even with your closest relatives), do not watch TV or use the remote control. This is a signal to the owners that their company is boring.
- Limit alcohol consumption
- It is inappropriate to dose out jokes carefully – it is inappropriate to bore your listeners with your sense of humor throughout the evening. Others will feel less important, relegated to the background.
- Do not discuss your life problems and failures just because a group of potential listeners has come. Next Christmas, this could earn you the label of "energetic vampire" that no one would want to sit next to at the table.
- Unpack gifts right away. Leaving this activity for later will make the giver feel ignored. The reaction to a gift is an integral part of the ritual.
Family dinner
Young people from families who eat together have fewer mental health problems. Spanish scientists from the Alicante Medical Center compared 83 people aged 14 to 23 years (who received psychiatric help for the first time) with 177 healthy people of the same age. The majority of those seeking mental health services suffered from anxiety and depression. It turned out that a third of teenagers with mental health problems eat separately. The proportion of healthy people of the same age who eat alone is just 17 percent.
Emotionally balanced people were more likely to participate in family parties or religious holidays. Healthy people also spend more time talking, traveling and other activities. According to scientists, shared meals are a unifying ritual that has a positive effect on the psyche and compensates for troubles in everyday life. Christmas time is a holiday not only for the body, but also for the spirit!
How to deal with grumpy relatives?
Even on holidays, some family members cannot resist making comments and criticism. Instead of letting the table become a bone of contention, you should learn to proactively avoid family disagreements.
- Turn a remark into a joke. Nothing relieves stress like a good mood.
- Take the blame if a relative is a rare guest. This would surely bring him enough satisfaction to stop further attacks.
- You should practice assertive responses if you have to see a relative often. No submissiveness, no aggressiveness - just caution and a smile.
Children in the kitchen
The secret to a successful holiday is that everyone feels important and needed. Taking on the entire burden of preparation, thinking that only then everything will go easily is a mistake. Kids can be involved in everything from cleaning to decorating the house to cooking. There is nothing more fun for them than helping in the kitchen. Shaping gingerbread, chopping poppy seeds, kneading dough will be an unforgettable experience. Kids will be proud that they can help. In addition, they will be less harmful, because useful activities require a lot of energy.