ABOVE: A simply gorgeous seasonal décor incorporates multiples of re-usable items and natural elements like twigs.Maybe it’s all the glistening snow out there, but it seems like this Christmas is going to be nothing like those of recent memory. We may be going back in time, to the days when there was less stuff and more need for a little merry-making.
Even though we’re all being bombarded with the usual cellphone commercials, my hunch is that most people will be expecting a lot less and giving a little more from the heart this year.
I’ve even unearthed the cookie cutters and pried open the Christmas cookie card box that hasn’t seen the light of day since the early ’90s. I can’t promise to actually produce homemade shortbread as gifts, but I’m willing to at least partake in this new trend toward a traditional, simple celebration when it comes to gift-giving, decorating and entertaining.
Getting to simple isn’t so simple. It requires some steely convictions against the bombardment of buy-buy-buy and gimme-gimme campaigns, launched by both sophisticated marketing firms and highly-expectant loved ones. And it demands us to question our own sense of entitlement, whether it’s around diamond earrings, an X-Box 360 or an iPhone.
Getting to simple requires forethought and reflection, especially at moments of weakness, like when a luxurious collection of Christmas tree ornaments is offered at 50 per cent off. You have to stop and ask: Do you have space to store them? How many ornaments do you have already that you’re unwilling to let go?
Simple pleasures are the best, like gathering pinecones on a walk with friends and wiring them (the pinecones, not the friends) into small wreaths. Or giving bags of birdseed to visiting family members before going to Lost Lagoon to feed the birds then returning home for hot chocolate. Or decking the halls by re-purposing household items like a large glass bowl filled with favourite Christmas balls or a string of lights. Or setting the table for company, with the special linens and dishes, enhancing it with tealights and tiny bundles of cedar wrapped in ribbon on each plate, then serving a lasagna made the day before and a green salad, or a brunch casserole and fruit salad.
It’s about distinguishing between what we want and what we need, for ourselves and others. And at this time of year, during these strange economic times, what we need is some comfort and joy. My half-baked idea of cellophane-wrapped shortbread cookies is simply a start.
