The four C’s of the holiday season: Celebrate, Connect, Community, Context

Holiday preparations can be festive, but lengthy to-do lists often cause people to lose track of the season’s wonder. It’s easy to get caught up in preparing for company, shopping for gifts, planning details and still getting laundry done. Don’t let responsibilities overshadow the magic and meaning of this time of year.

If you already feel like you’re “in too deep,” there’s good news: making a change doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. It has to do with intention. Offer your family a wonder-filled season by focusing on the four Cs of the holidays.

Celebrate: This time of the year is about celebrating and togetherness. When we focus only on the right gifts or perfect meal, it’s easy to forget about the actual celebration. Remind your family how to celebrate and enjoy the process. Get the kids involved by having them make a holiday recipe or table decorations. Encourage everyone (including kids) to shop for one gift for another person. Walk around together to see holiday décor and displays in your neighborhood. When you shift the focus to the celebration, everyone has more fun.

Connect:

It’s always a good time to connect with family and loved ones, but especially now. If your family is being pulled in every direction, be intentional about time together. Set aside one night a week for a winter movie night. Take the long way home when you’re all in the car to look at Christmas lights. Make hot chocolate and sit under a starry sky for 10 minutes together. Large amounts of time are not necessary to make connection a priority. When you are intentional about togetherness—even 15 minutes here or there—you feel more connected to those you love most.

Community: Be aware of people beyond your household—family, friends, co-workers, schoolmates, neighbors. Think about who makes up the community you engage with and check in. Someone you know may feel disconnected and lonely. Not everyone is busy with family on popular holidays. Consider ways you can bless others, encourage face-to-face interaction and build connection. Talk to neighbors and friends to see if anyone would like to celebrate with your family. Or, make treats or drop off a card if you suspect someone you know will be alone. Encourage kids to invite friends over and have coffee ready when parents pick them up. Having a conversation over a cup of coffee can brighten someone’s day. Show your kids that the holiday season is much bigger than gift lists by helping them connect with the community around them.

Context: The magic of the holidays is what makes it special to your family. Teach your kids what matters most specifically for your family at this time of year.

If your family values faith, help kids understand the importance of what you believe. Teach or celebrate the significance of eight nights of Hanukkah, the wonder of the Christmas Nativity, or the harvest festival traditions of Kwanzaa. Take time this season to enjoy family traditions with your kids (or establish new ones). If you find magic in wintertime, visit the snow, drink hot cocoa by a fire and celebrate winter solstice. Whatever is most important is where the focus should be. This means talking about it, modeling it and making it a priority.

The four C’s are not things to add to your to-do list. “Celebrate, Connect, Community and Context” are what make your to-do list matter. Focus on what is most important to your family and rediscover the wonder of this holiday season. v

Rebecca Hastings is a freelance writer.