End of the Holiday Season Blues

The holidays are over, but I’m stuck somewhere mentally between the last few weeks of prep time and now.

Suffice it to say that when the Christmas tree comes down and I begin to “de-Christmas” the house, I’m filled with almost a feeling of being let down. It isn’t because I didn’t receive a gift that I truly wanted. Most of the time, it’s because the preparation to the actual day is a whole lot more fun than the actual day itself.

Back when I was a child, I remember the preparation to the holiday. We’d shop until we dropped, my mom would bake cookies for what seemed like weeks, and the wrapping…well, that was left to my mother, who could make a gift look beautiful with just a few pieces of Scotch tape and a small piece of paper. My gifts, however, would look lumpy in places, and I’d use at least half a roll of tape to close those areas where the paper didn’t roll up just right.

Some habits die hard; this is why I usually opt to use gift bags. My gifts are still the lumpiest under the tree, while my husband, who seems to have been educated by the same school of wrapping that my mother graduated from, has gifts that he places with care under the tree with beautiful wrappings, ribbons and tags. It seems he takes the time to truly hone out the details of wrapping. It shows in every single package he touches.

But I digress…

Preparation for Christmas is actually the best part of the holiday season for me. Once Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas decorations are out. As Santa comes around on the fire truck (on the Sunday following “turkey day”), my husband is outside, setting up decorations and draping lights over our shrubs. I’m inside, changing up the tablecloth, setting decorations in the window, and making the house ready for the season. Almost every room has a decoration, including the hallway. It’s a huge task, but that’s the fun of it. I remember those days well, when as a child, my mom and dad dragged the artificial tree from the eaves, and we’d decorate with all of the hand-painted ornaments that my mom, sister and I made together. I remember the year my dad bought a Christmas tree that had a device on the top that caused the tree to constantly “snow”. I also remember the tiny Styrofoam balls that littered the floor. That was the first and last year that we had a tree snowing machine, as per my mom, who had the arduous task of cleaning up said balls on a daily basis.

My husband and I decided, a long time ago, that we were not going to have an artificial tree. He came from a family who enjoyed the task of picking out real trees, so the tradition stuck. And the tradition became ours, as well. Yearly, we’re out at Baiting Hollow Nursery every year, and we’re picking out the tree that will adorn our living room until Little Christmas. This year’s beauty was a Balsam Fir, which was actually quite perfectly shaped. Our daughter picked out this year’s tree, and we all had a hand in chopping the little fellow down from his perch in the fields. We make our yearly pilgrimage to Modern Snack Bar to warm up a bit and have a bite to eat, and we head home with our prize. From the top of the truck to the garage it goes, and my husband slices off a small piece of the trunk as a remembrance to the eventful day.

Shopping for the holidays was always a great time. My mom used to take us to Mays’, Grants and Woolworths. As we got older, Caldor and Woolco became big stores for us to shop in, as well as Times Square Stores. We shopped for ourselves, for my dad, for the rest of the family, and by the time we were finished, we had quite a haul. My mom gave my sister and I a gift each to wrap, usually the ones for my dad, and she finished up the rest. I remember that she’d lock herself away in her bedroom for what seemed like hours. Afterwards, her rug was littered with beautiful packages with shiny ribbons and bows. She could work magic with her fingers, and I loved to look at what she had for others. Our gifts, however, were hidden somewhere in her closet or somewhere that my sister and I couldn’t find them.

I remember the year that I got a bicycle for Christmas from my parents. My sister, who loved to shake all the gifts under the tree before anyone woke up and then would report dutifully to me as to what her findings were, had run down the stairs and came back up. “You got a bicycle”, she whispered to me. I shooed her away; now a teenager, I wanted sleep much more than I wanted a bike. She disappeared again, and I heard packages rustling in the living room. When she returned, she announced in a fierce whisper, “I think you got a ten speed.” I was interested now; it was the exact gift that I had asked for, and I hadn’t asked for anything else. I sat up in bed and asked her to run down again and tell me what else she had found. Willingly complying, she disappeared, only to return with the words, “It’s a three speed. And it’s purple.” Although initially disappointed, I have to tell you that the purple bicycle took me many miles in my teen years, and I was really grateful for it.

These days, my daughter and I shop until we drop on Black Friday. My husband does his own shopping, on Black Friday and via the Internet. We’re pretty much finished by Cyber Monday, which is always a lot less stressful for us. I don’t care about what I receive anymore; purple bicycles and Dancerina dolls are a thing of the past. Christmas for me is about watching my daughter open things that she’s asked for, yet has no idea that she is going to receive. It’s about watching the joy on my husband’s face as he opens his final gift, a power washer that he’s only wanted for ten or more years.

Cookie baking is another essential part of the holiday, and I can recall the years where my mom used to make amazing spritz cookies of different colors and textures. Her “orange juice” cookies were always the first to go. She taught me how to make Linzer tarts, which are a “must make” tradition in my family. I remember the Tupperware containers that sat upon the kitchen and dining room tables, and I can recall how quickly those cookies were eaten, and how delicious they tasted. These days, my husband, daughter and I work like Keebler elves in the kitchen for several days, and we, too, have a vast assortment of baked goods that will rival any bakery’s.

The holiday prep time is the best time of the holidays for me. Once New Year’s Day is over, I’m filled with a little sadness, because all of the time that went into the holiday is gone. As my husband and I took down our Christmas tree yesterday and I “de-Christmas’ed” some of the rooms in the house, we were both filled with a little post-Christmas sadness. My daughter came out of her bedroom and sounded a bit saddened as she said, “Nooooo! The tree is coming down!” As my husband removed the tree from the house, I couldn’t help but wipe a stray tear from my eyes; no more Christmas until next year.

We left the artificial tree in the window and the lights up until Little Christmas, which is January 6th. Once the decorations in the dining room and kitchen are gone, the holiday will officially be over in our house, and it’ll be on to the next holiday. We’ll begin decorating for Valentine’s Day in another few weeks; yes, we are a home that appreciates holiday décor.

Post-holiday sadness is quite normal, and incredibly common. Most people tend to have the blues after the season is over, for a multitude of reasons. Grieving the loss of someone who has passed from your life, or grieving days gone by, are very common. Loneliness, especially for the elderly, can create depression and sadness. The burden of new financial woes is another stressor, and can contribute to this feeling. The build-up and the let-down of the holidays wreak havoc on the emotions, and it's very normal for people to feel blue. It's a roller coaster ride, and nobody can tell you how long to feel sadness. If the sadness, however, interferes with daily living and activities, or extends for a longer period of time than usual, it's a good idea to have a chat with your doc.

There are a lot of things that you can do to help yourself with the sadness. Getting involved in a small project, such as clearing out some closet space or drawer areas, can work wonders. Donating items that you no longer need or use can have a positive effect on your mood. Helping others through volunteering can also aid in pulling yourself out of the holiday let down.

If you’re experiencing this form of sadness, be very gentle with yourself. Know that it’s okay to feel this way, and that the feelings will eventually pass. They do; I can tell you from experience. Personally, after the blast of Arctic air that we’ve recently experienced, I’ve been working on thoughts of Groundhog Day, and an early Spring.