3 THINGS TO DO IF YOU DON'T CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS.

 There are so many different ways people celebrate different things over the winter time and there are as many traditions as there are families. There are many of us who do not celebrate Christmas and are not sure how to get through the winter season. You can't really ignore the whole holiday as everywhere you turn you are faced with Christmas decorations, adverts and parties. 

Your reason to not celebrate Christmas might be a religious one, personal one or based on your family's tradition. No matter what your reason is or even if you do celebrate but need to take breaks from the madness, here are some things to do and enjoy the winter time!

GO BOOK SHOPPING

In the beginning of December, find a book shop near you and have a wander. Leaf through the books that interest you, really browse through the shop. Once you know you have found the one book that you know you'll really get into, buy it and find a coffee shop. Once you have a hot drink and a comfy seat, start your reading. Make this a moment you take when things get hectic or you feel tired; take yourself on a date and find somewhere to read. It can be at home as long as you make sure you make it a moment where you can set up your reading spot, have a hot drink and eliminate the distractions. It can be 15 min or 2 hours, it's up to you how much time you have.

Make it a goal to finish the book by end of December, but if you finish early take yourself to another book shop date to find another one! If you can't seem to finish it by end of December, keep it going through January and onwards. It's a great way to make sure you take breaks when you need to, you can even pen it in your calendar!

You can also adapt a new tradition to Christmas eve and celebrate it like the Icelandic do with Jólabókaflóð, which translates to Christmas book flood. Presents are opened on the 24th and amongst those presents there are a lot of books. It is then a tradition to start reading right on the eve, once again with a cup of hot drink in hand. If you don't receive books as presents, you can get them ready for yourself and your family. Another reason to relax and enjoy family time but not have to stress about the social aspect or the present giving. 

WRITE LETTERS AND POSTCARDS

Even if you don't really celebrate Christmas, it's nice to take time to appreciate the people in your life that you care about. You don't have to buy any big presents or write a novel, just write down what you feel and you can throw in chocolates or something else that person likes. If you're not good with words and you're not sure what to say, google quotes using words that do come up to mind when you think about the specific person you're writing about. Pinterest has great quotes too, just use some key words and scroll through to find the right one. 

It'll be a nice surprise in the post to receive a postcard or a letter, but you can give these in person too! These should be timed before Christmas, as people won't be expecting them in the middle of all the hectic stressful times people tend to create leading up to the big main event.

This is something you can do to colleagues as well! Write down a few words of appreciation on how you enjoy the coffee breaks where you get to chat or the support you've received through out the year to get through the harder days. Again it doesn't have to be a long letter, just a couple lines on a card can mean a lot!

Great materials for the messages can be found on Ohh Deer. Check me unbox their November Papergang box on my channel on youtube. 

GO TO A LIGHTS FESTIVAL

Winter time tends to have very little sunlight, which is ideal time for light festivals. Some might be a little Christmassy, but nevertheless the festivals bring a little light to the dark nights! There are plenty around, below some examples from across UK:

WINTER LIGHT | London: Southbank | Until 9th of Jan 2022 | Presenting artworks exploring light and colour.

GLOW WILD | London: Kew Gardens | Until 2nd of Jan 2022 | Explore a magical winter lantern trail.

WINTER LIGHTS | London: Canary Wharf | 19th Jan – 29th Jan 2022 | Lightening up the dark nights with installations.

LIGHTOPIA | London, Manchester and Alton Towers | Until 2nd of Jan 2022 | Lantern and light festival.

LIGHTWAVES| Manchester: Salford | 3rd Dec - 12th Dec 2021 | Interactive light festival.

LEONARDSLEE ILLUMINATED | Horsham: Leonardslee Gardens | Until 22nd of Dec 2021 | A walk through the lakes and grounds illuminated and accompanied with music and perfomances.

SPECTACTLE OF LIGHT | Edinburgh: Dalkeith Country Park | Until 2nd of Jan 2022 | Festive light experience and magical after dark adventure.

FESTIVE FOREST | Edinburgh: Beecraigs Country Park | Until 24th of Dec 2021 | Illuminated walk through magical woodland.

WINTER LIGHTS FESTIVAL | Narbeth: Bluestone national park resort | 3rd of Jan - 24th of March 2022 | Enchanted trails and light garden.

LUMINATE | Several spots in Wales and England | Various dates | Winter illumination events and light shows.

Be kind to yourself and others!