Ahhhh, Christmas is over. Cards have been sent, gifts have been given, meals have been eaten, and all that remains are the leftovers and the trash to be put out in the next collection. Unless you have big plans for New Year’s Eve, this period between Christmas and New Year’s should be a reprieve of sorts, a time-out from all the hustle of the holidays and a chance to catch our collective breaths in anticipation of the year to come.

     Ideally, that’s what this period should be, but I’ll admit it: some of us have a hard time with time-outs. Having whirled myself into a dervish getting ready for a holiday or big event, I find it almost impossible to just sit and relax knowing that all the work of cleaning up and putting everything away lies ahead. That is particularly true at Christmas, when holiday decorations have appeared in stores before Halloween, carols have been playing on the radio before Thanksgiving, and retailers have been counting the shopping days ‘till Christmas for months already.  I’m so tired of it all by the time it actually arrives that I can hardly wait for it to be over.  And I’m ready for the decorations to go too.

     If I were having a New Year’s Eve fete, which I did have for many, many years, I wouldn’t mind leaving the tree and the outdoor lighting in place. It’s a festive backdrop, after all. But I’m not having New Year’s Eve parties anymore; heck, I’m not even able to stay up past 10 o’clock to watch the ball drop in Time’s Square on television! Anyway, the last thing I ever needed after those late-night parties was to get up in the morning and face dirty dishes, full ashtrays, and stepped-on streamers. These days, why would I want to face leftover Christmas decorations all over the house?

      Somewhere along the way, someone said to me, “Why put off ‘till tomorrow what you can do today?“ I took that advice to heart, and it solidified into a life-long mantra. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an active “to-do” list, generally written down on paper, but also ever-present in my head. To-do lists are the hallmarks of a compulsive personality (or of someone afraid of losing her grip). Either way, the list describes a driven woman. Yep. That’s me.

     Relating that advice to Christmas, or any other big event within a specific time frame, there are only so many tomorrows onto which you can reasonably postpone the after-chores. For example, wedding etiquette “suggests” that you have six months post-ceremony in which to write and send your thank-you notes for gifts. Common etiquette also “suggests” prompt thank-you notes for any gifts for any occasion, as well as a prompt RSVP to any invitations to a special event. Of course, to the chagrin of party hosts, and the disappointment of grandparents everywhere, far too many people these days are either careless or clueless about any such social niceties. 

     Of course there are sometimes valid reasons for delayed responses. It’s not uncommon, for example, for Christmas decorations in churches and homes to be left up until at least January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, even sometimes a bit longer. There are also serious reasons, such as a family illness or sudden calamity, that necessitate suspending the urgency of a to-do list. And then there are those who, after years of doing what they are “supposed” to do, just say “Who cares?”  I have one friend who has so often left her Christmas tree up for months into the New Year that she ultimately decides in the fall that she just as well leave it there for a couple more months until December! 

     All I know is that the whole holiday season seems to have become one giant party leaving a giant holiday hangover in its wake. Even if you don’t host or attend actual parties, there are still all the leftovers of a party at home to be taken care of, not only seasonal decorations, but also dishes, serving pieces, and linens, gift boxes, wrapping paper and salvaged bows, phone calls, text messages, and e-mails to be answered, and yes, those actual leftovers in the fridge. The holiday dismantling and storing away takes almost as long as unpacking and setting up everything in the first place. 

     To be sure, lest I sound like a real Scrooge-ette, I am grateful that I have a home to decorate, a family for whom to cook and with whom to celebrate, and friends who care enough to get in touch, send cards or otherwise show that they are thinking of me. And I actually look forward to December 26th, not because I am eager to begin tackling the work of major clean-up, but because I really do enjoy some of the quieter, more contemplative activities such as journaling in my annual Christmas book, reviewing all my holiday photographs, and even writing a few thank-you notes. I make no big plans for the day after Christmas (which is also my Feast Day) other than to sleep late, enjoy examining some of my gifts, and maybe starting this year-end blog post. 

     So, I wish you all some peace and calm during these intermezzo days before the New Year. Certainly, we can all use the time to catch our collective breaths before the advent of 2026, which by all indications promises to be anything but peaceful and calm.