‘Tis that time of year again

It’s officially less then a week until Santa Claus comes to town.

As the song goes, tis the season to be jolly. But all too often, we often find ourselves anything but at this time of year.

While tidings of good cheer are spread, a fair amount of us do succumb to the stress that the holiday brings.

After all, there is a lot to do at this time of year, and whether you celebrate Christmas or not, there is intense pressure in December to be happy no matter what.

After all, it is a joyous season. Friends, family, gifts, lights, magic… the list is seemingly endless with reason why you should be happy.

But of course, those centuries old carols fail to mention the mad rush to buy meaningful — and often increasingly expensive — gifts for loved ones, the tangled lights, the tree stand that won’t stand up straight, and 12 hours it takes to make dinner for everyone and that one relative who makes the mistake of mentioning politics, to name a few.

Not to mention how we’re bombarded with Christmas before Halloween is even over. We get it, in Alberta, you kind of need to get your lights up early due to our infamous winters — although given the nearly month-long warm spell we’ve had, you could have waited until last week to get your lights up this year — but at least give other holidays a chance and wait until after Remembrance Day before you break out the nutcrackers.

It’s enough to bring out the inner-Grinch in all of us. How does he put it in that famous Dr. Seuss story? “Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!”

And it’s true. We can often find ourselves distracted by all the ‘noise’ of the holiday season, that we can often forget that it is indeed a joyous time. In addition to Christmas, there are Hanukkah celebrations and with the ringing in of the New Year.

If holidays aren’t your thing, remember that Dec. 21 is the winter solstice — or the longest night of the year. That means every day afterwards is going to be longer, something that is always welcomed by us in the northern hemisphere. Dec. 21 also marks the first official day of winter — the unofficial season of Canada.

And yes, outdoor lights are technically a holiday thing, but they do look so pretty at light and, excuse the pun, can certainly light up the night.

The winter Olympics are also going in the new year, which also ignites a sense of national pride — we can’t help it if we’re so good at winter sports.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was also released last week, and for any Star Wars fan, new or old, that is plenty cause for celebration, even if a few critics think it’s too long. True fans say that it just means there is more to love.

It is easy to get overwhelmed during the holidays; the sheer much-ness of it all can be exhausting. So please do remember to step back and take a breath. It’s okay to not do it all. Even the Grinch himself, once he removed what he perceived to be the problem, discovered the spirit of the holiday in the end.

The staff at the Sunny South News would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays this season. May your lights be bright and you never run out of eggnog.

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