In the busyness and chaos of presents, tinsel and trees, it can sometimes be tricky to take a moment to appreciate what the true meaning of the holidays are Of course it will mean different things to different people. For some it is a break or holiday, for others the holidays have deep religious significance and there is of course, no right or wrong. For some the holidays means togetherness, for others loneliness. But when did it become more about gift giving than about celebrating the holiday traditions? Or better yet where did the spirit of Christmas and other holidays go, there are a few key aspects to the holidays that are supposed to be out and sometimes it feels as if some or most of us sometimes forget around this time of year.

Number1: Generosity, Christmas often inspires us to be charitable, wanting to reach out and be involved with the community, lending a helping hand wherever we can. In Sydney Australia, few weeks before Christmas, it is impossible to volunteer at any charity to help with Christmas lunch, as all places are oversubscribed with volunteers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this Christmas spirit flowed onto the rest of the year too? When it comes to giving gifts, it is wonderful to make someone else happy. While giving you the added benefit of being happy, as you share their joy. Another way to give, is to give people your full attention by being fully “there” or present for them. You listen to them with compassion and empathy while seeing the best in them. The gift of love and support is one of the most generous gifts you can give.

Number2: Family The true meaning of Christmas can be the gathering together with the people you love. This could be your immediate family, extended family, friends or with complete strangers. The true meaning of Christmas can extend to your global family. It can be inviting someone who is lonely, an elderly neighbor, someone who is homeless or a refugee over for lunch or Christmas dinner. Sharing love and joy and connecting with our fellow human beings no matter who they are, is what the true spirit of Christmas is all about. And lastly

Number3: Love, Joy, and Fun: There are many different types of love: self-love, unconditional love, romantic love, friendly love, familial love. Christmas can be a combination of them all. Everyone wants to be loving and happy. It is easy to forget amongst the stress and chaos of everyday life that happiness is our true nature. Christmas day or the day you celebrate is a happy,

joyous day as it is a celebration of new life, new beliefs, new goals. Christmas can be a time to commit to your joyous self. Christmas is a time to be generous and forgiving. Set your intent to be loving and tolerant and spread joy by giving good vibes to all that you meet, regardless of their behavior.

That is what we need to remember and where we need to get to this holiday season we need to remember those 3 things, and never forget it’s not about the stuff on our list or the gifts we get its about the generosity of the season, the love and joy. Hug your loved ones extra long, smile, and remember you make the holiday season lets make it a great one!

Happy Holidays from PinkPenguin, Kyron79 and our family!

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