90% of North Americans and 95% of Christians celebrate Christmas each year.
By | Karolina Baricevac
From graduations, to weddings, these past few years we have seen quite a few events be cancelled, while global occasions such as Christmas have also been more dispirited.
As a result, it can be tempting for many, especially teenagers, to downplay the magic of the holidays because of the various months spent focusing on the gloomy circumstances all around us, and throughout the world.
However, it is extremely important to engage in the celebrations and traditions for Christmas, upholding the same amount of excitement children display each year at this time.
Christmas has important cultural, social, and religious functions that enable friends and family to come together as one.
It is a special time of year that creates a sense of unity for many.
Therefore, it is a period of time that makes people forget about the problems in the world around them, and is scientifically proven to boost people’s mental health.
Naturally, with the pandemic, numerous people, more specifically young adults, refrain from showing outward excitement towards the holidays.
Personally, as a teenager, I know at times it may seem somewhat silly to find joy in participating in things like decorating gingerbread houses. It’s not the ‘cool’ thing to do…
Nevertheless, enabling myself to have that child-like excitement towards such things makes me profoundly more grateful for all the blessings in life.
Being desensitized to something as wholesome as Christmas is genuinely not healthy for a person, and can impact their mental health for the worse.
Staying fond of the simple traditions is what helps create a feeling of gratitude within us, and hopefully helps us to pay it forward.
It reminds us of the little things, and puts a pause on the stress of our day-to-day lives. Having a Stoic feeling towards the holidays does not make us “tough”, or more mature, rather, it intensifies a sense of disappointment within us, pushing us to focus on the negative aspects that may surround us.
At the end of the day, allowing ourselves to feel the anticipation, as well as the joy of Christmastime, is what makes the holidays worthwhile.