Guilt-Free Holidays
Handling the Holidays with Grace
November 2026
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and His kingdom will have no end.”
Luke 1:31-33
The holidays are upon us. Are you feeling excited, anticipating the fun of traditions or are you already overwhelmed with the thoughts of preparation? Do the holidays bring pleasant memories of family and friends or memories of disappointment?
It’s a new year, and you can choose to remake your holidays to include moments of rest, tidbits of delight, and days of peace.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Ask yourself why you are celebrating the holiday. If your answer includes the word expectations, it’s time to remake your holiday.
2. What are you celebrating? Start there and ask yourself what traditions you have that help you to celebrate for the right reasons. Prioritize and keep the ones that you enjoy and have great meaning.
3. Decide if there are other activities that you would like to include in your list.
4. Decide on a timeline. Remember that with kids, the fewer the days of preparation and expectation, the better. Maybe hold off putting up your Christmas tree until a week before Christmas and celebrate for a week or two rather than for an entire month. Others will want to milk as much as you can from everyday leading up to the holiday. No right or wrong.
5. Instead of trying to get to every holiday festivity around town, choose one or two. Invite a friend along and add a favorite drink or dessert afterwards to make the most of the time.
6. Schedule rest and pampering moments. I like to choose a holiday book and enjoy a chapter in the middle of the day. My husband and I will cozy up to the fire and watch a holiday movie.
7. Decide on no guilt. From gifts to activities, choose for you and your family and avoid expectations from others. With 14 grandchildren, we choose to give family gifts or family passes to a zoo or museum instead of individual gifts. We used to make all our gifts. Now I do, if I want to and the inspiration hits.
8. If you have a large family, start looking for gifts in January for the next holiday season.
9. If you are alone this holiday season, reach out to others. Think about joining a nursing home or senior center for a meal, serve at Salvation Army, invite others who are lonely over or bake pies for a shut-in. Giving can bring the holiday spirit into your heart.
10. Enjoy the moments and refuse to stress over the details. The day will come and go, memories – good, funny, warm, even difficult – will be made. Nothing will be perfect, but you will still be loved.
I hope your holidays are stress free, filled with wonder, and focused of Jesus.
It’s the little things that matter. Make each moment a moment of joy.
As you plan for next year, Practical Proverbs for the Younger and Older Student have lessons about contentment and our responses to hard things that happen. They provide excellent opportunities for discussions on tough subjects with some fun thrown in!
https://www.abidingtruthministry.com/store
A great way to start each day in 2027 is with a devotion based on God’s Word including historical events.Try On this Day: A Daily Guide to Spiritual Lessons from American History.
