Christmas joy and a Happy New Year.

I penned half of this essay two weeks ago, but seasonal events overtook my planning, and then suddenly, here we are, the start of 2025.

Ten weeks ago, I started my Christmas inventory and had a Christmas plan rather than leaving it to the last-minute panic rush.

Then, the big day arrived with the usual aplomb and ceremony; all this for three days, well I suppose one, really!

And although this Christmas and New Year went like a dream, not to boast here, I can't figure out why.

I felt more organised and in control. Was it luck or better organisation, although it didn't feel like it, or maybe I wasn't that fussed, unlike other years past?

I was fortunate this year, and so was my husband. Whenever Christmas falls mid-week, we have more days off work.

Most of the companies I work with closed on or before 23rd December, leaving us with a week off from work and business - such joy.

The inbox was slow, only sending emails reminding me of upcoming sales promotions.

It is the one time of the year when I can enjoy the downtime from work and my task list without commitments or pressing engagements.

Several newsletters I read on Substack described Christmas as just another ordinary day, questioning the fuss and expense surrounding it.

I agree and disagree with equal measures.

After every Christmas, I tell myself that we are going away or that I'm buying everything instead of making homemade cake and puddings because it leaves me frazzled.

And left shattered, barely able to stand on Christmas Eve and not through booze either - just sheer bloody exhaustion from all the preparation.

It takes the best part of January to recover, get my energy back and get up to speed.

Despite its challenges, Christmas is more than just the celebration of the birth of Christ or the nativity, regardless of personal beliefs.

It is a time for giving, kindness, love, and togetherness—a moment when we come together to make the most of every minute.

This year's Christmas was significant since it was the last one we would spend as a family of four.

Our eldest son is buying a house with his partner and will naturally want to celebrate his first Christmas in their new home.

As a mother, I share a raft of Christmas memories with my children.

Joy, fun, and laughter—the jingle of Santa's bells—as my husband and I crept into the boys' bedrooms with their Christmas stockings, seeking to recreate Santa's reindeer.

This festive time is also a time of reflection and togetherness, a time for reconnecting with family and friends, and I am genuinely grateful for that as I think about those far less fortunate than I am.

Christmas is a tradition that embodies core values of love, kindness, giving, sharing, generosity, empathy, and goodwill, which are sadly often lacking in our society.

Christmas represents the heart of the above, and while the New Year comes around way too quickly, it symbolises new beginnings.

It is a time of quiet reflection on past and future accomplishments when we eagerly anticipate the future.

New Year aspires to global peace, harmony and progress; it represents the transition from one year to the next by symbolising the passage of time and the importance of living purposefully.

It embodies hope, renewal, and growth—or, as my husband says, a new start and a time to look forward, not back.

Starting back on 2nd January is like starting over again, only hopefully, this time it's better.

My shoulders droop at the prospect of doing it all again while simultaneously grateful for a job.

The weight of knowing we are beginning something new versus the excitement of what the future might hold, what events to look forward to, and what accomplishments might be ticked off this year.

A new year requires momentum, and that's what I've been doing for the last few days.

I am setting up my Filofax (yes, I love the physical act of writing things down) for 2025.

My journal is prepped with my aspirations and things I want to accomplish this year.

Whatever, I am starting the new year with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose.

Give it two weeks, and my goals will undoubtedly be cast aside.

Only then will I plod like the rest of us.

Here's wishing you a wonderful, prosperous and healthy new year.