Christmas often evokes tranquility, peace and rest, it is a time full of traditions that are repeated every year, when for various reasons we lose traditional meals or we cannot exchange gifts, Christmas is not the same, it is a festival that seems to lose a lot of meaning when Christmas traditions change.
Christmas is a sensory gift. The streetlights, the colors of the wrapping paper, the flavors of the dishes and the aromas of the drinks, is a mixture of sensations that we do not feel at any other time of the year, but above all, Christmas is a time to be with the family, reunite with loved ones and get out of the routine.
- Daily life is stressful.
- Consumes us and accumulates fatigues that can eventually become chronic.
- On the other hand.
- We face uncertainty.
- Which is often the best food for catastrophic thoughts.
For all this, many people need a time like Christmas, a special date each year to travel to childhood, claim the right to feel sad for those who are no longer present or have fun with those who spend most of the year away. to open gifts, but above all to receive hugs.
Festive traditions, from prayer to raising the cup to toast, are based on rituals. Laboratory experiments and field studies show that the structured and repetitive actions that are part of these rituals can act as an anxiety relief by making our world a more predictable place.
Of course, many of these rituals can also be performed at other times of the year, but at Christmas they become more important, they are celebrated in a special place (the family home) and with a special group of people (our closest relatives). friends).
So there are more people traveling at the end of the year than at any other time, meetings of people from faraway countries allow you to leave behind worries and reconnect with ancient family traditions.
There is no complete Christmas tradition without a festive meal, the long hours between the kitchens so that the food is delicious are compensated with the hours dedicated to tasting dishes or socializing for dessert. Also, unsurprisingly, special occasions require special meals. Recipes often contain secret ingredients, not only culinary, but also emotional.
Sharing food is a symbol of community, bringing the whole family around the table together and paving the way for conversations and relationships. Several studies have shown that performing a ritual before a meal improves the eating experience and makes the food tastier.
Other studies have shown that when children participate in the preparation of food, they like it more and that the longer it takes to prepare a dish, the more appreciated it, so it can be said that the effort and delay associated with banquets improve gastronomy. Experience.
One of the Christmas traditions is the exchange of gifts that, interpreted from a rational perspective, makes no sense. When we exchange gifts, money is recycled: one way or another, if we think about the value of the gifts we offer and those we offer. receive, calculations tend to be overridden.
From this point of view, buying the gift itself would be more effective, however, giving is an act that goes further: those present maintain social ties forcing us, even for a few minutes or hours, to think about each other.
Although the money is recycled, the satisfaction of giving and receiving gifts allows those who participate in their exchange to enjoy it, in addition, the extra money that is spent on Christmas is usually invested in gifts planned in advance, many people prefer to wait until Christmas to give away. something.
Without a doubt, the most important function of Christmas is to maintain and strengthen family ties, in fact, for parents who live far away, the rituals of these holidays can be the glue that binds the family. stronger ties with their families. In addition, having better memories of family rituals is associated with more positive interactions with children.
In short, rituals and customs are indicators of identity and belonging to the group, so this period full of Christmas traditions generates feelings of belonging and encourages generosity, perhaps it is just an excuse, but isn’t it worth it?