And here we are, once again, in the middle of the Christmas season.

For many a very negatively marked. Over the years we lose loved ones, who we miss every day. In my case, it was my mother, in 2014, and Christmas has never been the same.

For others, it’s another year, similar to so many others, spent with family.

What do we celebrate at Christmas? The birth of Jesus Christ. Was Jesus born on December 25th? It is not known. Some say yes, others point to before that date, but we will never be sure. as we say in Portugal: “Whoever tells a tale adds a point”. Imagine how many points have been added to the story of Jesus’s life, during these 2021 years of his “existence”.

According to the Christian faith, at Christmas we should celebrate love. After all, “God sacrificed his son for our sake.” The celebration should be spent with the family, or with those we consider dear.

However, fortunately or not (depending on one’s perspective 😉 ), Santa Claus took over the party. To the point that I had my students tell me that at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Santa Claus 😊 .

But it is true. At this time, we organize parties, exchange gifts, eat seasonal delicacies, see family members and mark another year’s end. I remember perfectly, as a little girl, starting to plan Christmas from the beginning of October, saving my allowance to buy gifts for my parents and sister, and, of course, saying what I wanted to receive. On the 1st of December the tree was set up and, when school tests were over, I was happily awaiting the arrival of my father from Paris. Christmas has always been a magical time in my house. My parents always insisted on that.



Now that I am more grown up, with other responsibilities, I have to organize myself better, otherwise, days go by and the tasks accumulate. After all, I’m the one who has to organize things now.

I am sharing a Christmas Planner, simple, but practical and objective, which allows me to have the situation more or less under control.

In this planner, I have included the tasks related to Christmas, such as, for example, the assembly of the Christmas tree, the house decorations, gifts, food shopping list, where we will spend Christmas Eve and with whom, as well as other important dates. In my case, both my daughter and my father have their birthdays right after Christmas, making it important to have their birthdays organized, with all that that entails.

I leave here the download link, for those who may find it useful.

The pandemic, once again, threatens to condition Christmas. The past year has been very difficult for many families who have not been able to get together. This year, I fear the same could happen, despite all efforts to the contrary.

The most important thing will be to value the life and health of those we love, avoiding giving too much importance to the material. The time we spend with our loved ones is the most important, because, unlike material possessions, this one is irreplaceable.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas.