Chief Editor’s Note: A Not So Merry Christmas

Christmas - the most magical time of the year. Time to finally rest, enjoy the breath-taking winter landscapes and spend time with family. It’s like the whole month of December is leading up to this wonderful holiday. The joyous atmosphere catches fire early, and later during last days of the month the excitement is unbearable; the main event is just waiting there around the corner. Many people take long breaks from work or school, and travel far away to be with their families. Others have a shorter distance which perhaps allows them more time with their loved ones. In any case, the spirit of Christmas is greatly associated with that of getting together and expressing gratitude towards one’s relatives. 

At the same time; however, there are countless people trying to figure out what to say to their families when Christmas is brought up. How to tell them ‘I don’t plan on spending this holiday with you’. The subject can be a difficult one depending on the family. Likewise, people can have several reasons for not wishing to celebrate the holidays with their family to begin with. It can have to do with financial matters or mental health related reasons. Regardless, I think the part everyone should be mindful of is that people have the right to choose for themselves. I’m mainly talking about adults here, but the same can be applied to children as well. Why would you, as a parent, drag your child to celebrate Christmas with a specific relative if it causes them more tears than laughter? Shouldn’t you try your absolute best to not make your children’s celebrations more stressful than necessary? 

Sadly, the holidays are a time of painful memories and unwanted feelings for many people. The sparkling decorations may remind someone of how dark the world really is. Someone can see a pile of presents and be reminded of their loneliness. The people deciding to stay home alone instead of driving to their family home may still feel anxious throughout the long nights. I myself belong to the group of people who don’t spend their holidays at home. Moreover, I’m not celebrating Christmas at all. Not in any form whatsoever, neither this year nor any other year to come it looks like. That’s why I personally believe the famous ‘holiday spirit’ is so important during these lonesome months of the year; we need to be kind and loving even if people make choices different to those of our own. The spirit of Christmas is not merely about shared blood relations, in my opinion, but about respect more generally and wishing everyone to feel safe. 

Having said that, fears related to family and the holidays are all still valid; it’s really scary to go against the system. Society has taught us to appreciate, love and cling onto our family. When we go against the norms tied to family relations, that same society may judge us. It can make us feel like we don’t fit in anymore. That’s not true though - there is always a place for a person in a society. It may be different and not look the same way every other place does, but it’s a place. And all places are connected to other places. Alas, I would like to note that family doesn’t necessarily begin nor end with blood. Nevertheless, whether you’re spending the holiday season with your found family or not, I hope you do take care of yourself. 

This is the last issue published by BTSB for the year 2022! These past months I’ve had the privilege of experiencing as the new chief editor have been great, and I wish every person here at BTSB blessed holidays with plenty of rest. For this issue we have an inspiring selection of articles – perfect for those enjoying their holidays in solitude and the busy-bees celebrating with others. We have Annika sharing her thoughts about learning new skills as a grown-up. Audrey on the other hand inspires us with the perfect gift guide brough to life with the help of Hallmark movies. Robi discusses the dilemma of New Year’s resolutions, and I offer a poem speaking about the hardships of mental illnesses. 

I sincerely hope you, dear reader, enjoy this issue. See you next year!