A snippet from an article I wrote recently for Christian Today:
Domestic violence incidents spike at Christmas. In fact, all kinds of violence escalate at this time of the year. Brawls from heavy drinking, drug-taking and the tensions in families, keep police, ambulance and hospitals excessively busy. Supposedly this is the happiest time of the year when people can take a break from their jobs, relax and enjoy spending time with their families. Yet for a growing number of people, this isn’t the case. If our celebrations are causing so much harm, is it time to rethink this annual holiday?
It’s not just our emergency services that are under pressure at Christmas. It happens in regular families. I didn’t grow up in a family that attended church, but I married into one that did. Christmas brought a clash of values, culture and traditions that made it a stressful time. Despite my husband’s and my willingness to be flexible, we could never organise a Christmas celebration that pleased everyone.
In the rest of the article, I share three ideas to make Christmas less stressful this year. To read the article, click here.
