Create a Christmas feast for the senses

September 22, 2021 0 Comments

This is my daughter’s first Christmas. Naomi will be almost nine months old and eager to explore all that the vacation has to offer. Within a few weeks after conception, babies develop a sense of touch, followed by taste, smell, hearing, and sight in that order. At birth, babies have all the senses that they will have throughout their lives, they only wait for sensory experiences to learn about the world. The senses quickly become more acute, until adulthood, when they are taken for granted. Each sense has its own role to help create a magical memory, whether you are celebrating Solstice, Diwali, Saint Lucia’s Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, First Night, or Festivus. This year, relive the holidays as a child. Even if this is not your first Christmas, you can make it joyful and loving using all of your senses.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Sight is the least developed sense at birth, but one that we use on a daily basis without much appreciation. A thousand years ago, Saint Francis of Assisi tried to explain the first Christmas to people who did not speak his language. The natural solution to overcome this barrier was to tell the story with images. Church nurseries had become excessively precious and expensive, but Francis wanted to tell the poor about the humble beginnings of the Child Jesus. And so the first live birth was created, complete with donkey and stable, to make it clear that God’s love is not reserved for the rich. You can use your sense of sight to spend a happy vacation by attending a live performance at a local theater or driving to find the best light displays in the neighborhood. Bundle up and walk outside on a wintry night to find the Star of Bethlehem shining. Decorate with bright colors and bright decorations. Feel the anticipation of the season with the candles lit one by one. Read classic children’s stories like The Polar Express, The Gift of the Magi, or How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And don’t turn into SAD (seasonal affective disorder) – Invest in some good full-spectrum light bulbs to combat the effects of winter.

LISTEN TO THE WONDER

Sleigh bells ringing, snow crunching, reindeer chewing; Of all the joyous sounds of the holidays, these are not the ones I remember the most. It is the Christmas music that I carry with me all year. Make your ears an active participant in this year’s festivities by attending a local concert or singing to your own Messiah. Play Christmas CDs at home
(or work if you dare) and sing as loud as you can. To instantly brighten your spirits, have lunch at a neighborhood playground and listen to the laughter of children.

SMELL THE MAGIC

When you smell a smell, you don’t think, you react. The sense of smell is linked to the part of our brain that controls our emotions, breathing, and heart rate and has the longest lasting memories. Smell is estimated to be 10,000 times more sensitive than other senses. Remember the comforting aroma of baked sugar cookies or coffee made in your mom’s kitchen? This Christmas, breathe in the fresh scent of evergreen wreaths, the spicy fragrance of gingerbread, or the bouquet of juicy tangerines (a favorite filler for socks). To perfume your home, make your own Christmas potpourri on the stovetop by simply simmering orange slices and cinnamon sticks in a pot of water.

TASTE THE JOY

Turn on the oven … raise the joy. Get comfortable with Christmas traditions by keeping a tried and true family recipe, or break new ground and create your own. Do you want to honor a cultural heritage or celebrate a different holiday this year? Try a new recipe and make blinis, stuffed grape leaves, tamales, latkes, babaganoush, pad thai, or some Joululimppa. Indulge in a creamy chocolate truffle, some crunchy peppermint candy canes, or my favorite savory Chex Party Mix. Use all your taste buds: salty, sour, sweet, sour. Low in carbohydrates? Who cares! Stop obsessing over and celebrate.

FEEL THE LOVE

Touch is the first sensation that develops in the womb and the last that we lose. This Christmas, reach out and touch someone with a hug. Hugs are one-size-fits-all, returnable, everyone needs one, and they’re free. Don’t be stingy with hugs, give and receive and give again. Hugs are the only gift you can “give away” without regret. After all, this is the season of love, and what better way to show it than with hugs and a few flung kisses just in case. We are the arms and legs of God, so use them. Volunteer at a nursing home or hospital and hold the hand of someone in need. On December 26, when Christmas is over and all senses explored, I want my daughter to know the true meaning. I want her to remember hugs and know that joy comes from love.

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