alternative christmas

If you can’t go to granny for Christmas this year, try something different.

How about a Canadian Christmas? Santa was declared a full Canadian citizen back in 2008 by Canada’s Immigration Minister. Since then, the Canadian government has repeatedly confirmed that it considers Santa a citizen, with all the rights and privileges that implies. He’s free to re-enter Canada, when he’s finished delivering presents all over the world as he was issued a Canadian passport in 2013 and Mrs. Claus got one too!

A 10Eighty favourite is the NORAD Santa tracker. Check it out on Christmas Eve. NORAD is busy preparing for its annual tradition of tracking Santa’s journey delivering gifts around the world. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the NORAD Tracks Santa program is on schedule and NORAD will track Santa on 24th December, as they have done every year since 1955. The NORAD online and social media experience will go live on 1st December and will provide information and games to get everyone ready for the big night. NORAD Tracks Santa will also provide daily updates to its 2.1 million social media followers across its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platforms.

Make merry

Christmas and New Year are the start of something new and the best way to capitalise on this idea is to make Christmas itself new, different and unusual.

Trade in the turkey for venison or halibut, swap the fruitcake for a stollen or brandied fruit ice-cream; ignore tradition and just make or buy your favourite things for an indulgent celebration tailored to your tastes. At 10Eighty we like to celebrate and champagne is a favourite tipple but mulled apple juice or rum punch are seasonal alternatives. Make this year one where you try new things and create new traditions.

Christmas in New Zealand is less about sleigh bells and snowmen and more about sun, beach cricket, sandals and barbecue, a properly alternative holiday. Its summer in New Zealand at Christmas time so the kids are off school and a typical Kiwi Christmas would entail a barbecue eaten outside, with a pavlova for pudding. Winters are now so mild in the UK that you could gamble on the weather and plan a barbecue while having a back-up plan for bad weather.

Be grateful

Spend time outdoors, chase squirrels in the park, visit an arboretum, or go to the beach, the holiday is good time to stretch your legs and blow away the cobwebs. Explore your own backyard, search for hedgehogs in the evening, look out for winter migrating birds. Make the most of being able to flex your workload and shake off the lockdown blues.

It hasn’t been a good year for a lot of people, as well as the ravages of the coronavirus, many people have lost their jobs or livelihoods. Those of us lucky enough to be able to make choices about how to celebrate should thank our lucky stars. We can decide not to eat turkey and we can also change our mind, many people around the world would envy that choice and freedom.

Despite a difficult year there is such a lot to be grateful for. Consider writing out a gratitude list, (apparently Oprah swears by them) to remind yourself how wonderful life really is, even when it isn’t. Make a daily gratitude journal by taking a pen or pencil and writing down by hand, on paper, things that you are grateful for; noting it in writing makes you approach the list with thoughtfulness and awareness.

Season’s greetings from the team at 10Eighty, we’re glad to know you and we’d love to hear from you. Keep safe and healthy and cheerful and we hope to meet up in the New Year.

Michael Moran

Michael is CEO and Founder of 10Eighty. He is passionate about helping people maximise their potential and believes everyone should have job satisfaction and a successful career. He helps organisations design jobs and career paths that maximise employee engagement. As an avid reader/commentator on the world of work and sport, he regularly draws parallels between the two. You could describe Michael as a budding author with “The Guide to Everlasting Employability” already under his belt, and technophile who’s created 2 career management apps to help people manage their careers.

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