The holidays are one of the most magical and comforting times of the year, but always tend to coincide with feelings of stress and chaos. We often feel pressure to make the holidays perfect. But the question remains, when did the holidays become about perfection rather than fun? 

My favorite Christmas memory was when my family had the ugliest tree. It was so bare of pine-needles that you could see the trunk all the way through, and had sap consistently dripping everywhere. However, when I think back, I remember trudging to the backyard to cut down a tree during Covid-19 and laughing over the eye-sore clay ornaments that we had made as kids. 

The holidays are about spending time with our loved ones, whoever they are, and reminiscing on and creating memories. You’re not going to remember the hours of cleaning that went into hosting Thanksgiving day or a family Christmas party. But you may remember the laughter that occurred after almost dropping the turkey or setting off the smoke alarm baking Christmas cookies. 

It’s okay when things go array during the holidays. Society has implemented a lingering standard of perfection that induces stress when the standard isn’t met. However, perfection isn’t achievable and isn’t a standard. Focusing on trying to achieve a picture-perfect moment is always going to leave you feeling inadequate after the gathering ends. 

Social media has also been a large contributor to this standard of perfection. When you’ve spent the all your time trying to create a flawless day, everything you’ve done is going to feel insufficient scrolling through your friends’ “perfect” days. In reality, everybody is stressed and feeling this societal pressure, rather than spending the day filled with fun. 

I recommend you to let go of the guilt of attempting a perfect holiday season. Things are bound to go wrong in some aspect, but why allow some inconvenience to spoil your entire day? In this holiday season, let’s create some new traditions that embrace the chaos. Instead of turning to anger when a problem occurs, laugh it off and turn on some holiday music. Don’t let it get the best of you!

After hours of setting up decorations and untangling all of the Christmas lights, are they still falling down? It’s the effort that counts! Did you run out of milk during the day and you now don’t have any to set out for Santa? I’m sure Santa still drinks water or juice. Did you accidentally burn the sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving? The top may be salvageable and everybody will just be glad that they get to spend time with you. 

As the holidays get closer, don’t be afraid to embrace the mess. Make an extra plate on Thanksgiving, or grab a couple extra Christmas cookies. The holidays only come once a year and you deserve to feel the magic and love of the holiday season.