Well since you opted out of the number two way that people deal with this, at least the ones I know, which is by exercise, I just thought I'd submit the number one most popular way to deal with holiday stress in Christendom, both numerically as well as historically.
And it works for just about everyone in the family. There is a reason that so many of the popular holiday drinks are kind of fru-fru, like eggnog, mulled wine, hot buttered rum, brandy and coco, its so that grandma and the kids can have some too. Matter of fact, I bet the first time that lots of people get to drink with their family for the first time is stuff like eggnog and wine with Christmas dinner.
And for sure, if it's the twenty-second time you've heard Aunt Clara tell that damn endless story that goes nowhere that she always tells at the holiday gathering it sounds a lot better as you're working on your fourth or fifth egonog.
It's not like some weird fringe deal, the number one industry where I live is making wine, (and its swell buddies:champagne and brandy). The number one cash crop is mary jane. And remember, I'm in Northern California, its not 'recreational' it's 'medical.' ... see, I got's me a note from my doctor right here...
Of course, there is the way that most adult people I know deal with whatever family stress this holiday brings on. They don't do it. After all, it's your holiday too. Why be forced to spend it doing something you hate?
Think about this. Most resorts not only have the most expensive rates this time of year that they have for the whole year, they are also booked solid. Sure some of that is families doing the family thing - I know lots of families who go up to Tahoe and do that Black & White Christmas thing of hitting the ski slopes and the blackjack tables. But lots of resorts are filled with people 'getting away from it all' and mostly what they are getting away from is their own family.
Some ad on TV has this guy saying "It's your money, spend it when you want to" and I'm just saying "It's your holiday, spend it how you want to." Tell mom and pop's that next year you're going to Tahiti, or Breckenridge, or you going to LA or NYC. And do that.
Here is something that only City people types know for the most part, but the big hotels in the big cities have special Christmas Dinners that are AbFab. You don't have to cook at home, why not have four-star Jacques do it for you? And not only the cooking, other people do the clean up too. I did that once with friends back when all we all had was little studio apartments and no one had enough room to cook Xmas, much less serve it - and we sure didn't have the money to get back home, so... We got all slicked out and went to the Saint Francis and had a table for the 8 of us. One of the best times I've ever had at Xmas.
Other ideas!
-How come so many movies come out on Xmas day? Because, as it turns out, other people have trouble with their families too and find sitting with the lights out and making everyone else be quite for a few hours is well worth the price of a movie ticket. While there, you can meet up with all the people who don't celebrate Xmas at all who seem to find that December 25 is, as they say, Kung Pao and a movie day. (That's because Xmas is no big deal the Chinese Community and if you went to Chinatown in SF or LA on Xmas it would seem like any other normal business day, and that outside of the big hotels doing their special dinners, Chinese places are the only ones open.)
- For years I was alone in the big city for the holiday. And I would get with the girls from the Imperial Court, and we would all doll ourselves up in our bestest little Xmas outfits and hustle our little butts down to serve dinner and give out presents to homeless persons. And we went to do this, not at the sort of popular homeless meal place they show on TV, This was a few rungs below that, these were some very desperate persons. I dare you to do that and come away feeling either angry or hostile, or feeling anything that resembles self-pity. When we ended at about 3pm, I'd catch the bus that went right by there and ended up out at Land's End, and I'd walk the paths on top of the cliffs, watch the sun set into the Pacific and everything felt pretty good in my little world at that point. And if the whole homeless deal is too much for you, there are all sorts of people who need a little special service on Xmas day, so be of service.
- I know a pile of people, and I kind of indicated above that I'm sort of one of them, who know the Xmas day is the best day almost to get out and do something outdoorsy, you'll have pretty much the entire world to yourself. I've been out at the Coast on Xmas and didn't see another person the entire time. The Redwoods are dead quite. The bike trails all yours. No hordes of people trying to surf, just a few of the real die-hard, hard-core ones (who as it turns out are the most fun to watch too). Matter of fact, the early afternoon, say 12 to 4, is an awesome time for a hard core bike ride, as your hard pressed to ever find a time with so little traffic. It's like racing through the Day the Earth Stood Still.
