The holidays are a time for making other people happy. While finding the perfect gifts for our friends and family members is an important part of the process, our efforts to spread joy don’t have to stop there. Living up to the spirit of Christmas can involve a number of different ways to make others happy.
Let’s take a look at some stand-out ways to spread joy this holiday season:
Funny e-cards
Sending out cards to friends and relatives is a time-honored holiday tradition. While there’s nothing wrong with the traditional approach, consider spicing things up a little with funny e-cards. These personalized Christmas cards involve superimposing the faces of you and your family onto characters within an animated video. Typically accompanied by classic holiday songs, these videos are designed to be hilarious. They’re sure to make the recipients laugh out loud, generating joy via whimsical humor.
Delicious cookies
Who doesn’t enjoy the taste of a delicious cookie? Bake a big batch of Christmas cookies to send to friends and family this holiday season. If possible, make several different varieties and mix them into an assortment. This helps to ensure those with a fondness for a particular style of cookie get what they want. What’s more, the baking process can be fun for you and your kids, making Christmas cookies an all-around great way to spread joy.
Charitable donations
Whether it’s participating in toy drives or monetary contributions to worthy causes, charitable donations are a fantastic way to spread joy to others this holiday season. Consider putting money aside for one or more charities. If you’re unsure of which organizations to give to, consult the Consumer Reports list of the best and worst charities for your donations. Their guide includes links to watchdog groups that allow users to search for specific charities to see if they’re worthy causes.
Good works
Another option for those interested in spreading joy to strangers this holiday season is to volunteer their time. While helping out at the local soup kitchen is the go-to choice, there are numerous other options to consider. For instance, you could volunteer at a senior center. If you wish to spread joy to dogs and cats, spend time at your local animal shelter. These and other volunteer efforts are sure to help spread joy during the time of year where it matters most. In fact, you might end up enjoying it so much you continue to volunteer your time into the new year.
Friendly demeanor
While we often think of the holidays as a time when everyone is naturally chipper and upbeat, the reality is often different. Between the days getting dark early, the hazards of winter weather, and hassles of holiday shopping, it’s easy for people to feel cranky and upset. Those who wish to spread joy during this time of year ought to take steps to be as friendly and patient as possible. Your positive demeanor will rub off on other people. It might not convert every Scrooge and Grinch out there, but being friendly will certainly help to make the holidays more joyful for yourself and many others.
The Christmas season is considered the happiest time of the year for most people. However, the truth is it’s easy to take holiday joy for granted. Spreading joy to others is something that calls for care and consideration. After all, making an earnest effort to make others happy is the most important part of the holiday season.
