Holiday Struggles

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. This jingle often hits the air ways as it announces that the holiday season is upon us. As the weather gets colder, our hearts warm up with anticipation of the festivities to come. Gatherings with family and loved ones along with social events and activities fill up our calendars. With that come so many occasions where you will be tempted and ultimately tested as the common denominator in all of these affairs is food.

First we have all the office parties. You notice that the word party is written in the plural form. This is because that not only are you invited to your work team Christmas lunch, you are also invited to the lunch of your section, division, directorate and the entire organization. Needless to say, attending all of these lunches can be overwhelming. To ease that burden, I usually decline most of these invitations for reasons beyond the temptation of over indulging in restaurant food.

In preparation for Christmas, many people put up various decorations. Along with these lights and ornaments, certain treats and delicacies are prepared. Ginger bread houses, sugar cookies, rum cakes and krémas are just a few goodies that a prepared, shared or gifted during the holidays. Whether you’re at work, at an event or at home, these treats are often offered for your savouring. One of my favorite holiday treat is the Toblerone chocolate bar. This Swiss Alps shaped milk chocolate and almond nougat goodness is an annual stocking stuffer.

Finally, we have the family engagements. Depending on your culture, traditions, and family dynamics this may involve several dinners and parties. In my culture we do a réveillon on Christmas Eve. We usually eat a feast around 9pm and stay up snacking until the morning hour…this year wasn’t any different.  Leftovers last a few days and the treats keep piling on. I try to tell myself that this year will be different. But the struggle to resist over indulging still remains.

Lenard Sémajuste