In praise of Girlsmas

With the holiday season focused on family gatherings and romantic moments, and with women's work behind the scenes driving the entire Christmas industry forward, we're proposing a different kind of celebration - or she-lebration: Girlsmas. It's a vibrant, festive alternative to traditional Christmas get-togethers that emphasizes friendship, empowerment, and mutual appreciation.

Girlsmas is the perfect way to spend the holidays if you're single, far from family, or you just don't want to buy in to the same-every-year gathering with all its stresses and expenses.

<subhead> Why Girlsmas?

Think about your childhood. Who made the magic of Christmas happen? More than likely it was the women in your life - your mom, aunts, grandmother, female family friends. Women do a disproportionate amount of planning, shopping, preparing, cooking, cleaning, and hosting at Christmas. There's a meme going around with two gift shopping lists on a page - one side says "Her" and the other says "Him", and the "Her" list contains a whole lot of people, from parents to kids to the dog-walker, while the "Him" list contains one word: "Her". It's not even funny how true that is.

So instead of continuing to make the magic happen for everyone else, why not make it happen for yourself and your female friends? In fact, why not get together and make the magic for each other instead of everyone else?

Girlsmas doesn't need to be fancy or impeccably hosted - it can be a deliberate shunning of all things "traditional holiday" and an embracing of what you really love. Get dressed up or dressed down (fuzzy slippers optional), get together at someone's house, and order takeout Chinese food or pizza - there will almost always be someplace open on Christmas for these purposes!

If you'd rather have home cooking, potluck-style is the way to go - but with a twist. Have everyone bring their all-time favorite food along, whether it's festive or not, and revel in enjoying what you really like to eat. When it comes to drinks, pitch in to hire a mixologist to look after the celebration, or just get everyone to bring their fave drinks too.

You don't need to decorate if you don't want to, but you could do some activities or games together - decorating pre-made gingerbread houses or cookies can be fun, and you get to eat what you create. Board games or even video games are all part of the fun. Or not - maybe you want to set up beanbags and cosy cushions and let people bring a book to read while they curl up in front of the Christmas tree lights. Watch movies - Christmas-themed or blatantly not-Christmas-themed - or have a Schitt's Creek marathon. The point is, no one needs to do something that feels uncomfortable. Just chill together, in whatever way feels authentic.

If you want to do a gift exchange, stick to a theme like self-care, or consider a "favorite things" swap where everyone brings enough of a small, inexpensive item to be able to give one each to the attendees - like a lip balm or favorite candy. Another fun idea is to bring along a terrible gift you've received sometime this year and regift it at a White Elephant-type of exchange, which can result in hilarity (and some really good stories).

Girlsmas is more than just a party or an excuse to get together. It's a celebration of the unique bonds among women. Focusing on friendship and shared experiences can bring you true joy - not the forced tinsel-bedecked brittle smiles of hosting Christmas for people who turn up, eat all your food, and then sit around while you do the cleaning-up, but the kind of authentic joy that comes from being with people you appreciate and who appreciate you. Who knows? Maybe this new tradition will be your go-to going forward, and maybe the holidays will transform into a time you'll love celebrating instead of feeling like you're braced for impact.