CHERISHING WHAT MATTERS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

​The Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognizes the importance of love, family, and friends during the holiday season.  Our daily routines that encompass a multitude of activities throughout the year, are making it harder to find enough free time to spend with loved ones. During this time of year, it is easy to get pulled into commercialism and forget about what is really important.  However, the holidays are a perfect escape from the demands of everyday life and a chance to make priceless memories that last a lifetime.

Sharing pre and post-holiday happiness is a benefits of spending time with family.  For some, planning holidays in advance stimulates the brain to produce more “happy” hormones. This results in a cheerful, more positive attitude that increases performance and lasts for a couple of weeks after the holiday.  Disconnecting from the digital world is an additional benefit that highlights the importance of face-to-face conversations with family members.

While the holidays are about spending time celebrating the season, giving gifts and indulging in delicious foods, the spending on get-togethers, holiday events and gift exchanges adds up.  The good news is that there are affordable ways to spend quality time with family this holiday season.  A few suggestions include attending holiday markets and events, evening walks, baking cookies, making homemade decorations for the Christmas tree, special breakfast pancakes and family photos.  A unique idea on family togetherness is creating a family time capsule.  Choose a time this holiday season for everyone in the family to write out things they are grateful for and include a small item representing who you are this year.  Put the notes and items in a small box or keep the time capsules together in one bigger box for everyone to look back on each year.

One tradition my family and I have is selecting an ornament that has a significant meaning from the current year.  Our gathering includes sharing the meaning of each ornament and hanging them on the Christmas tree.  No matter what your age, the holidays are a special time when you can feel loved and supported.  Make it a point this season to enjoy the company of those you care about most.  It will make your holidays that much brighter!

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