As I’ve shared before, December brings out my inner Scrooge. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, I dread the extra tasks, the shopping, the stuff. All the excess literal and mental junk saps my energy and clutters my brain. Conversely, my most wonderful time of the year happens in the days AFTER Christmas. Unlike the people who feel let down post-holiday, I surge with enthusiasm. With the presents unwrapped and put away, the holiday treats eaten, and some of the decorations removed, I have space to breathe again. I turn to the first crisp page of my new planner and smile.
Not everyone feels this way. For some, the space between the holidays and the New Year feels empty, strange. The main event we’ve been looking forward to has passed, but the New Year hasn’t yet begun. We can describe this time as liminal, from the Latin root limen, meaning threshold.
Liminal: adjective that means of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition.
Merriam Webster
You can use liminal to describe an “in-between” or transition, either physical or metaphorical. Often, people feel uncomfortable in liminal spaces – they are leaving the past behind and don’t know what lies ahead. The unknown can be scary.
Or, it can promise possibility!
During this liminal time each year, when I’m not back to my regular routine but no longer celebrating with family, I use the time to regroup, reflect, and plan for the year ahead. I clean up the Christmas clutter – although most decorations stay up “at least for 12 days,” insists child #4. I sort through closets and make piles for the dump and Goodwill. I flip through the pages of my nearly filled Moleskin Journal to remind myself of what I learned and enjoyed and struggled with in the previous year. I make notes, set goals. Then I break out the new planners, calendars, and journals, excited for opportunities ahead and the chance to refocus my energy.
I also allow myself extra rest to recover from the December busyness and prepare for new activities in January. This morning, I read in bed for an hour, something I haven’t done for years. Only in this liminal space would I have time to do such a thing.
Oh happy day, December 30!
If you’re feeling let down by the passing of the holidays, cheer yourself up by reflecting on what went well this year, what you’d like to carry with you into the New Year, and what things you’d like to try. Also, if “outer order promotes inner calm” for you as much as is does for me, tackle a closet you’ve been avoiding. You’ll feel accomplished when you are done!
How you are using this liminal time? Leave a note in the comments.
Thanks for getting reflective with me! And Happy New Year!
