Lived Experience Forum

[batty30]

It might sound funny but I've actually really enjoyed looking at other cultures christmas traditions. Particularly austrian and icelandic! I just love Krampus, the Yule cat, the Yule Lads etc... So much more interesting to me.

[Patches59]

@Healandlove  That makes sense to me. I’m a survivor of childhood trauma who yearns for family contact/support.  Also may be why memories and photos prior to me being 11 year old are special to me. At that stage I was surrounded and supported by lots of family from my grand mother down

[BigSkyCat]

'You are not what happened to you" love this @Healandlove

[TideisTurning]

That sounds really interesting @batty30 

[amber22]

That sounds very cool! Looking into other peoples traditions might spark some ideas for yourself too! @batty30 

[batty30]

@TideisTurning @amber22  I recently learned about an Icelandic christmas eve tradition called Jolabokaflod, translating to "Christmas Book Flood." It involves giving and receiving new books, but its "essence lies in the joy of reading them together."

[Healandlove]

@Patches59 I am so glad you have those photos to comfort you. 🥰

[Glisten]

@Patches59  When I lost mom, I lost all the women in my family.

I’ve reconnected with my Uncle, Aunt and cousin, but I still sense their void of my mother.

[Stara]

I love all the suggestions. I have really tried to dial down the pressure and feeling that I need to do holidays a certain way. I don't have my child with me this year but I found a friend who also doesn't have her kids so we're having breakfast 🥞. Last Nye was tough so I just put on the ABC and pretended I was at the Harbour. I also went to bed at 9pm and that's ok too

[BigSkyCat]

It's great the way you both found that informal peer support together @Stara