Poor January and February don’t seem to be very popular months in the northern hemisphere. Warmer months of the year invite plenty of outdoor fun and festivities, and any unpleasantness brought on by the decreasing temperatures and darker days in December is generally alleviated by the first month of winter’s festive holiday spirit. After December, however, people tend to have less to look forward to in the coming months other than bearing the cold and working hard to make up for taking time off over the holidays.
At first glance, January is rather unimpressive compared to December. For me, even though my birthday is in January, birthdays in adulthood don’t carry the same excitement and anticipation as childhood birthdays. Nor do tasks like shoveling snow out from around your tires on the street at 6:00 or 7:00 AM before work (as a child, our only task revolving around snow was building the biggest snow fort!).
February doesn’t appear to be much more exciting, either. While decorating pretty Valentines shoe boxes in elementary school classes in February was always fun, nowadays Valentine’s Day isn’t as thrilling since the only activity typically involves scheduling dinner reservations at a swank restaurant (or, if you’re me and you forgot to make reservations back in October, detouring to the nearest ethnic restaurant since they’re somehow never full on Valentine’s Day – and often much tastier).
Rather than continue to be disappointed by the first two months of the year, what if we learn to make new traditions and perhaps enrich how we experience other holidays during this season? We need more traditions to look forward to in the first two months of the year in order to combat the increasingly gray days and colder temperatures. Let’s delve into some ideas for fun new seasonal traditions and for fresh ways to observe this season’s holidays.
January: Get Organized Month
Truly a clean start to the year, January is Get Organized Month. This can encompass both our inner space and our physical home. It is true that getting organized is so much easier said than done. I am never quite as organized as I would like to be, but that is why it is important to remember that even small things can make a difference. Don’t go about trying to clean the entire house if you cannot fathom where you will find the time before next Christmas. Just take a moment to brainstorm what would be most helpful and feasible to do now, and take action.
Martin Luther King Day
Martin Luther King Day is on January 18th this year. We can honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by finding local MLK Day events to commemorate the impact of his life on the Civil Rights movement and American history. Check events in your community to find a parade, candlelit vigil, educational program at the library, or other such activities in which you can participate.
Volunteering with organizations that work toward racial equality is the most impactful way to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, whether during the holiday or any time of the year. We can join Black Lives Matter gatherings at universities and places of worship or, if unable to find or participate in local events, we can show our support by donating to any organization that promotes equality for a historically underprivileged group of people. Remember, you may be only one person but the candle you light, whether figurative or literal, is one light closer to illuminating injustice and empowering positive forward movement together.
February: Black History Month
In February, we can celebrate Black History Month by choosing to learn more about the rich African American history that continues to this day. If you cannot find a program or event at your local library or community, reach out to your friends and family to see whether there are any untold stories from which you can learn or from which your children can learn.
I attended a business event several years ago in which a young black entrepreneur spoke about her business, Travel Noire. Zim Ugochukwu discussed her personal history and the events in her life that eventually inspired her to begin a blog about traveling black. Not only was she the first woman I knew of to create a successful and impactful online business, but she tapped into a much needed niche that was inspired by her own travel experiences. I learned about situations that I, as a white person, have never encountered, and I am grateful that she shared what she experienced as a black woman. Our lives are always enriched when we expand our awareness by listening to others’ stories.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, or the Lunar New Year, can come as early as January 21st or as late as February 20th. In 2024, it occurs on February 10th. It can be tricky to find public celebrations in much of the non-metropolitan USA, but you may find celebrations at Chinese establishments or other cultural organizations. Or host your own Chinese New Year party!
My husband and I enjoyed our first dragon dance at a local Asian restaurant when we celebrated the New Year several years ago, and my friends and I enjoyed making red paper cutouts with Chinese characters to display on our windows and doors. If you have any leftover red and gold decor from Christmas, this is a timely way to incorporate that (and same with Valentine’s Day on February 14th).
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras culminates with Fat Tuesday and sometimes falls in March but is often in February. Mardi Gras celebrations usually revolve around parties and, depending on where you live, parades, festivals and music events. If you want to celebrate but can’t find local opportunities, you can easily host a fun Mardi Gras theme party with festive foods, libations, music and games.
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day has always been a favourite minor holiday regardless of age or relationship status. It’s probably the reason I’ve always loved the pink and red combo (and it helps that I love beauty and am a romantic at heart)!
Valentine’s Day tends to get a bad reputation because people who are single or in unhappy relationships feel excluded from a celebration that is advertised to focus solely on sweet coupledom. The origin of the holiday is indeed thought to celebrate secret matrimony performed by Saint Valentine for soldiers during a time when marriage was outlawed for them, but that is not the sort of sappy romance most modern skeptics associate with the holiday in its current form. That is a love that defies threats and takes risks.
There are plenty of ways to celebrate love no matter your current situation. And keep in mind that there are multiple types of love, primarily including a healthy and essential self-love, romantic love of your significant other, and platonic love of friends and family. Here are a few Valentine’s Day-oriented ideas which, unless otherwise specified, can be done with a significant other or alone or with friends:
- Daydream fest (alone): queue Blondie’s ‘Dreaming’! Take a moment, whether in the shower or in bed or during any other non-rushed period of solitude, to meditate on the most exciting and romantic thing that could to happen to you. Your daydream need not be realistic (it is a fantasy), but you can brainstorm ways to (appropriately) incorporate elements of it into your real life, however that may look. Daydreaming is a fun and simple indulgence, but it also allows you to learn about yourself and what your soul yearns from romance.
- Plan a weekend getaway to explore a new town or city (even if it is 20 minutes away). Such an excursion introduces exciting and unexpected novelty when you step outside of your local, everyday space.
- If you cannot afford to stay overnight somewhere (and there are no Couchsurfing options or other cheaper alternatives), then make it a day trip and still make a point to either eat a meal out or pack a tasty picnic.
- If you know a lot of people with weekend availability and feel like dancing, host a Valentine’s Day party! Be sure to include a healthy mix of couples and singles (unless literally everyone is a couple or everyone is single) so that nobody feels too awkward. Keep it fun and lighthearted! Even if something ridiculous happens and there is more laughing than dancing, the point is that most people will probably agree that such a gathering is a lot more fun than sitting around at home on an ordinary night.
Make Your Own Traditions
Even if you aren’t a fan of celebrating holidays, you can still make new traditions! There are other activities you can incorporate in your life to enrich the January/February season:
- Dream and scheme for the year. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, this does not mean setting concrete resolutions to which you hold yourself accountable. Rather, this is allowing yourself to dream (and perhaps transcribe in a journal during morning, lunch break or bedtime) about desires and plans that you would like to implement, even if you don’t yet know how. The more you focus on them and allow them to brew in your inner space, the more likely they are to manifest by way of unplanned opportunities since you will have created the mental space to pursue them.
- Choose another culture that interests you and learn about the people’s daily lifestyle, particularly during this same time of year. Taking our constant attention off of our own daily activities to examine those of other cultures is a fascinating exploration that can also help us to appreciate our own lives and blessings.
- Go on a winter hike. Not only is this a great way to get some much-needed sunshine (should the weather shine in your favour) and even more-needed physical exertion, but it is especially pleasant if you can find a trail lined by fragrant evergreen trees!
- Dig into family history by exploring your genealogy and listening to stories from older family members. You never know what you may learn that nobody thought to mention before!
- Watch your favourite movies or read your favourite stories. This is a tradition that organically fell into place for me as a comfort activity during these months.
- Enjoy tea with friends. If you do no other fun or festive thing during this time of year, then schedule an ongoing weekly date with a friend or two to enjoy a cuppa at someone’s house or in a nearby café (if you hate tea, make it coffee or hot cocoa). You will then at least have something to look forward to each week! Also, tea time is especially magical during cold or inclement weather.
- Join or start a book club. If you are religious, this could include a Bible study or group focused on the holy book of your faith. Meetings can be done virtually, and can be incorporated into aforementioned tea time. There is nothing quite like delving into a good story, especially during a pandemic and especially during colder weather when stuck indoors.
May these months be rich with experiences and your own new traditions, no matter how large or small!