There is something distinctly different about the Christmas season. Unlike other holidays, the arrival of Christmas brings with it memories of childhood innocence, Christmas carols, and snow. Christmas also brings to mind the smell of baked cookies (In case your curious, read top ten easy to bake cookie recipes) and the laughter of distant family members who usually take the time out of their busy lives to spend the season with their loved ones. Even non-Christian countries like Japan celebrate Christmas, if only because of the festive and yet wonderful feeling the season has been branded with for a long time now. However, all these sense of fulfillment and joy does not come without strings attached. If you're like the average person, you've probably experienced what is now commonly known as Christmas stress. It comes as a result of days of gift choosing, gift wrapping, making sure people are remembered, and preparing for Christmas feasts, just to name a few. Add to that the other activities that other people set up for Christmas--activities that you are usually cordially invited to--and you can pretty much understand why Scrooge would want to block out Christmas from his calendar with a satisfied "Bah! Humbug!"

(Un)Merry Christmas

The good news is you don't have to suffer the hair-pulling agony of Christmas stress. All it takes is just some careful planning, proper scheduling, great assistants and you will finally have a worry-free, stressless Christmas. All you have to be stressed about is unwrapping the gifts that you will undoubtedly receive!

1. Make your Christmas gift list in advance. There's a reason why Santa Claus has his list; it is so that he'll be able to know who to give what. A Christmas list saves you the trouble of trying to remember the people you'd be giving gifts to. A list is also very useful especially if you have many family members, including extended ones. It will save you the stress and agony of trying to remember who gets what, when Christmas comes knocking at your porch. It is recommended that you make the list as early as October; remember that there may be some extended family members who cannot be reached right away, although the Internet has made the world that much smaller these days.
2. Plan what gifts to give to whom. You won't be giving the same gifts to everyone, of course, unless you're really swimming in money. Plan what to give to everyone, so you will be able to make your gift-buying easier and more manageable. Reserve the harder-to-find gifts to the close family members, and just give generic, easily bought gifts for the others. With enough careful planning, you might even be able to buy all gifts way under your allotted budget.
3. Buy gifts in advance. One of the advantages of planning your list in advance is that you will already know what gifts to give, so you can then buy them weeks or even months before Christmas. Remember that Christmas gifts don't have to be Christmas-themed. In fact, while window-shopping on places, you can also keep an eye out for possible gifts. Buying gifts in advance will save you the stress of rushing from store to store, especially during Christmas season when everyone else is also rushing to buy stuff. Avoid the Christmas rush by shopping early.
4. Buy gifts in bulks for acquaintances. When buying gifts for non-relatives or acquaintances, just get something in bulk and then just personalize it by putting in a card. Doing so will save you time in making trips to various stores. Also, some companies give a discount to people who buy merchandise in bulks so you will probably spend less than if you're going to buy a gift one by one.
5. Limit your holiday activities. Sure, you might be the most popular person in the neighborhood, and everyone is just dying to have you in their holiday parties and activities, but if you keep saying yes to every request you get, chances are by Christmas Eve, you'll drop dead in exhaustion and stress. It's a good idea to choose your activities for the season. Know your priorities and you shouldn't have any problems meeting appointments and parties. In the same vein, don't plan too many activities yourself. Aside from being costly, activities, especially those held in your own house, take too much manpower and time--time you're better spending off on relaxation and/or more important duties.
6. Relax with your loved ones. Remember what Christmas is all about: celebrating the birth of Christ together with the ones you love. Take the time to unwind with your friends or family. Doing so will help keep your mind off the stress of preparing and celebrating Christmas in the commercial sense. Whenever you get too stressed over gift wrapping or what gifts to buy, call someone and just hang out. You can even meld the two; as you're hanging out in malls or stores, you can keep an eye out for prospective gifts as well. Just make sure you don't let it take over the day.
7. Get your friends or family members to help you. One of the most stressing parts of Christmas is preparing everything, whether it be gifts or cookies, or the always expected Christmas banquet. Lessen or distribute the stress by asking help from your friends or family members. Assign them tasks to do and make sure they do it right. Task relegation is also a good way to strengthen your bond with them--a goal that is rightly in tune with the spirit of the holiday.

Lastly, the holiday only becomes stressful if you think it is. Relax. Part of the enjoyment of Christmas is seeing your loved ones become happy with all that you've done for them. Christmas isn't an office task or some work that you have to accomplish; it is a time of sharing and spending warmth and goodwill to everyone else. Do so, and pretty soon, you'll realize that inspite of all the hustle and bustle that comes with the season, it is above all, a time to relax and be merry.