This week I want to share insights about how holiday traditions can actually affect your health and athletic performance. As with all traditions they originated for a specific reason and purpose. However, as they were passed down that meaning was often lost. Because of this many traditions simply became routines. I would challenge you this year to try and embrace some of the meaning that was originally imbued in our holiday traditions.
Christmas Tree Lights
Let’s start with the most culturally famous Christmas symbol: the Christmas tree.
Do you know why we put Christmas lights on the trees in our homes?
If you just said, “because it is pretty 🤷” you are actually close to the truth. Legend has it that Martin Luther in the 1500s was the first to put lights in a Christmas tree. For years Germans placed trees in their homes and decorated them with various items like fruits. On his way home one evening Luther marveled at the stars sparkling through the branches of evergreens. When he got home he wanted to capture the image and share it with his family. So he lit candles and attached them throughout an evergreen tree in their home.
I am certainly not advising you to put candles in your tree, but I do think you should take some time to appreciate a beautiful tree in your home during this time of year. Luther is clearly not alone when missing a view of the outdoors in the winter. He is also in the majority for finding the view of a lit Christmas tree relaxing.
Set some time aside to simply enjoy the lights in your house. Time like this and in nature can help your mind unwind. This in turn helps your whole body have time to recover from the day.
