Holidays can bring warm fuzzy feelings as you look forward to enjoying a feast with people near and dear to you. But sometimes, that fuzzy feeling is really just stress as you worry about the possibility of your Christmas dinner ending in disaster.
Will an aunt ambush one of your siblings with inappropriate questions? Will your single and independent cousin boldly make statements that could shock grandma? Will you be able to handle how your dad is going to behave around your husband or your mom-in-law around you?
Below are some tips to make sure the family dinner this Christmas remains a joyous occasion:
1) Seat guests accordingly.
If you are aware of tensions and previous clashes between guests, you will need to seat them away from each other. However, don't assign them at the opposite ends of the table as they will still have to face each other.
2) Propose a safe word to your partner or a relative.
Use this to warn each other of conversations that could create tension and then stir topics the other way. Also, brief certain guests beforehand so that they would know what topics to avoid, lest they end up talking about issues that are too sensitive for certain relatives.
3) Serve alcohol limitedly.
This is especially important if you know which guests tend to go overboard when drunk. In the same manner, drink moderately yourself so that you don't become a tired and irritable host for the rest of the evening, according to Express.
4) Send off bad vibes with scents.
Spraying scents or lighting incense and candles using lavender, sage or jasmine fragrances might help dial down the tension and anxiety, according to Huffington Post.
5) Invite new people.
Sometimes, it could help to have a new face at the Christmas table to change the dynamics that can reduce the tension.
6) Don't make things personal.
Your mother-in-law might take jabs at you, but it's better to brush them off at this time. Step back and let it go. As they say, choose your battles and consider that some things are really not worth fighting about, according to Child Psychologist.
7) Bring on the turkey!
Turkey is apparently an anti-stress food. "Turkey is packed with tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin - the happy hormone which lifts mood - and melatonin, the sleep hormone that's great for relaxation," said nutritionist Michela Vagnini, according to Mirror.
