Ahhhh, Christmas. So many traditions, so many customs. And while we know some of our listeners were able to celebrate as usual, others have been affected by Covid, and have missed their beloved rituals and events. For all of those who are sick or are caring for or missing someone who is ill, we send our love and thoughts of peace and healing.

One thing is for sure — the chaos of the last two years has been harrowing, but we here at YLT like to look for those (admittedly sometimes elusive) silver linings. With the chaos and destruction of this virus comes an invitation to re-examine our habits, rituals, and priorities. Instead of focusing solely on loss — which has often been real, horrifying painful and sometimes impossible to avoid — what can we do to continue to live, to continue to celebrate, to continue to find joy? What changes can we make to bring joy to ourselves and joy to the world, literally? And why don’t we celebrate Boxing Day in the U.S. Couldn’t we all use another day to relax?

Wait. Boxing Day. What exactly is it? And why did it get tossed aside as an official holiday in the United States? We have no answers for the latter, but our research into the former has taught us a lot. In short, Boxing Day gives us the opportunity to relax and disconnect, and perhaps also give back to our communities and those around us. Doesn’t that sound lovely? For us, a “new” holiday is a present to ourselves, one that is free of expectations that we can celebrate as we wish.  So come and  join us as we tuck into a warming cocktail (recipe in the show notes!), and contemplate the year we’ve just had, discussing books, shows, apps, and even other podcasts that caught our attention and won our hearts. We also take a stroll through the YLT archives, handing out virtual awards to the cast of characters that we’ve researched and often loved over the course of our first year.

We hope your holidays were memorable and enjoyable, and if they were indeed lacking, we wish that peace and healing changes make their way to you soon. We are so grateful to all of you, our supportive YLT listening family, for being a part of our community. We thank you for every download, every word of support, every like and follow on social media.  As a token of our gratitude, let’s start a new tradition and spend Boxing Day together, shall we?

Additional notes, links, and photos can be found in our show notes at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UiqlVOZGTKeWQGyXB3E5E5JOZNY3GGc4wbY8B8tkorw/edit

Do you like what you hear?  Please help us find our audience by spreading some good cheer and rating us 5 stars and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts!

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