With Christmas only a couple of days away I hope that all of you have finished your holiday shopping, gotten the decorations up, and have generally survived the frantic pace surrounding the holidays. Of course, massage therapy can be a great way to beat stress, and it’s also a great idea for those of you still searching for last-minute gifts this holiday season. While Christmas gets most of the attention, we do say Happy Holidays for a reason, as there are many other days to celebrate (and give the gift of massage) other than Christmas. Some are obvious, others less so.
Let’s start with the obvious ones. Starting December 5 through December 12 there are the seven days of Hanukkah. Seven certificates of table massage can be an easy way to get shopping done for the entire week. Then, there’s the Christmas parties leading up to Christmas Eve, December 24, that massage therapists can add a special touch to. Then, of course, there is Christmas, December 25, where massage certificates make an easy gift for stressed-out relatives.
Kwanzaa continues the holiday season, stretching from December 26 to January 1. Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, community and culture, and massage therapy can directly help all three of these groups. Rounding out the year, there are all the parties leading up to New Year’s Eve, December 31, which massage therapy can help make feel special.
Besides these major holidays, there are lesser known, but I think just as deserving, days that merit special recognition, and massage therapy can help honor them. Some of these days are a bit of a stretch, but bare with me. First, starting December 5 there is volunteer day, which is the perfect chance to reward the volunteers that you know who usually give selflessly (think of this next year, along with Hanukkah).
St. Nicholas day comes Dec 6, an early opportunity to continue the generosity of a man who was the inspiration for mythical, jolly ol’ Saint Nick. Then there’s the birthday of Melvil Dewey, the creator of the Dewey Decimal system (a chance to reward the hard-working librarians of your school/community who often get overlooked). That’s on December 10.
Finally, to help assuage your holiday hangover – figuratively or literally – there is New Year’s Day massage, and, lastly, the massages surrounding Chocolate Covered Cherry day, January 3, which you should plan ahead for as almost every single massage therapist will be busy that day at the numerous festivals, parties and fairs thrown in its honor.
Okay, so that last one (or maybe four) was a stretch, but massage therapy’s value as a gift and a stress-buster is not, and should be considered during the holiday season and year round. Check out this Web site, which has important holidays listed for every month. Let me know if I missed anything from December 5 – January 5, and tell us what other holidays throughout the year are deserving of celebration (and massage therapy).
Happy holidays everyone!