I had an epiphany this morning after all the cooking, cleaning and fussing to make sure everyone was having a good time. It's Christmas, yea?
First, merry Christmas everyone! It's been a few days of merrymaking, cheerfulness, gift giving and receiving and of course, lots of eating.
I had a few relatives from my husband's family visit us on Christmas Eve which means cooking different delicacies and ensuring everyone had more than enough to eat. I don't know if you have noticed but when you are the cook, you kind of lose appetite for your own food. The aroma filled my stomach already so I ate very little at first while everyone feasted on all the meals.
Someone made a comment today that Christmas was all about celebrating and overeating. It got me thinking: Why do we love to splurge and overeat at Christmas and other festivities?
I think one reason is that these events is about socialising and sharing meals with others, which is a pleasurable and enjoyable experience. So people feel the pressure to eat more because there is a lot of food available and they don't want to waste it. Or maybe the foods are simply delicious and they won't want to miss an opportunity to indulge.
Also, many festive foods are rich and high in calories, which are tempting and contribute to overconsumption. Imagine seeing a plate of KFC Christmas chicken. Even I won't pass on that!
The holiday season can be a stressful time for some people, and they may turn to food as a source of comfort or as a way to cope with emotions. I have seen people overwhelmed by the demands of holiday planning and preparations. I sometimes get like this too.
Others may feel pressure to meet the expectations of family and friends, or to maintain certain traditions. These pressures are enough to push us into overeating.
For those who have been on a diet for months, they take the festivities as a period to reward themselves. I think it's best to maintain one's diet and eat reasonably. Overindulgence or overeating may be catastrophic sometimes. People get sick from it.
The season is about joy and merrymaking. Why spoil it with stomach ache or a visit to the hospital for overeating? That will be very uncomfortable.
All the same, I ate more than I usually do but not overeat. My family is having a good time and this makes me happy. This is the beauty of Christmas. I hope you are all having a lovely time as well.
Merry Christmas! 🌲😃
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