Linnaea Newman

It may come as a surprise to some that poor Mr. Scrooge wasn’t so much a bad man, as much as an unhappy one, with a lifelong case of the Holiday Blues.  For many people, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the most unhappy time of the year. Everyone, including themselves, expects to feel a level of joyousness that may have escaped them.

The December holidays are over, the beautiful displays we’ve built over the past few months are in "demolition" mode, and those of us who have worked so hard to make the holiday decor go up without a hitch are left wondering, "Is that all there is?"  The Post Holiday Blues are here.

Somehow, it’s not as exciting to take down all the decorations, wrap and protect them, organize and store them away as it was to create the seasonal displays.  And after all that we’re left feeling as if we never got a chance to enjoy the season ourselves.

What to do???  Make it fun!!!  As the "tear-down" crew finishes dismantling Christmas, start asking how they would like to celebrate the end of another successful holiday season.  Post season parties are often more fun than seasonal ones because the pressure is off, and all the challenges and obstacles become funny stories after the fact.

• Have a breakfast party before work, including fruit, pastries, and beverages to celebrate the end of "tear-down." Starting the day with laughter makes the whole day go better, and burns some of those extra holiday calories, besides.
• Come up with categories for awards: Best Horror Story, Most Magnificent Display, Best Time Saving Idea, The Job Least Likely to Be Repeated, and any other topics the players can come up with to keep it light and process the events with laughter.  Prizes can be a choice between perennial favorites like a massage, manicure or pedicure, and dinner for two at a local restaurant.  If the prizes are from vendors that are also clients, they become a double gift.  If warranted, a trip to TPIE to see our plants at their best could be the Grand Prize. 
• Get a "gag gift" for everyone, based on an amusing or significant event that happened to each individual during the season.
• A sincere and heartfelt "Thank you" to each and every employee (see "Just Say Thanks" on Dec. 15, 2006) will be the best preparation for a successful and profitable 2007 holiday season, not to mention all the months in between!