The fifth day of Christmas - tired of it?

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I’ve noticed this year after Christmas there are less decorations up. The radio isn’t playing any Christmas music and today someone wanted to talk about Lent to me. 

Is it any wonder that once the decorations start to come down and the fridge is picked clean of any leftovers worth eating, Christmas exhaustion (also known as ‘festive burnout’) begins to set in? Of course, it’s normal to feel some degree of exhaustion at Christmas. It’s a high-intensity period, and each season seems to be demanding more than the previous year. The mental and physical toll is increasing.

Typically felt during ‘Twixmas’ – that doldrum-y period between Christmas and New Year we are in – Christmas burnout is a serious issue. Often, the most wonderful time of the year leads to many people saying they are tired of the season.

But that feeling of being tired and exhausted by the pace of life is felt more than just Christmas. In fact, we go through seasons of life that just drain us. Everyone faces difficult and oppressing times. There are seasons in our lives that are just exhausting. We experience times in life when all life does take from us day after day. The days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. Months turn into years. Years become decades of life, just draining the life right out of us. We go through these periods of life almost like zombies, just surviving with no peace or any rest. Unfortunately, for many people, when the difficult periods of life set in, they feel like they have nowhere to turn for help. Many of us reach that dark night of the soul.

Thankfully, the Jesus who has come not only experienced life as we do, but he also taught us how to face life's most difficult and dark days. He faced life like we do. Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and teachings all give us hope when we are at the point of being tired of the season of life we're in. 

Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 But for now I feel a bit like Father Jack. Where am I? What’s that thing over there? Are those my feet? 

The demands of 2026 are coming and I’m not over Christmas yet. But incarnation is permanent. So stress not if you are done in in these days. You are not alone.