Hidden in the Holidays: A Blueprint for Better Living
December slows us down for a reason. Discover the holiday rituals and lessons that can shape a more connected, generous year ahead.
Dec 14, 2025
Written by our Founder and Chairman, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
No matter how fast life moves, the holidays have a way of slowing us down. A familiar carol, the smell of cookies in the oven, and writing Christmas cards bring us into a gentler rhythm. They point us back to something we don’t always notice amid the busyness of everyday life.
We often think of these rituals as nostalgic or old-fashioned, but something more is happening. In a world that keeps accelerating toward speed and automation, the holidays invite us into experiences that feel more human. They reconnect us to our senses and to one another.
More than a nod to the past, the season gives us a glimpse of how rich our days can be when we slow down. If we look closely, these moments reveal lessons worth carrying beyond December. They show us how to nurture our relationships and bring intention into everyday life holiday.
This week, I’d like to share a few things the season has been teaching me — lessons that can shape the year ahead when we let these rituals lead the way.
The benefits of analog living
December brings us back to our senses. Simple experiences — like decorating a tree or lighting a menorah — soften the pace and create moments that feel grounded and real. There's nothing digital about them, and that's part of their power.
It’s no surprise they stay with us. The feeling of cold air on your face or the energy of people gathered in the same room cannot be transmitted through a computer or a phone, where the closest thing to texture is smooth glass.
A few years ago on my podcast, David Sax, author of The Revenge of Analog, said something that has stuck with me: “We build rituals around each other, not our devices.” He’s right. Every December, putting the phone down feels easy. We choose presence over productivity, and in those moments we remember how nourishing it is to give someone our full attention.
When the month ends, our calendars speed up again, but the option to slow down is still there. We can look up a little more often and let our attention rest on the people right in front of us.
The joy of being together
Every December, something shifts when we’re in the same room. Connection becomes easier, reminding us of how different life feels when we make space for it — and how much we gain when we do.
I thought about this during our family’s annual White Elephant party. The house was full of the energy that comes only from people sharing an experience.
This year’s “hot item” was a wreath covered in lottery tickets. The adults (especially my brother Kevin) negotiated like seasoned traders, but the best moment came when one of my grandkids had his gift stolen for the first time. The look on his face said it all: confusion, disbelief, and the beginning of a life lesson about how quickly things can change. It was a tiny teaching moment wrapped inside a holiday game.
I got a mini karaoke machine that no adult wanted. But near the end of the night, the kids discovered it and turned the living room into a concert hall. Their joy reminded me that when we gather, the best moments often show up where we least expect them.
The power of generosity
If there is one thing that defines the holidays, it’s generosity. As children, the wonder of the season comes from what appears with our name on it. I learned that early, during childhood visits to Santa in a Manhattan department store. He never asked for much. He simply gave, and that spirit stays with you.
As we grow, something shifts. The magic moves to the other side of the exchange. Giving becomes the source of joy as we see someone light up from a gesture made just for them. In those moments, we understand that generosity is really about connection.
And we learn that some of the most meaningful gifts are not wrapped at all. They come in the form of a note of thanks or any other small gesture that says, “I’m thinking of you.”
Once this season is over, I hope you hold on to the joy you feel both as a giver and as someone who receives the kindness of others. Generosity is not bound to the holidays. When we carry that spirit into the year ahead, it becomes a way of living.
A New Year's resolution
This season is full of lights and celebration, but it’s also a natural moment to pause and think about what truly makes it meaningful. As you look ahead to 2026, I hope your first resolution is this: carry a piece of the season with you. Let the lessons of December — being present, giving thoughtfully, and staying connected — guide you long after the holidays fade.
All the best,
Jim
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AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
