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The most OK time of the year

As an autistic person Christmas is complex. How am I facing it this year?

The most OK time of the year

The most OK time of the year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Winter! Chilly sunrise dips are the best. As the sun is lower throughout the day, it’s softer and warmer. Everything glows and just looks nicer in winter. The night sky is crystal clear, and there are seemingly more stars out there to gaze at. It’s a magical time of year with only one problem: Christmas.

It’s at this point I would start ranting at Christmas, and how it ruins a perfectly nice season, but you know, I don’t think I will. Why? Because it’s Christmas! ... Well, 30th November technically speaking. The point is, I’ve spent the past 4 Christmas periods overthinking what Christmas is/was/could be and no more.

This season, I simply want to be OK. #YearOfBeingOK. I’d rather be that than annoyed at what something coulda shoulda woulda been. Right? What ruins something is pulling it apart until it’s lost all meaning, and you don’t know what to do anymore. This year, I’ll try and skip that.

I know that being autistic, I’ll struggle with busy city centres, with lots of lights and noise, but at least it’s an attempt to brighten up the world during a darker time. Unlike phone repair stores with brighter-than-the-sun LED signs. Argh, why? Sensory nightmare. Traffic will be worse. Public transport is more chaotic. Cities are harder to navigate. It will be harder, but I understand why, so I can plan around that. I can challenge things where I feel it might do some good, but ultimately, I’m going to try and be cool.

To get this party started, my wife and I went to her mum’s for an early Christmas family meet. We ate, drank non-alcoholic beer, and were merry... until we got norovirus and are now unable to enjoy our Advent Calendars on the 1st. Yay, Christmas of being OK...

Classic Christmas Content

  • Christmasticle - It's a Christmas Listicle. Since my dad died 4 years ago I’ve accidentally become a fan of Nordic Christmas. In Iceland in 2017 we drank Tuborg Julebryg for New Year and watched the fireworks outside the Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík.
  • Questioning Christmas. Christmas will soon be upon us. Every year I question it. It’s never been easy for me and I understand that part of those issues is down to being autistic.
  • What even is this time of year?. As I write this it is the 2nd day of Advent, aka 2nd December… one google later Wait, it’s not. Advent started on 27th November. It’s the 6th day of advent. So, Advent Calendars start on the 1st of December and countdown to Christmas...
  • Happy Queermas. After spending the last few weeks wondering, “What is Christmas? Why is Christmas? Who is Christmas?” I bumped into a phrase via BBC 6 Music. Queermas. My brain lit up. Queermas! By Jove, they’re onto something.

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A an office block tall Christmas tree sits outside the Radio City Building.
Radio City Music Hall in New York.

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