Text A:
Maria said she had brought something special for papa and mamma, something they would be sure to like, and she began to look for her plumcake. She tried in Downes’s bag and then in the pockets of her waterproof and then on the hallstand but nowhere could she find it. Then she asked all the children had any of them eaten it—by mistake, of course—but the children all said no and looked as if they did not like to eat cakes if they were to be accused of stealing. Everybody had a solution for the mystery and Mrs Donnelly said it was plain that Maria had left it behind her in the tram. Maria, remembering how confused the gentleman with the greyish moustache had made her, coloured with shame and vexation and disappointment. At the thought of the failure of her little surprise and of the two and fourpence she had thrown away for nothing she nearly cried outright.
But Joe said it didn’t matter and made her sit down by the fire. He was very nice with her. He told her all that went on in his office, repeating for her a smart answer which he had made to the manager. Maria did not understand why Joe laughed so much over the answer he had made but she said that the manager must have been a very overbearing person to deal with. Joe said he wasn’t so bad when you knew how to take him, that he was a decent sort so long as you didn’t rub him the wrong way. Mrs Donnelly played the piano for the children and they danced and sang. Then the two next-door girls handed round the nuts. Nobody could find the nutcrackers and Joe was nearly getting cross over it and asked how did they expect Maria to crack nuts without a nutcracker. But Maria said she didn’t like nuts and that they weren’t to bother about her. Then Joe asked would she take a bottle of stout and Mrs Donnelly said there was port wine too in the house if she would prefer that. Maria said she would rather they didn’t ask her to take anything: but Joe insisted.
So Maria let him have his way and they sat by the fire talking over old times and Maria thought she would put in a good word for Alphy. But Joe cried that God might strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again and Maria said she was sorry she had mentioned the matter. Mrs Donnelly told her husband it was a great shame for him to speak that way of his own flesh and blood but Joe said that Alphy was no brother of his and there was nearly being a row on the head of it. But Joe said he would not lose his temper on account of the night it was and asked his wife to open some more stout. The two next-door girls had arranged some Hallow Eve games and soon everything was merry again. Maria was delighted to see the children so merry and Joe and his wife in such good spirits. The next-door girls put some saucers on the table and then led the children up to the table, blindfold. One got the prayer-book and the other three got the water; and when one of the next-door girls got the ring Mrs Donnelly shook her finger at the blushing girl as much as to say: O, I know all about it! They insisted then on blindfolding Maria and leading her up to the table to see what she would get; and, while they were putting on the bandage, Maria laughed and laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin.
From “Clay” by James Joyce
Text B:
Are you finding the holiday season more stressful than joyful? If so, you’re not alone. Many people find themselves stressed out over the holidays—especially women, who often take on trying to ulfil family expectations of decorating, gift buying, and preparing special holiday meals. Financial constraints can make things worse.
The winter holidays can also be hard for other reasons. If you’ve experienced a recent divorce or lost a loved one and are facing the holidays without them, you may feel particularly lonely or depressed at this time of year.
What to do? While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, many things can help, like lowering your expectations, practicing self-compassion, and reaching out to others for support. But along with managing the negative aspects of the holidays, it’s also important to nurture the positive, too. That’s where savoring comes into play.
What is savoring? Well, it’s more than just having a pleasant feeling, according to researcher Fred Bryant of Loyola University Chicago, who has been studying savoring for decades. Many of us enjoy things, he says—like a beautiful sunset, delicious meal, or party. Savoring requires a step beyond that: being conscious of that good feeling and allowing it to expand within you. [...]
Savoring can involve other people or not. For example, you can listen to a favorite song and reminisce about where you were when you first heard it and savor the nostalgia it brings. But, says Bryant, savoring often does involve other people, and that can make it even more powerful.
“When something good happens, often the next step is to want to share it with someone,” he says. “The surest way to kill a positive emotion is to hold onto it, inhibit it, and not express it. To express it is to intensify it.” [...]
Savoring helps with our relationships, too. Bryant points to Jessica Borelli’s work suggesting how savoring strengthens relationships by helping people feel closer to one another—even during times of separation. Adolescents who savor more are happier, and it can help improve family functioning. [...]
For many of us, the holidays are a time to remember friends and family. And that means there are opportunities to make others a part of your savoring experience.
There are different ways to do this, depending on your situation. Maybe you’ll want to take a picture or video of whatever you’re savoring and send it to a friend. Or you might attend a holiday concert with a group of strangers and savor the experience of collective joy. Or you could invite your romantic partner to sit in front of the fire and just stare into the flames together. Finding ways to share joy with others can be a nice way to enhance the experience.
Of course, not every social occasion is pleasant. But even in the midst of a not-so-great experience, there are ways to be more open to the good (which helps the bad feel less problematic).
“You could actually have a kind of dialogue with yourself where you’re saying, ‘This feels good, or this is beautiful, this is wonderful.’ You need to be aware. You’ve got to give yourself permission to feel good,” says Bryant.
On the other hand, if you’re alone for the holidays, maybe because of losing a loved one, you may feel that loss more keenly and not find much to savor. While grief is particularly painful, says Bryant, he still recommends trying to savor social connection in other ways, to help you cope.
One thought would be to reach out to an old friend you haven’t seen in a while and let them know that you’re thinking of them, that you value them. You might also call a neighbor who’s alone this season and offer to have tea together. Sometimes taking the focus off of yourself or showing a bit of gratitude for another person can help shift feelings in a more positive direction.
Suttie, J. (2023, December 20). How to slow down and savor the holidays. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_slow_down_and_savor_the_holidays
Text C:
For most New Hampshire families, the 2020 Thanksgiving dinner table was abnormally empty. This year, that caution has mostly disappeared.
Nearly twice as many Granite Staters are planning to travel or host people in their homes this Thanksgiving than were last Thanksgiving, according to a poll by the University of New Hampshire, suggesting a broad shift in risk assessment over COVID-19.
In November 2020, only 38 percent of poll respondents said they had plans to visit or host during Thanksgiving. By Nov. 17 2021, that number had jumped to 68 percent, the UNH Survey Center said.
And poll numbers suggest that older residents are seeing some of the biggest changes in attitude. While only 19 percent of those 65 or older attended a family gathering for Thanksgiving last year, 64 percent are planning to do so this year, the polling revealed.
And the number of younger Granite Staters – those 18 to 34 – with Thanksgiving plans to travel or host skyrocketed from 53 percent to 91 percent in one year, the poll found.
The numbers reflect two vastly different public health environments. In 2020, before vaccines were available, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention actively warned families to avoid travel for Thanksgiving and to keep dinners contained to those in the same household.
“To the extent possible, keep the gatherings, the indoor gatherings as small as you possibly can,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at the time. “…If you bring people into the home who are not part of the immediate household, there is a risk there.”
This year, with 59 percent of the country fully vaccinated, the CDC has changed its messaging, delivering most of its advice to families with members who are not vaccinated.
“If you are considering traveling for a holiday or event, visit CDC’s Travel page to help you decide what is best for you and your family,” the agency says on its website. “CDC still recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated.”
Elsewhere, the website states: “Because many generations tend to gather to celebrate holidays, the best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep your family and friends safer is to get vaccinated if you’re eligible.”
Still, even with the increased confidence around family gatherings – and despite the warnings by the CDC – additional polling by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center suggests that around one in five Granite Staters continue to decline to take a COVID-19 vaccine, a proportion that has stagnated since August.
New Hampshire COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations are rising to levels last seen in December and January, before vaccines were widely available; the vast majority of hospitalizations have involved unvaccinated patients, state health officials say.
The eagerness to return to the Thanksgiving table has not been equal among income groups. While respondents in every income category are more likely to be hosting or visiting, only 52 percent of those making household incomes of less than $45,000 are planning to do so – compared to 23 percent in that category in 2020.
Meanwhile, 92 percent of wealthy residents – those in households making $150,000 or more, are celebrating turkey day with people outside their household, more than double from last year’s 45 percent in the same wealth bracket, the poll found.
People are feeling similarly buoyant about Christmas; just 33 percent of families do not plan to travel or host people on Christmas Day this year, down from 67 percent in fall 2021.
DeWitt, E. (2021, November 22). Poll: Twice as many granite staters hosting or traveling for Thanksgiving this year. New Hampshire Bulletin. https://newhampshirebulletin.com/briefs/poll-twice-as-many-granite-staters-hosting-or-traveling-for-thanksgiving-this-year/
What are some of the pros and cons of family holiday gatherings such as the one depicted in “Clay?”
Is “savouring” something that you have tried? If so, what is your opinion? If not, would you consider trying it? Why or why not?
With the significant danger of the COVID-19 pandemic in the past, should people still be careful when visiting friends and families during holiday gatherings and take measures such as wearing masks? Why or why not?