The Christmas It is a ritual in which the family continues to occupy a central place, but with new configurations and dynamics that reflect the country’s social and cultural changes.
According to the psychologist Ileana Mateo (registration 2713)The celebration retains its ability to bring different generations together, but is no longer limited to the traditional nuclear family: today patchwork families, extended families and groups in which the children alternate the celebrations between different families live together at the table.
The decline in the birth rate has also reduced the attendance of children and changed the climate of gatherings. In this context, Mateo notes that Christmas has become no longer just a family celebration, but a family celebration chosen, careful and conscious binding.
The family remains at the center of the ritual, but with more flexible and less ceremonial formats. “Today The table is smaller, more flexible and stricter. The meetings are organized at the last minute, the families separate, there are group celebrations,” explained the expert.
In addition, practicality has gained importance over tradition and in many households The focus of the celebration is no longer the food, but the desire to meet.
The psychologist emphasizes that there are some traditions that continue to exist – such as: Preparation of dishes inherited from grandmothers or recipes that are passed down from generation to generation – more and more families are choosing ways to celebrate that focus on simplicity and practicality.
In this sense, he points out that “traditions give little by little”. Transition to new, lighter and more practical forms and perhaps more than what was imposed was exceeded than what was chosen.”
Mateo defines the silver generation as the “Family Network Node”the point at which the inherited and the transmitted converge. They are the ones in many cases They support the table, the rituals and the atmosphere of the meeting between generations. For many older adults, Christmas reaffirms their belonging to the family fabric, albeit with different needs: less noise, quieter times and less intense celebrations.
Some take a more contemplative role, others They continue to be custodians of the rituals and hope that this place will be recognized. In this framework, the psychologist emphasizes the importance of asking them how they would like to participate so that the meeting also respects their rhythm.
Mateo warns that contemporary culture, steeped in the idealization of youth, tends to repress older adults and devalue their experiences. With this in mind, he points out that Christmas can work like this a space to restore listening and enable the sharing of family history.
According to his analysis, after a period in which Christmas was almost exclusively associated with consumption, there is currently a revaluation of ties, a phenomenon he attributes in part to a post-pandemic effect.
Current social dynamics, shaped by accelerated times, distances and internal migrationshave also impacted the way we meet. Mateo remembers that Grandmothers started cooking a few days before and the preparation of the meal was a reason for a reunion.
Nowadays, organization is more practical and easier, and technology allows geographically separated family members to contact each other via video calls from midnight and share even a brief moment with each other.
The expert emphasizes this Christmas highlights the relationships, communication and celebrations of every familyas well as their conflicts and integration difficulties. “It is as if before this event the history of each family, with its lights and shadows, was condensed,” he said.
Generational differences are becoming clear: While children wait for Santa to arrive, young people wait until midnight to meet up with friends, and some adults reminisce about past meetings or take refuge in technology, either to escape or to capture the moment in photos.
The pain of the absence of family members, be it through migration or separation, is also present at many tables. Mateo recommends the following: Given the recent grief, each individual’s process will be respected: “If there is no spirit of celebration, that is to be expected, because it is the pain that takes precedence to accompany, not demand, and you can ask people what they need to accompany this time.”
If grief has progressed, this suggests that a toast or recollection of anecdotes can help integrate the pain into the celebration.
When it comes to family conflicts, they cannot be magically resolved in one night, warns the psychologist. Recommend that each adult thinks about their attitude towards the meeting and recognize the sensitivity that these data usually evoke, since “they bring to the table all the family problems: mandates, loyalties, favoritism, distributive differences, demands, current wounds and others that we carry from childhood.”
For Mateo, it is important to develop personal strategies that allow you to live the night like this a space of peace and not confrontation.
The role of children in the Christmas dynamic is of central importance to the specialist. “I think it’s one night of the year when it’s good As adults, we give priority to children. “These experiences stay with them,” he said. Their presence awakens expectations and emotions, allowing adults to reconnect with the symbolic dimension of Christmas, linked to hope and the experience of childhood.
Mateo points out that Christmas leaves a more familiar and emotional impression than the New Year, which is reflected in the frequency with which patients talk about family concerns and conflicts at this time: “Today, rituals are being reconfigured to support real life and not the fictions of a perfect family..”
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