Easy Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress

Slash Your Odds of Experiencing a Holiday Snafu

What are the chances that you’ll get an unpleasant surprise of some sort or another during the hectic holiday season? Well, there’s always a possibility, but you can lessen the likelihood if you take a few simple precautions against some common holiday calamities. How likely is it that...
 
 

Your live Christmas tree will catch fire if you leave the lights on: Approximately 200 Christmas-tree fires are reported annually. Keep your natural tree watered and well tended to prevent igniting a flame; a dry tree is more likely to catch fire.
 
 

You’ll get sick from Thanksgiving stuffing: No one can police how many helpings of Aunt Tillie’s stuffing you scoop onto your plate, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 24-hour food-safety response system, dubbed “Ask Karen,” can help you avoid food-borne illnesses―though only of the nongluttonous variety.
 
 

Your Thanksgiving flight will be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather: Flight cancellations are game-time decisions, so check in with your airline the day of your flight. Airport conditions, as well as links to all airlines complying with the Federal Aviation Administration, can be found at fly.faa.gov.
 
 

Your child will cry on Santa’s lap in the mall: Visitors between the ages of 2 and 4 are more likely to turn on the waterworks at the sight of jolly old Saint Nick. Our best advice: Embrace it; it’s a rite of passage.
 
 

Your family will get into a fight over a seemingly innocent board game: Let “You sunk my battleship!” be just that―a loser’s concession in a friendly activity; don’t let it start a family war.