What is an Alcoholics Anonymous Christmas?
Celebrate recovery this holiday with Purpose Healing and our resources on Christmas for Alcoholics Anoymous members.
Celebrating The Christmas Season Sober With Support from AA
The holiday season can create unique challenges for people in recovery. Because they don’t want to risk continuing progress, many on the path to recovery would choose the fellowship at an Alcoholics Anonymous Christmas celebration instead of their customary family get-together.
Purpose Healing Center explains the emotions people feel in early recovery to families this way: The joy of celebrating Christmas Day with family can also lead to stress and anxiety – triggers to drink alcohol.
A joyful occasion can lead to remorse if one slips up during the December holidays (including New Year’s), which places that hard-fought sobriety at risk. Attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) programs can help them find a way to stay on track and get them through the holiday season.
Keep reading to learn more about AA for the Yuletide season, and how alcothons and other peer supports from the Fellowship can get you through a challenging time of year.
Verify Your Insurance
Get Effective Detox and Rehab Options at Purpose
What Does Christmas for Alcoholics Anoymous Members Mean?
Many AA members struggle to stay clean and sober at Christmas get-togethers. The free flow of alcohol is a temptation that most people, even those who don’t have a drinking problem, don’t have the strength to resist. AA provides a place where people can spend the holidays without self-isolation or trying to meet family expectations.
AA members must learn to see the opportunity to gather with friends and family to celebrate as a gift in its own right. But it takes time to reach that level, and it’s not easy. Many in AA choose, instead, to join with their weekly group peers, who understand the emotional highs and lows of the holiday season.
For some, it becomes a time of hope, where they reconnect with God and work on their relationship with Him as they reflect on the meaning of the season. For others who attend an Alcoholics Anonymous Christmas event, it’s a chance just to continue taking one step at a time.
What are AA Traditions That Support a Sober Christmas?
AA Christmas traditions provide members with the fellowship, service, and shared experiences that are important during the holidays. Christmas meetings can include readings and reflections, along with the usual step work.
People attending have a safe space to talk about how they’re managing triggers. Some may remember how difficult things were while they were drinking, and others discuss how sobriety has improved their lives. The experience of grace, patience, and understanding helps them feel more open to building their support networks and future connections.
Alcothons and Making it Through the Holiday Season
Alcothons are marathon AA events that run non-stop, starting on Christmas Eve and ending on Christmas Day. They offer a series of AA meetings, fellowship opportunities, and space to pause and reflect. This format helps people who used to associate holiday celebrations with drinking as they contemplate new, sober traditions.
Some past clients have told us that choosing an Alcothon over traditional gatherings made them feel bad; however, being away from people who drink alcohol provided them with safety in the moment.
Get Accredited Treatment Programs at Purpose
Local AA Christmas Alcothons in the Phoenix Valley
Some local AA fellowships may still hold regular meetings on Christmas Eve and Day. Be sure to contact your group leader or check your group’s website to plan.
The main Alcothon in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area is the Salt River Intergroup Alcothon. It runs from noon on Christmas Eve until noon on Christmas Day and features meetings, speakers, food, raffles, and fellowship with others who understand the struggle. They hold the event at American Royal Palace, 1915 West Thunderbird Road, Phoenix, Arizona.
Nearby, the Agua Fria Intergroup will offer a Christmas Alcothon in Glendale, Arizona, at the Comfort Inn and Suites, 9824 W. Camelback Road, Glendale, Arizona, from noon on December 24th through noon on the 25th. The event offers meetings, potluck meals, snacks, fellowship, and drawings.
Please visit our full resource on alcothons in the Phoenix Valley for a complete rundown of such events.
How Do Christmas AA Meetings Help People Stay Sober?
Attending a Christmas meeting helps people avoid triggers and enabler family members. Each person who attends also finds a safe space to express their thoughts on what they have learned about themselves on their journeys and celebrate their progress.
Even on Christmas, Alcoholics Anonymous encourages members to pause, breathe, and apply their tools to every overwhelming situation, making holiday meetings an important type to attend.
Tips for Enjoying a Meaningful and Sober Christmas
People in recovery can manage Christmas better by planning ahead of the big day. Consider which of your relapse prevention tools might also help you stay sober at Christmas. That might look like attending a morning meeting, calling your sponsor for support, or spending time with a sober friend.
Strategies to plan for can also include remembering to breathe deeply or taking a quick stroll around the block – literally walking away from temptation. List some new traditions to try that will fill your day with purpose, like serving meals at a homeless community or walking dogs at the local animal shelter. You do whatever it takes to get you through the day.
Download Our Alcohol-Free Christmas Planning Sheet
Our Christmas Sobriety Plan worksheet mimics our aftercare planning tools. It helps you consider how you can avoid alcohol and maintain your progress while celebrating the season.
Feel free to download and print this out; keep it where it’s easy to grab on a moment’s notice.
Call Purpose to Get Proven Support for Sobriety All Year Round
Are you or someone you love experiencing a drinking problem, whether during the Yule season or any time of year? Purpose Healing Center offers JCAHO-accredited, customized treatment plans in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
We offer compassionate, evidence-based care and work nearly all forms of AHCCCS, as well as accepting most insurance companies in-network.
Call us today to learn how we can help you build a brand new life. All calls are confidential, so please do not hesitate to pick up the phone to speak with us in confidence now.
480-579-3319