Invent your own new rituals or activities to anticipate, either between now and New Years or after that and then keep your eyes on that event you are looking forward to.

My holidays have gotten overly boring with only two grandchildren, who are Jewish. I get to do Thanksgiving with my husband's ex- and stepchildren and Christmas with my step-sister and her very grown (40's and 50's) children and grandchildren who I only see every Christmas for dinner, I'm expected to bring the $50 ham. My DH and I don't decorate (place too small and two active cats) and can't afford presents (just got back from an expensive vacation that will take two years to pay for), even if, at this age, there was something we wanted and didn't already have. We have one good, local friend, a single guy our age who we take with us to Christmas and who will be watching our cats over Thanksgiving so we can travel two days to and from the stepson's, to stay in a hotel we don't want to afford.