Creating new Family Holiday Traditions

For most people, the best part of the holidays is not the food or the presents, but the time they spend with their families and the new memories created. Some of the best memories are from traditions that people celebrate together. These can be activities that have been part of a family’s holiday for years or it can be something new that could become a new favorite tradition. It may seem like creating a tradition is a daunting task and if one approaches from the angle of making the absolute best-ever event, it can be overwhelming. Some of the best and most-loved traditions are those that naturally evolve as families spend time together.

To get started in creating a unique and new family tradition, sit down together to discuss holiday wishes and what everyone enjoys doing. One may find that many family members are interested in some of the same things or may have ideas that no one else had thought of before. Encourage children to use their imaginations and share their wildest wishes. Adults should also participate in the fun and share their hopes and dreams for the season.

Once a family has decided on a few things they would like to do during the holidays, they should tailor the activities to make it special for them. For instance, decorating the Christmas tree for some families is a bit of a chore, but one could re-vamp the whole idea and make it fun for the entire group. Instead of just mom and dad getting the tree set up, finding the decorations and spending a long time to make it perfect; spend an evening together to get into the spirit. Put on some favorite Christmas carols, make gallons of hot chocolate and allow the children to hang the ornaments just the way they want to. This is also a great time to reminisce about where each decoration was bought or received. When hanging a baby’s first Christmas ornament, mom and dad could tell this child what their very first Christmas was like. You can also choose to do an activity outside so it gets everyone out of the house for a while. This can bring back wonderful memories from past Christmases and create an activity that everyone looks forward to every year.

Finally, it is important to create traditions that have an element of flexibility. If the set-up is too rigid, chances are that it will get skipped one year and forgotten the next. We started a tradition as a family to each donate to a certain charity and to support companies that give back. We bought many family members TOMS Shoes using the shopaholicmommy TOMS Coupon Code that is available for your too! By creating an idea that can be enjoyed in different circumstances while still maintaining a feeling of togetherness and tradition, it will be more likely to last and enjoyed for years to come.