Holiday Traditions for Holiday Cheer
By Sara
Well hello! This holiday season we are all needing some additional joy to light up the season. 2020 has been a doozy for us all! That’s why today we are talking about holiday traditions. A tradition is a long-standing custom that has been passed down from one generation to the next.
The below are some that we partake in or know of. We hope they inspire you to create your own traditions, or to adopt some of these to help spread cheer as you bustle through the holidays.
Christmas PJs: Growing up, my little sister and I always received new pajamas on Christmas Eve. (When we were younger they were those rompers with the attached feet, that zipped from neck to ankle). We LOVED rocking around the Christmas tree in our new PJs, and this is one tradition I’ve carried on with my husband, for fun.
Watching holiday movies, reading holiday books/e-books, listening to holiday music: These can be purchased, streamed, or even borrowed from the local library these days. Our local library has e-books, audio books, movies, and music available to read, listen to and watch remotely! No need to brave the cold weather on the way to the physical library to partake in their offerings. So dust off your library card, or get a new one for access to all the goodies they have.
Give each family member a book on Christmas Eve: Then spend the evening reading, with Christmas music playing, and munching on popcorn in front of the tree. Or you could all read The Night Before Christmas together.
Gift your child an ornament each year: My Mom has done this, and by the time I left home, I had ornaments for my own tree. She made a lot of the ornaments on my tree, or found them at craft fairs, so they are mostly one-of-a-kind. They are cherished, and each one has a special story.
Holiday lights tour: This can be as easy as a walk around the neighborhood with hot cocoa or cider in your thermos. Or, drive to a nearby eclectic home with all the lights and decor on prominent display. Most towns have a house or two that are renowned for their holiday festivity, so go past these homes in the weeks prior to ooohhh and aaahhh over the decorations.
Mail a letter to Santa, or adopt a letter and send a response: If you have young children, it is always fun to mail a letter to Santa. Doing this the weekend following Thanksgiving can kick off the holiday season nicely. If you have older or no kids, you can find out more about adopting a letter and sending a response here: https://about.usps.com/holidaynews/operation-santa.htm (the deadline to send a letter is December 22nd, so be sure to hop on this toot sweet)!
“This one gives you all the feels, and I like to follow the “Something they need, something they want, something to read and something to wear” gift giving scheme for the kiddos. “
Watch the same Holiday movie each year: If you have a favorite Christmas movie, why not watch it annually, on Christmas Eve? Cuddle up with your favorite someone and watch your favorite(s)!
Adopt a family through a local charity: provide some needed support for a holiday meal, and gift some necessities to a local family who is down on their luck this year. This one gives you all the feels, and I like to follow the “Something they need, something they want, something to read and something to wear” gift giving scheme for the kiddos.
Send Christmas cards for the elderly in nursing homes who don’t have families, or children in the hospital: Purchase some extra cards when you are sending yours this year. You could even have your children make the cards, to make them extra special. Those who work at the nursing home or hospital can help you to address the cards and personalize them to recipients. This can go a long way towards brightening up someone’s holiday who otherwise wouldn’t have been thought of in this way.
Participate in an annual toy drive: purchase a couple of toys when buying them for your own kids, to donate to a local child who otherwise wouldn’t get a gift this year.
Send a donation to your favorite non-profit: We always remember the farm animal sanctuaries nearby during the holiday season. In the cold weather, the costs go up, with the additional straw bedding needed and warm blankets for the piggies, extra food to combat the calories it takes to stay warm, and of course any emergent rescues or hospital fees when the residents get sick. Or volunteer at your local food bank, soup kitchen, animal shelter or animal sanctuary. The experiences you have will be worth more than the time spent.
Participate in a cookie exchange: Make a couple dozen of a specific Christmas cookie, and have other families do the same. Then share the goodies amongst each other. This is something that can easily be done socially distanced, just by wrapping up a few cookies to give each participant, and meeting or dropping them off at pre-arranged times to make the exchanges.
Snap a holiday photo: It’s always fun to snap a photo of the family during the holidays to document the occasion. You can even use this picture for your holiday cards if you do this early enough in the season. Put this into an album to look at in the future.
Work on a Christmas puzzle: For a few minutes each evening through the season, spend time together putting a puzzle together. Holidays are much more fun when everyone concentrates on a task together, and this one can grow more complex as everyone gets better at them!
Enjoy a special Christmas Eve meal each year: This one is easy! Pick a family favorite, and choose to eat this only on Christmas Eve each year. This helps to keep the dish extra special. Christmas Fettuccine, anyone? (a la The Holiday).
We take part in so many of these, and relish the Christmas season and all the joy it brings. I hope you find one that you are excited to add to your annual traditions. Do you have any others? Please comment below to let us know what your special traditions are.
