Family traditions and holiday celebrations strengthen family bonds. Creating new Christmas traditions will provide family members with not only memories for a lifetime, but also instill in them a strong sense of togetherness. Below are Christmas traditions that you and your family can begin this holiday season and continue for years to come.
Christmas Volunteering
Volunteering during the Christmas season is an excellent new family tradition. Consider making Christmas volunteering a less traditional holiday tradition, such as making simple Christmas stockings with your family and delivering them to street kids or a youth shelter. A new Christmas family tradition could include visiting sick kids in the hospital or donating toys, books or needed items to the Ronald McDonald House or a women’s shelter. Always call first.
Christmas Recipes
Creating Christmas traditions should ways involve food! Spend time with your kids, spouse, parents and other loved ones in the kitchen, baking Christmas cookies or decorating gingerbread houses. Pick a holiday recipe that you only make at Christmas perhaps homemade candy canes will be your new holiday tradition and invite friends and family to help make them.
Christmas Ornaments
New family traditions include making different Christmas ornaments from scratch every year, such as popsicle stick picture frames or popcorn wreaths. Christmas ornaments can become holiday traditions even if you add a new variation each year. For instance, put new family photos in Christmasy picture frames; every year, line them up on the mantle or bookcase. If you don’t have time to make Christmas ornaments but like this idea of creating new Christmas traditions, consider purchasing instead of making a new ornament every year.
Christmas Stories
Make your family story a new tradition at Christmas. Keep copies of your annual family Christmas card or letter, and read them out loud each Christmas. You can also read great stories such as Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever out loud to your kids the night or week before Christmas.
Holiday traditions are about you as a unique family. Sometimes new Christmas traditions start by accident and continue unattended; other times, you have to deliberately implement your new Christmas traditions. Either way, holiday traditions are a reassuring, fun, and healthy way to celebrate Christmas.
