Christmas is a wonderful holiday season filled with family traditions. Many of these traditions are passed down from generation to generation. It gives everyone a warm and fuzzy feeling and, in particular, it gives young people a sense of connection.
Repeated acts of preparation for the Christmas celebrations enhance children’s sense of anticipation and anticipation. It’s like having a bit of fairy dust sprinkled on your world. The memories established during this vacation time will last a lifetime. It is wonderful to choose happy activities that will become part of everyone’s Christmas tradition.
For many families, this is the time to craft items such as Christmas cards, Christmas letters, Christmas stockings, Christmas decorations, and Christmas gifts by hand. Creating these will put your personal stamp on them and they will be appreciated for the effort you put into it. Another family tradition may be to get together to bake. Who doesn’t love those Christmas goodies? One of our favorite traditions is the making and decorating of gingerbread cookies for boys and girls. I started this with my children and now I do it with my five grandchildren.
Check the entertainment section of your local newspaper. At this time of year there are ballets, concerts, parades, Christmas carols and breakfasts with Santa Claus. Here on the west coast we have the Christmas carol boats in port several different nights. You can book to get on board the boats and sing along to the Christmas carols or you can find a suitable gazebo to watch them go by. With the lights of the harbor and the Christmas lights of the boats mingling with the voices of the Christmas carols, it is a magical spectacle. A visit to retail stores that have holiday displays can also add magic. Many of the window decorations date back years and were carefully crafted.
A visit to Santa is a must. Even if your child is too shy to climb up and sit on Santa’s lap, he loves the mystique that surrounds him. Most places where Santa presides have a Santa mailbox and some areas even have Santa’s elves to answer children’s letters.
Dragging the precious Christmas lights and decorations is an activity that children love. They love to see what is in each box and are very eager to help unwrap the decorations. They remember where the decorations are placed each year.
Many families have a tradition of placing their Christmas tree on a certain date each year. They have a tree decorating party where everyone can help decorate the tree. This is often done in conjunction with a Christmas carol. If you don’t have an artificial tree, the trip to the tree farm to find that perfect tree can be part of your family’s tradition. This is a time when the kids can make some of the decorations to hang on the tree. They can pop popcorn and make ropes to go to the tree. They love hanging candy canes on the tree.
For Christmas Eve a set menu can be a tradition. With the whole family gathered around a formal accent table that is adorned with candles, specialty glassware, and plates, you can feel the feeling of Christmas magic. Family singing of Christmas carols and songs on Christmas Eve is another tradition in many homes.
Attending a church service on Christmas Eve or midnight mass is also a very important tradition. The light of the church candles and the reading of the true meaning of the Christmas spirit fill everyone with a feeling of hope and peace.
To help children cope with their excitement, opening a gift on Christmas Eve is a long-awaited activity. Hanging stockings and putting cookies and milk for Santa is very exciting. Today, tracking Santa on the computer is establishing a new tradition.
An old tradition is reading “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore. Written in 1823, it is arguably the best-known Christmas poem. Our copy was published in 1965 and has been read many times a year since then. When all the packages are wrapped up and put under the tree, snuggling up with some eggnog to watch a classic Christmas movie is a grown-up tradition.
To make holiday memories long-lasting, establish some traditions that can be passed down from generation to generation.