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Creating your own family traditions can be one of the most fun parts of raising a family. You are now free to include many of the things you did as a child, but also make your new traditions that fit your family’s culture. Blending the old and the new is a great way to create holidays that are perfect for your family.
Do Some Good
Volunteer as a family to help out with a holiday party at a hospital or nursing home. Involve children in sending care packages to soldiers overseas for the holidays or buying and wrapping gifts for children in need. These are great ways to spend time together while also teaching your children about giving back during the holidays.
Do Something Clich.
Whether it’s spending an entire day cooking all of the traditional Hanukkah dishes you ate as a child or decorating the tree to Christmas music, the holidays are a time to be a little corny. Young children will embrace these activities, older children may roll their eyes at first, but they will come to enjoy these times as they are repeated year after year. Going to see a performance of the Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol is another great way to start a tradition and get into the holiday spirit.
…But It’s Okay to be Different Too
Maybe your grandmother would never have ordered Chinese takeout for Christmas dinner, but if your family has just had an elaborate Christmas Eve dinner and attended enough parties and open houses to last the whole year, maybe it’s time to take a break from cooking. Creating your own traditions, even ones that don’t seem traditional, can be a special way to bond during the holidays. It is the bizarre traditions that children will remember with a smile when they think about holidays in their childhood home.
