New Christmas Traditions

2020 was a year full of new things. Some good new things, tucked in with all of the things we’d rather not have had. In the midst of the changes that you are making in your Christmas routine, why not start some new traditions that you want to take forward?

At the same time, think about what would be traditions that would make the world a better place. By building people up and making connections with others, we collectively can help our world. Need some ideas?

• Bundle up and go for a walk with one or more of your family members. Talk to them. Connect more personally during the busyness of the holiday.

• Look at old pictures or movies from past Christmases. Remember the best presents or people who are no longer with us.

• Make a Christmas tree for the birds - spread peanut butter or suet on a pinecones or sticks, then press lots of different kinds of seeds or peanuts into it before placing in a tree. Great collaborative activity!

• Call relatives and friends via zoom or just on the phone. Leave a message just to let them know you’re thinking about them.

• Have your kids create a Christmas text message to send out to people on their phones, or on yours.

• Talk with your family about the Christmas traditions you had when you were a child. Share if there were culturally-specific ones that were unique for your family.

• Read some Christmas books while snuggled up together on the couch.

• Have a Christmas sleepover by bringing sleeping bags out and spending the night under the glow of the Christmas tree. (Honestly, this one is my favorite and I’m excited to do this on the girls’ last day of school!)

I’d love to hear other traditions that your family has - 2020 will be a year to remember, and hopefully we can draw some positives from it going forward.