There are so many family holiday traditions out there. I believe these traditions help people to feel a sense of solidarity and kinship as well as continuity. Children, especially, crave the sameness of the holiday tradition. For an explanation of the psychological importance of tradition, read this short article by Dr. Marie on Psychcentral.com. Like anything else, holidays are what you make them. Create new traditions for your family if you don’t have them in place or if old traditions must be left behind. Revitalize the holidays with something created just for your family, which you can do each year.
Is your family crafty? If so check out The Imagination Tree. They have some fun ideas for creating Christmas traditions. Or perhaps Parents.com who have pages upon pages of ideas to choose from for the holiday tradition that fits with you and your family.
Like to travel and don’t have family to visit? Go to a different National Park every Christmas to see the beauty in nature. Fresh air and exercise lift mood! Or a yearly family shopping adventure, perhaps traveling to seeing Christmas Lights, or to the mountains. If you can’t travel far, find a day trip close by that the family can enjoy each Christmas.
Our family goes each Christmas to see the lights in our area. We just drive to nearby neighborhoods and enjoy the lights. A simple tradition that started when our young daughter expressed so much excitement about seeing Christmas lights, which has continued for years. What are your family Christmas traditions?