10 Fabulous Holiday Traditions
Creating and keeping holiday traditions builds strong memories, families, and foundations. If you find yourself looking to add some traditions to your holiday routine try one of these ideas.
Decorate oranges
A great way to welcome the holiday season is to decorate oranges with cloves and star anise. You can get as creative with a design as you would like, or keep it simple and stick to lines of cloves down the oranges. No matter which way you choose to go, your house will smell amazing for weeks after you make a bowl full of these beauties.
Make popcorn garlands
You’ll only need three items to get this tradition going: Plain popped popcorn, a needle, and thread. Everyone will love making popcorn garlands… It’s a great opportunity for family discussions. Use the popcorn garlands on your tree or hang them throughout your home.
Host a tea
Take time out to enjoy the holidays by hosting a tea. Preparing a tea is very simple, and it can be put together quickly. Try scheduling your tea the weekend after Thanksgiving to help you slow down and enjoy the time of the year.
Advent Calendar
There are so many options when it comes to advent calendars. Creating one can be just as fun as picking one out in the store. They vary from cardboard calendars with chocolate or toys behind each number to beautiful long-lasting advent calendars that can become a family tradition.
Bake Cookies
Some favorite cookie recipes to use for the holiday season are sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and chocolate chip cookies. Try sprucing them up with colored sprinkles or holiday candies.
Prepare a plate of cookies for Santa
Use some of the cookies you baked in the above tip to prepare a plate of cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. The kids enjoyed doing this, and Santa and Mrs. Claus enjoy eating them after filling the stockings. Just remember to leave a note of thanks for the kids to find on Christmas morning with the empty plate.
Give
Creating a tradition of giving is a priceless gift to bestow upon the future generations of your family. You could be a struggling family’s secret Santa, give toys to Toys 4 Tots, start a coat drive for children, or donate food or your time. Our kids have enjoyed shopping for kids that we picked off the Angel Tree in the past.
Learning about other holiday traditions
Use the holidays to learn about different cultures and rituals that you wouldn’t normally celebrate in your home. We have discussed different holidays, like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, in past years. We’ve also enjoyed Holidays Around the World at Epcot where each country represented there has a presentation about some of their traditions.
Set up a train
Everyone will enjoy setting up a train. Wrap the track around the Christmas tree or set it up on a table. Sprinkle some fake snow around your set up to give it a wintery backdrop.
Go on a Christmas light drive
Christmas lights are one of the most mesmerizing decorations. Enjoy the great displays throughout your town by taking an annual drive during the holiday season. Make a list of addresses of homes where the light displays are really nice and add to it each year. Top the night off with a hot chocolate. If you are able, see a commercially produced display. When we lived in Arkansas and Missouri, we enjoyed viewing the lights in Branson, Missouri. They were so much fun! This year, we plan on going to see the light at Hershey, PA.
What are some of your family traditions?
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