What’s Your Holiday Tradition?
Dec 22 2011 in Denise's Blog, Holiday Survival Guide by Denise
I presented workshops in November and December about surviving the holidays. During the workshops, attendees shared their favorite holiday traditions. A few stood out for me, including:
—Take time to give thanks with a Thanksgiving gratitude tree. I love this tradition, started by a family many years ago, which you can adapt for New Year’s Eve. Each family member writes one gratitude on a piece paper (cut into the shape of a turkey), then hangs the turkey on a Christmas tree converted into a Thanksgiving tree. The gratitudes permanently remain on the tree, which makes its appearance for Thanksgiving only. One rule: You can never repeat a gratitude. The tree not only holds gratitudes but memories of family members who have died, of past Thanksgivings and of previous blessings.
—Give yourself the gift of learning about your family members. One family created an unusual gift-giving ritual. Each family member bought and wrapped a gift for themselves. Everyone placed their gift under the tree without anyone seeing the gift. One by one, each gift was unwrapped. The family then guessed which family member brought the gift. The tradition worked well because everyone got something they wanted (this happens when you buy yourself your own Christmas gift) and they all learned something new about each other. For instance, one family member gave herself a mystery novel—and no one realized how much she reads. Each family member also pitched in $5 for a cash prize. The family member who had the most correct matches (which gift belong with which family member) won the cash prize.
I love to hear holiday traditions because they can inspire us to re-think and revisit our own rituals. We also receive a little nudge to think outside the box in the new traditions we create.
I’d love to know: What are your holiday traditions? Please share your stories in our comments section, below.
Related Articles
- Platitudes on Gratitudes (caregiving.com)
- Holiday Survival Guide (caregiving.com)
NJ said on December 22, 2011
The year we were engaged my husband-to-be and I sent Christmas cards to our friends and relatives (not proper etiquette I am pretty sure!) I felt the ones we received in return were too significant to just throw in the trash. I recalled as a child in school learning how to make a Christmas card ball. It took 20 cards, a cardboard triangle, and some cutting and stapling. My husband loved it.
Every year since, usually on New Year’s Eve, we have made a card ball together. Through the years our children joined in our tradition.
They are part of our Christmas decorations. We hang them along the top of our living room curtains.
Our card balls survived moving, a near divorce, and a basement flood. They number 33 now. They are representative of staying together through thick and thin and an annual, tangible reminder of just how many years have passed.
Making “our” card ball has become more precious to both of us with the bittersweet realization that when one is left our tradition will end.
Trish said on December 23, 2011
Denise, I love these traditions you shared and love hearing about others’ traditions. One tradition we have is to have a new, white sheet on one of the tables at Thanksgiving with all colors of permanent markers. Throughout the day (if people remember), the sheet gets signed or people play tic-tac-toe or leave messages. Each Thanksgiving I use a few of these as tablecloths for the dessert table or appetizer table so we can look at past years and read what people wrote. We have quite a few accumulated now and it’s fun to go back and read the messages.