Think back when you were a child…what do you remember about the holidays?
I remember setting out hay for Santa’s reindeer every Christmas eve (we lived on 6 acres with horses), going to church and returning with the hay gone and our stockings full. I remember getting a live tree, roots and all, and replanting it in our backyard after we took the decorations off. Each year we saw our Christmas trees grow up! I remember my grandma always had angel food candy. I loved angel food candy. Last year my neighbor brought some over that her friend sent her from New York! I hadn’t seen angel food candy in years. Yum! She told me that the friend made it and later brought over the recipe! Check out this recipe, with awesome pictures, for angel food candy!
A few years ago, after decorating the Christmas tree, it was around dinner time and we were hungry. We hardly had any food in the house so I decided to make waffles and sausage for dinner. It was delicious and really hit the spot! The next year everyone thought we should have the same thing and that became our family’s tradition!! What?! Now every time we haul out the tree, unpack all the decorations, decorate and clean up I get to spend another two hours in the kitchen standing in front of the waffle maker cooking enough waffles for the six of us!! My takeaway…think before you decide to cook anything around the holidays!
Here are a few tips when considering what traditions will create beautiful memories that will last a lifetime:
- Ask each family member what ONE thing is their favorite thing to do around the holidays. Be sure to schedule those things on your calendar so that each family member’s choice is honored. It is really easy if they all pick the same thing!! Be sure to ask yourself this same question and schedule your choice, too!
- Be smart. Don’t start something that is time consuming, draining or requires more money than you have budgeted! People might like it and want to do it every year…life waffles!
- Limit the number of traditions you have. Keep them simple so you are not overwhelmed each year, dreading the approach of the holidays!
Here are some ideas for traditions that you might want to consider:
- Read this post about my starting the advent calendar. My kids just pulled it out of the decoration box and my 8 year old daughter made a list of great ideas to help me out: Make a snow man, go to Dunkin’ Donuts, get a movie from redbox, have hot chocolate together, make some kind of food, go some place fun, do a special craft, do a play, all make a fort, play a board game, paint a family picture, do a puzzle, take a family picture, read a story…
- Have you heard of the peppermint pig? Check out the tradition of the peppermint pig here.
- Read about 50 holiday tradition ideas here at Cozi.com.
- Here is a New York Times article on the subject of traditions with 100 comments from kids who share their own favorite traditions!
- Here is a book about The Pajama Elves – a poem about a tradition involving pajamas!
Traditions are memory makers! Just remember, keep it simple!
Image courtesy of FrameAngel / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
