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As children, each of us grew up conforming to the customs our families set down for the holidays- some of us opened gifts on Christmas eve and some of us enjoyed a large meal on the date of our holidays of choice. After a while these traditions, though special, can become a little stale. This year may be the year for you and your loved ones to create new traditions.
Reinventing your holiday season doesn’t mean that you have to give up all your old traditions, you can simply add new habits and routines to your holiday celebrations! This article from apartmentguide.com offers a few great ideas for your next holiday tradition. Keep reading to find out more:
Pick your perfect party
Kicking off the holiday season with a fantastic party is a great tradition, but you don’t have to stick with the same old cocktail weenies. Pick the holiday party that suits you and your guests’ style. Host a unique season opener party for the holidays you celebrate this time of year. (Christmas carol karaoke, anyone?)
Gift exchanges are always a fun option, especially when you pick out-of-the-ordinary themes like dollar store trinkets, quirky cocktail napkins or best (meaning worst!) re-gifted items.
If your friends are scattered around geographically, why not try a holiday hangoutonline? It’s not like being in the same place together, of course, but it is a way to share the spirit of the season.
If your holiday spirit takes a while to kick in, postpone your party for New Year’s Day or early January when everyone could use a post-holiday boost.
Communicate creatively
The thought of sending out holiday cards makes some folks seriously stressed. This year, relax and create a well-wishing strategy that works for your busy holiday schedule and your budget.
If you are short on time and money, send e-cards to family and friends. In this time of iEverything, it’s acceptable to post an online holiday greeting to your email list or Facebook friends. The best part is that you don’t have to prepare your thoughts so early in the season; you can wait for the right moment when the holiday spirit strikes you.
If you prefer more traditional paper cards, mix things up by creating a custom card design through an online vendor like Folded Words. Online card design sites like this and others feature fun templates which allow you to add your own sentiments or photos based on your favorite card theme.
To make your mailing strategy easier, use a handy web-based contact list likePostable, which creates a special website where your friends can enter their mailing addresses, building your address book for you!
Make your own kind of calendar
Follow the fun tradition of counting down to whichever wintertime holiday you celebrate. In the Christian tradition, Advent calendars track the days to Christmas, with various treats or gifts associated with each day. In a similar way, you can use your own special calendar to count down to whatever day or season you look forward to, be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, New Year’s or Boxing Day. The key is to have fun and make it unique to your family’s tradition. Check out these ideas for cool containers you can adapt to your custom holiday calendar.
Start a new giving tradition
Often we get wrapped up in the tradition of “what are you going to get me this holiday season?” Why not flip the switch and establish a new type of holiday celebration where you give away instead of gather up?
One giving option is to plan a special day during the holidays where you meet with your friends and family to volunteer at a local homeless shelter or food bank. It’s a great way to share your holiday cheer beyond your own home. Or consider supporting an organization like Heifer International which lets you donate food and other needed items to help challenged families thrive in other countries.
This holiday season, challenge yourself to establish traditions that are truly meaningful and fun, ones you’ll want to celebrate for years to come!
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