Should couples with new families move away from their old family traditions and create their own? Learn how to create holiday traditions for children with these simple tips!
When couples come together and celebrate the holidays there are inevitably things that each of them will take from their childhood and want to bring to their own family’s festivities. There will always be the normal traditions like the decorating of the tree, the hanging of the stockings, and the big family dinners, but what can be done to make the holidays your own.
Adding in the New
A lot of people hate the traditional fruitcake, so toss it, make something new and sweet to take its place. Our family has come to expect an extra rich dish called Persimmon Pudding at holiday meals. It’s an unusual item, but it’s easy to make and it’s delicious. It is something that is not normally thought of throughout the year so it makes a perfect addition to our dinner table during the holidays.
A tradition my mother always kept during Christmas was to make sure everyone had chocolate-covered cherries and those little books filled with lifesavers. No one really cared for the cherries and the lifesaver candies would still be unopened well into the New Year.
Holiday candies do not have to be bought in the Christmas section of your store. Give M&M’s, Hershey candy bars, Reese’s peanut butter cups, anything that they normally enjoy to eat and will not still be sitting around for months to come.
Make it About the Children
Do something creative. Build a gingerbread village instead of a house, make mistletoe out of a family flower or plant for family group hugs and kisses, put out something a little different than cookies for Santa, stuff the turkey with an unusual side dish rather than the same old stuffing, or other than the traditional turkey or ham, bring in a new main dish like prime rib or leg of lamb.
These are just a few of the things that can make your traditions different than others and will hopefully carry on with your children’s holidays. Traditional holiday customs are great, but there is a feeling of pride taken when you create something of your own to have fun with year after year.
The most important aspect of the holidays is and always will be family. Everything else is just what you make it. Don’t feel like a traitor for incorporating new and lasting traditions into your family’s holidays. The genuine feelings of the holidays will still be felt no matter what your trends become.
