All families, however closely knit or loosely gathered, have holiday family traditions. Simply spending time together can be the tradition if it's hard to find time together other times throughout the year. Structured traditions may be the norm in many families, with certain meals that consist of the same food eaten at the same place and time each year. Other families may snack on Christmas cookies all day and forgo a large formal meal. Each version is a family tradition for someone.
The point is each family is truly unique. There is no right or wrong way of celebrating the holidays. Remembering that Christmas is a day that comes around once every year like all of the other days, not a Hollywood movie set with all the accompanying expectations, is important.
Defining Family
Family usually refers to blood relatives. If a person has no family members living or if family members don't live close by, it's still possible to enjoy the best holiday season. Choosing close friends to be family at Christmas is always a good option. Hosting a holiday party or meal for other "singles," those who are alone at the holidays, is a tradition that can grow into a meaningful way to spend the day with a new chosen family.
Doing What Comes Natural
Several holiday traditions may pop in a person's mind. These memories can be incorporated into present day holiday celebrations. Being selective and using good memories to re-create holiday family traditions is one way young families build their own holiday traditions. If a young couple can't decide whether to open gifts on Christmas eve as her family did or on Christmas morning as his family did, a compromise can be reached by opening half at each time.
Putting on the Thinking Cap
When ideas from Christmas past are lacking, thinking back to early childhood may do the trick. Setting the mood by playing traditional Christmas carols may jog the memory. If nothing pops out, creating new holiday family traditions is just as good as the tried and true.
Offering a child an Advent calendar on the first day of December can be a fun way for young children to count down to the big day. Spending time and love to make an Advent calendar ahead of time adds to the meaning and tradition.
Baking Christmas cookies with children one or two Saturdays before Christmas then packing them in holiday tins can be a way to share the holiday season and create a new family holiday tradition that everyone looks forward to.
Remembering to Keep the Holidays Simple
It's not necessary to spend a lot of money or to try to top the neighbor's light show unless that's the sort of thing that brings joy. Some of the best holiday family traditions begins on the living room floor with Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" in the background, a bowl of popcorn so everyone can reach it, a new board game, and family gathered round.
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