Every family has their own unique holiday traditions, but there is always room for some new ones. If you're interested in starting a new tradition in your family, check out my family's Christmas traditions to give you some ideas!
1. Have one ornament that goes on the Christmas tree last every year.
In my family, my mom has a particular ornament from her childhood that we always put on our tree last. The reason for this is that in her family she is the eleventh child out of twelve, so when she was little the older kids got to decorate the tree while the younger ones watched. However, when the tree was completely decorated, each of the younger kids got to put their own special ornament on the tree. Although your family probably does not share this exact reason for putting one specific ornament on the tree last, it would be a great tradition to start if your family has one very sentimental ornament, and you could create your own reason for doing this.
2. Collect one ornament every year that represents something you experienced or accomplished.
I have an ornament for pretty much everything I've ever done in my life, such as ballet, soccer, basketball, ice skating lessons, drama club, choir, graduation, and my study abroad trip to London. This is a cool way to showcase some of the most important things in your life!
3. Open presents on Christmas Eve.
My parents would allow my sister and me to open only one gift on Christmas Eve (usually a board game or a craft) to keep us busy before getting ready for bed. However, my boyfriend's parents allowed my boyfriend and his siblings to open all gifts that weren't from Santa on Christmas Eve, and then open the gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. This tradition is neat because it teaches children to appreciate the gifts that are actually from the parents, and then there are still a few things to open from Santa the next morning.
4. Make Christmas Eve punch.
Every year on Christmas Eve, my family makes our "special Christmas punch" which I thought was the most magical thing as a child. My sister and I would take turns stirring the punch, and we helped each other pour it into our toasting glasses so our family could make a toast to the holidays. Although in my teen years I realized this "special Christmas punch" is simply orange sherbet ice cream mixed with Sprite, I still love this tradition anyway.
5. Celebrate good fortune with a chocolate orange.
This family tradition is the most sentimental in my opinion, which is why it's probably my favorite one. My grandfather was a child during the Great Depression, and one year for Christmas his only gift was an orange. However, he was incredibly excited to be given anything at all because money was tight in his family. Therefore, in my stocking every year I find a chocolate orange to represent how fortunate my family is and to serve as a reminder to be grateful for what we have.
6. Receive a visit from Miss New Year.
Ever heard of her? In my family, Miss New Year brings a gift on New Year's Eve, and the gift is usually a game or something that my sister and I had wanted for Christmas but didn't receive. When we were younger, we got a board game in order to keep us awake until midnight to celebrate the New Year. Or, if we had asked Santa for a hula hoop but neglected to tell our parents this before Christmas, Miss New Year would always find out and bring this to us.
What traditions do you have in your family? I'd love to hear about them in the comments. Happy holidays from my family to yours!
