With the holiday season in full force, it’s easy to get caught up in shopping frenzies, the stress of extended family visits, and find yourself wishing for January to come sooner. The easiest way to melt away the winter blues is by spending some quality time with family or friends. A great way to do that is by starting a tradition to bring them together. Here are seven new traditions you can start this year!
1. Volunteer
Nothing makes you feel better than helping others, and volunteering is a great way to get in the true holiday spirit of giving. It teaches children empathy and it restores faith in humanity for adults. I recommend volunteering at a homeless shelter, pet shelter, or cleaning up litter at a local park.
2. Bake or Cook
Every year, the women in my family get together to bake Italian cookies and take shots of liquor–which is not for everyone, but spending some quality time in the kitchen is a great way to bring the family together. Challenge your family to make the best gingerbread house, or simply bake a pie or cake together. Is your family more fond of savory treats? Make some soft pretzels or bake a homemade pizza.
3. Book Exchange
I knew a girl in high school whose family tradition was to exchange books every Christmas Eve. The gifts kept the kids occupied as they waited for Christmas morning–but I think any adult would also be grateful for one to cozy up to. This tradition could easily be altered with immediate family as a visit to the public library and renting out books for each other if money is tight.
4. Elf on a Shelf or Literally Anything Else
Many people have heard of the Elf on a Shelf, which is a product that can be bought from stores and is used to portray funny or cute scenes–usually to the amazement of children. If you’re not in the market for one of these products, literally anything will do. At my house, we have some old action figures from nostalgic movies my husband and I loved growing up, and they do great posing doing funny things. It is fun to set up for each other and to find–and since we don’t have kids, we can involve some “adult” humor.
5. Themed Parties Aren’t Just for Kids
When I get together with my best friend, we will sometimes set a theme for her visit. We’ve had a Harry Potter movie marathon day, where we have foods inspired by the book as we watched the movies. We’ve also had a British day, where we drank tea, had cucumber sandwiches and watched British comedies on Netflix. It’s easy to dismiss enjoying a themed get-together as a childish thing, but I attest it is still very fun as an adult. There is a world of different themes to choose from, like pop-culture, books, and movies, sports, cultures around the world, time periods, and more.
6. You’ve Heard of Ugly Sweater Parties
Instead of just having an ugly sweater party–which is commonplace at work now, have an Ugly Outfit day. Go to a local thrift store and pick out the ugliest outfits you can find for each other. Do a runway show at home revealing the outfits. Then you can wear them all day if you want–maybe even out to dinner if you’re feeling brave, or take an on-purpose awkward picture with Santa at the mall. Expect a lot of belly-laughs with this one.
7. Arts and Crafts
Whether you go to a hosted paint class that comes with a glass of wine–which are easy to find these days–or you host one at home, art is a great way to feel festive. Take advantage of the sales on art supplies at your local craft fair by planning a day to do a craft with your friends and family. Get some cute fabric, blank ornaments, and modge-podge, and make decoupage ornaments. Get some polymer clay that can be baked in the oven and let your imagination go wild. Make a scrapbook featuring photos of every Christmas. Your options are limitless.
I hope you decide to bring some holiday cheer to your loved ones by introducing a new tradition. It can be as big or as small as you want it to be, and it can be free fun if you are a bit creative. Happy holidays!
