Creating Christmas Traditions

Many of us can look back at our childhoods and remember something that our families did every year to commemorate the Christmas season. It could be something small, such as taking a drive to look at Christmas lights, or something much larger, such as a Christmas Eve party. No matter how large or small, these traditions give children something to look forward to, and they help to get adults into the spirit of the festive Christmas season.

Traditions are not that hard to create. When I was at Texas A&M we used to joke that if an Aggie did something twice, it was a tradition, but that's really not that far off of the mark. All you need to make a tradition is something that you can feasibly see doing year after year, and preferably something that you and your family will enjoy and look forward to. Here are a few ideas you could make your own.

Cutting the Family Christmas Tree. If you have a Christmas tree farm within driving distance, you may consider taking your family out yearly to choose and cut your own tree. Be sure to have in mind before you go the size tree your house can accommodate, as they always end up bigger than they seem in the field. This is a great tradition to introduce the weekend after Thanksgiving. Imagine pulling up to the farm on a crisp day, your family pouring out of the car and enjoying fresh air while walking up and down aisles of beautiful bare Christmas trees. Once they choose the perfect one, you get to cut it down yourself, and pull it to the front where it will be shaken clean of loose needles, and bagged. This is a lot more fun than going to a lot full of already cut trees laying all over the place, trying to get an idea of how it will look while standing. Remember to bring gloves, as the trees are very sappy and you'll want the coverage as you cut and drag it, and enough rope to secure the tree to your vehicle on the drive home. The farm will typically supply you with a saw and a device to help you drag the tree more easily from the field.

Make Christmas Tree Ornaments. Making ornaments is a great idea if you have little ones in the house. There are several different ways that you can go about making your own ornaments, and the complexity of the projects can change every year as your children grow. Make it an enjoyable activity, encourage their creativity. Don't try to make the projects too neat or orderly, or get upset if they don't follow directions exactly, as this will make most kids miserable. The point here is to create something that they'll enjoy and look forward to next year. Put on some festive holiday music, or your kid's favorite Christmas movie as a fun background setting to the activity, make hot chocolate, and most of all, have fun!

Make a Gingerbread House. You may choose to make your gingerbread house from scratch, or purchase a kit, but either way this activity will be fun and exciting to kids of all ages. Again, setting the atmosphere with music or a movie and some hot chocolate will really bring the feeling of the season to the activity.

Bake. This one seems simple enough, but holiday baking is an activity that the whole family can get in on, and is a great, low cost, and practical tradition. If you attend several holiday parties, or are looking for low cost gifts for friends and family, baked goods are always appreciated around the holiday season. A day of baking, cookie decorating, boxing and wrapping baked goods could be your new holiday tradition.

Looking at Lights. Many people spend a great deal of money and time decorating their homes for the holidays, and taking a trip to look at beautiful Christmas displays can easily fill an evening. Take a Christmas music CD, choose a large neighborhood, and slowly drive up and down the streets while oogling the festive presentations.

The number of possibilities are infinite, but with a little preparation and consideration you can develop lasting traditions that your children will remember and possibly carry on when they've moved on to their own families.