‘TIS THE SEASON

‘Tis the season to be… jolly? Busy? Merry? Overwhelmed? What comes to mind for you when you think of the Christmas season? Personally, like many of you, it’s one of my favorites! Yes, all the festivities and feasting add to its charm, but what I’ve come to cherish the most are the traditions my wife Kathy and I have built over the years for our family. Now that our children are adults with their own families, it even gives us greater joy to share these experiences with our children and grandchildren. Traditions play a significant role in our family. We have many we celebrate throughout the year and especially at Christmas. There are many benefits that come with keeping traditions and we have reaped rich rewards as a family because of them. Here are my four top reasons for creating and upholding traditions:

 

TRADITIONS GIVE EVERYONE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Every year comes with its ups and downs – seasons of great joy, heavy disappointment or even periods of calm. Having moments you can look forward to, offers much needed respite from the year. By taking initiative and being creative, you will find that even as adults your children will still look forward with expectation. Our children, who are now adults in their 30’s still look forward to the traditions we started with them when they were younger.

 

TRADITIONS CREATE EXCITEMENT AND BUILD MEMORIES

A good place to start would be defining what memories you want to create and build with your family. I remember when I was 5 or 6 years old, I got my first bike. My dad took a kite string and wound it all around the house, through the window, out the back door and all the way to the garage. In the morning, he handed me the string and I had to follow it to find what was at the end of it, and at the end, was my shiny brand-new bike. I still relive that day in my mind and the feeling of it remains fresh. Defining the memories you want to create is important.

 

TRADITIONS DEFINE EXPECTATIONS AND GIVE THE CONFIDENCE OF NOT BEING DISAPPOINTED

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season can be intense, and things don’t always go as planned. Having something to look forward to and know what to expect from, helps ease the pressure and allows you to enjoy the moment.

About 25 years ago I recognized that cooking a big Christmas meal on Christmas Day was cutting into the family time we had for opening gifts, playing with the gifts and hanging out together. Kathy would have to leave and start working on the Christmas dinner much sooner than was ideal and often she would miss out on some of the fun I was having with the kids. I therefore proposed that Christmas day be a family day of being together and not make the meal as important; and delay the Christmas meal to the day after Christmas. We have soup on Christmas Day that Kathy makes a few days earlier. This has been absolutely fabulous for Kathy and the entire family spreading Christmas out over two days.

 

TRADITIONS PROVIDE CONSISTENCY IN A DAY FULL OF SURPRISES

One of the best ideas I came up with for Christmas is my clue finding gift game. I started this when our children were younger about 4 or 5. The way it works is simple. I write down eight clues. Once we have opened all of our family presents together, I then hand the kids their first clue which is wrapped in a box, and the other seven clues are hidden around the house. The rule is you must read the clue loudly in front of the whole family and together solve it. I would write the clues based on their age and level of understanding. So, it can be as simple as “You hate to put things inside of me.” The answer would either be the dishwasher or washing machine. They would go and check. Once they find the right place, they find another clue waiting for them. We requested they come back and read each clue aloud to the family so we can share in the excitement. They keep solving each riddle and eventually get to the last clue, at the end of which they find their big Christmas gift. One year when our children were adults, I stopped the tradition and didn’t write any clues. Ashley, (our oldest), said to me ‘What’s the deal? There are no clue gifts? We’ll take a break and you have to do some clues.” The other two agreed! They are now all in their 30’s and I’m still doing the clues each Christmas! I can’t wait for my grandchildren to be old enough so I can start the clue game with them! I’ve shared this idea with a lot of friends and every year I receive messages from dads saying how much fun the clue game was for their family.

 

ACTION STEPS:

If you haven’t already, take time to sit and write down what memories and experiences you hope to share as a family this year. Think about new traditions you can begin and incorporate into your planning each Christmas. I have shared some of our beloved Christmas traditions. I hope they inspire you as you create some additional traditions of your own. Once the season is over, remember to sit back and reflect on the memories created. Over time, you will create a bank that you can draw from and relive for years to come. Do you have Christmas traditions that you enjoy as a family? I would love to hear about them; please share them in the comments section below.