The Best Way to Create Positive Christmas Traditions
Traditions create positive connections between family and generations. Creating positive traditions at Christmas is particularly important, everyone should be involved.
Traditions, according to an article from Forever Families, are activities and beliefs that elicit good emotions and are performed on a regular basis. They foster a sense of self-identity and community, as well as a sense of protection and security.
Traditions can be simple ordinary things, but are more than daily habits;They may also be handed down through generations, such as opening one gift on Christmas Eve, or receiving pajamas each year. Families can also create their own traditions depending on what is important to everyone, and what their values and beliefs are.
Benefits of Traditions at Christmas
During the holiday season traditions are especially important with the high rates of loneliness, depression and stress that surround the holidays. People need a reason to be excited about, that they can depend on, that does not create any negative feelings towards what they are doing.
The simplest of traditions such as going caroling on Christmas Eve can make all the difference to a person who is having a tough year this year, grieving the loss of a loved one, or feeling lonely. Traditions help us to remember the things that we love, enjoy and cherish in our lives. They can provide memories of events or people that are dear to us, and bring smiles to our faces instead of frowns.
Traditions are only beneficial though if people don’t find them overwhelming, enjoy them, and still place value on them. Many people come to find that they have outgrown some of their traditions and therefore now find them a chore, a source of stress, another item that they have to do. This is why it is important to review traditions from time to time and be willing to make changes to them if required.
Reviewing Christmas Traditions
From time to time, it is important to review the traditions that one has and evaluate whether they are still important and whether they are still enjoyed by all. There is no benefit if Auntie does not enjoy hosting Christmas dinner anymore, just so the rest of the family can have their big Christmas dinner. Maybe it is time for another person to host, agree to do a potluck, or forgo the dinner altogether and just get together for coffee, treats and a chat.
Reviewing traditions may take a bit of time and cooperation from everyone but is very important in order for them to continue to hold value for everyone. The following quick and simple steps will help to evaluate current traditions.
- Get everyone involved in the tradition together to discuss (everyone must be honest, open-minded, and prepared to debate, not dispute)
- List the current Christmas traditions
- Discuss enjoyment of each tradition
- Be willing to discard or alter ones that people do not enjoy
- Be willing to discuss creating new traditions
Creating New Christmas Traditions
For many reasons change is not something that humans embrace or enjoy. There is a fear that comes with change that can be crippling. This is where having a Christmas tradition that is practiced every year can be a disservice if it has been outgrown or is not enjoyed by all. Sometimes people miss out on other opportunities when they are unwilling to change a current tradition or are unwilling to create a new one. They may find that the new traditions are much more enjoyable and that everyone involved is happier with the results.
In order to create a new tradition at Christmas it is important to include the following:
- Include all those who will be a part of the ritual.
- identify what everyone values at Christmas; decide what is most important to them
- identify what everyone believes in at Christmas
- brainstorm new traditions around the list of people’s values and beliefs
- if necessary, do some research in the community or on the internet for ideas
- be respectful of everyone’s ideas
- do not generate too many new traditions at once as this can be overwhelming
- be willing to try a new tradition and review if it was successful for everyone and whether or not to continue it
When creating a new tradition at Christmas this can involve many different people, and yes sometimes not everyone will be 100% happy. But if people communicate honestly, without judgment, and truly listen, there is always a way to create something that everyone will enjoy during the holiday season. And isn’t that the point of Christmas? Happiness? Not fights over going to Grandma’s where the kids are bored and get into trouble all day because they can’t touch anything.
The Importance of Traditions at Christmas
Traditions are an important and a significant part of Christmas. They create a sense of belonging and positive expectation, but it is important to remember what is the most important thing at Christmas and build those traditions around that.
People can’t lose if they are true to what they value; and in this day and age, people hear more and more that it is not about the stuff at Christmas but people, family and friends spending time together. Traditions should not be stressful and endured, they should be fun. If they aren’t, it’s time to examine and alter. One never knows what gift lies around the corner in making a change.
