5 Things To Consider When Creating Your Own Holiday Traditions

There’s something special about repeating holiday traditions year after year. Some traditions hold great memories, like putting up a Christmas tree or taking Christmas pictures. As humans, we enjoy repetition, and having something to look forward to can increase your holiday spirit. So if you’re starting your own traditions this year, here are a few things you should consider.

Find Your Purpose

Be intentional when creating your traditions. This does not have to become a stressful task. Finding your why for your traditions can be as simple as putting a smile on your family and friends’ faces. But you would also want to have traditions that connect to a more profound meaning, such as giving your children something they won’t ever forget. Take a moment to reflect on your purpose behind your traditions.

Decide On Who The Traditions Will Involve 

Some traditions are only done with friends or family, and some of more personal. Many family traditions have already been created and passed down from many generations. So establishing new traditions within your family could be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, you could easily start a tradition with your friends, such as secret Santa or having a friends-only Christmas party. You could even create self traditions. Christmas is always a good reason to spoil yourself.

Recreating Old Family Traditions

If you don’t know where to begin with creating your own traditions. Think back to your favorite holiday tradition you did with your family as a child. For example, if your family vacation to the same location every Christmas, switch it up and start visiting a new place every Christmas. This is a great starting point because the foundation is already laid out—all you’ll have to do to expand on it.

Don’t Stress Yourself

It is easy to get overwhelmed while doing these traditions every year. It’s important to remember not to overwork and stress yourself out. An easy way to avoid unwanted stress is to take the divide and conquer approach. Write out a list prepare yourself in advance. If your to-do list is lengthy, start attacking your task early on. This is will not only keep your stress levels down but also keep you on track without rushing.

Everything Won’t Be Perfect 

While speaking on stress, it’s important to remember mistakes happen and things do not always go as planned. But don’t sweat it; sometimes, these hiccups make for the best memories. If something does not go according to plan, there’s always time to get it right next year. Don’t beat yourself up if your traditions don’t turn out the way you wanted them to.  So if your tradition isn’t how you expected, remember the late Aaliyah’s words, “dust yourself off and try again.”