Create Warm Memories with Holiday Traditions

I remember just a handful of the Christmas presents I
received as a child: My first Barbie doll with her
skinny black sequined gown. My soft, pink Pat-a-Burp
doll. The microscope I got in second grade.
But I have many, many memories of our holiday
traditions. The lovely aromas of holiday ethnic food.
Riding the South Shore train into Chicago to visit the
"real" Santa. Using a paintbrush to decorate sugar
cookies with colored frosting. Setting up our manger
scene.
Traditions add so much joy to the holidays. Traditions
give a child a sense of belonging and identity. They
strengthen bonds across generations and live long in
memory.
A family rich in traditions has a powerful antidote to
commercialism. The more focused you are on pleasures
that cost little or nothing, the more all the gifts
tend to stay in their appropriate place.
Best of all, many traditions are perfectly suited to
today's busy families. Here are a few favorites:
SIMPLE PLEASURES
Light candles at dinnertime. If December mornings are
dark where you live, light candles at breakfast, too.
Take an evening stroll or car ride to look at Christmas
lights.
Serve warm chocolate with candy canes for stirring.
THE JOY OF GIVING
Let your kids in on the excitement of finding and
wrapping gifts for those they love. Compliment them for
being big enough to keep the surprise a secret.
As a family, decide on a charity and make a donation.
Our favorite is Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org/).
Take a plate of cookies or other holiday treats to a
homeless shelter or to a police or fire station.
GRATITUDE
Give family members strips of paper in holiday colors.
Let everyone write or draw something they're thankful
for on each strip. Link the strips into a chain and
hang as a decoration.
Write thank-you cards to each other. Decide together
when to open them.
CONNECTING GENERATIONS
Interview grandparents, aunts, and uncles about holiday
traditions they remember from their childhood. Adopt
any traditions that fit your family.
Ask relatives for holiday recipes that have been handed
down in your family. Or, search the Internet for
holiday recipes related to your ethnic origins.
NEW YEAR'S EVE
If your kids are little, it works fine to celebrate the
new year at 9 PM instead of midnight!
Pull out photos and videos from the past year and share
your memories.
Keep a box of inexpensive noisemakers and party hats
that you can re-use each year. The kids will enjoy
pulling out their old favorites.
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Decorate a box in which you'll put photos, ticket stubs
and other souveniers of the coming year. Talk about
your hopes and wishes.
Let each family member put New Year's resolutions into
their own envelope. Author Mimi Doe ("Busy But
Balanced") has a tradition of sealing the envelopes
with wax -- a nice, magical touch.
(c) 2004 Norma Schmidt, Coach, LLC
Norma Schmidt, Coach, LLC, specializes in helping
working mothers create balance. She offers workshops,
teleclasses and individual and group coaching. Her free
e-mail newsletter, "The Balance Point," is published
bi-weekly. Visit http://www.normaschmidt.com/