4 Holiday Traditions to Bring Back
The holidays are upon us and because this year has been a doozy, holiday cheer is exactly what we need to close it out. Though many of the holidays we’ve celebrated this year have been stifled under quarantine mandates, the loosening of restrictions have come just in time.
As stores and restaurants do their best to safely reopen, we can expect that much of our Christmas routine will resemble the years past.
While many are still being careful about entertaining large groups, hanging lights and decorations around your home is a tradition that can be safely done with your roommates and immediate family. And while your usual traditions drum up the old nostalgia, maybe you’re hoping to add a little spice by starting a few new traditions. And by new, we mean retro.
Popcorn & Cranberry Garland
We know stringing popcorn sounds like something out of a made-for-tv Christmas movie, but it’s just the kind of thing that can turn a boring evening into a family event. Imagine sitting around the living room, a cup of cocoa or eggnog with a splash of brandy, Nat King Cole on in the background, and bowls of popcorn (to string AND snack).
It’s an activity that’s easy to do while catching up on life’s events. Pop some cranberries on those strings and you’ve got yourself a simple, yet festive tree decoration.
Ornament Exchange
Decorating the Christmas tree is a common tradition in many homes. Each year, a tree is brought home from the tree farm (or the faux tree box is pulled out of storage) and decorated with the same ornaments from the year before.
Whether they’re generic and solid colored, craft ornaments made by your children, or decorative heirloom ornaments passed down from generation to generation, adding a new one each Christmas is a fun way to commemorate the year.
Wrap a new ornament, Invite over a few friends, and make a game of it! Roll dice and choose whoever has the highest number to start. Continue that way until all of the ornaments are given out. For an added bonus, allow each player (at the start of their turn) the opportunity to steal from someone who has opened their ornament already.
Mistletoe
Kissing under the mistletoe might seem like a thing of the past, but when it’s meaning might make you want to bring it right back to the present. Historically, the Greeks started the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at weddings to increase the chances of fertility.
Later, it became a symbol of peace. Enemies at war would restore peace by coming under the mistletoe in agreement. After the year we’ve had, a little peace between friends and family might be just what you need!
12 Days of Christmas
This tradition might be a little more familiar to you. Many families still celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, but if you don’t, it could be a fun addition to the festivities you’ve already planned.
While it has traditionally been a religious ritual meant to commemorate the day that the three wisemen came to visit Jesus on the 12th day, you can make it your own.
It begins on Christmas Day and ends on January 6th. You can celebrate by opening one gift per day as a family (or one gift per person in the household) or enjoy a wintry activity that your household can enjoy together. You can also purchase from our 12 Days of Christmas ornaments, and hang one ornament on each corresponding day.