What is the secret to creating the best Christmas memories?
Mandy and I were talking about the Christmas memories she had as a kid.
One of her best Christmas memories was walking down the stairs with the tree and living room lit up and the huge pile of gifts stacked under the tree.
Wanting to make sure her kids enjoyed the same magic, she stressed about not having enough gifts.
When questioned, she had to admit that she couldn’t pinpoint any memory of a specific present that she loved. Simply, she loved the magic of Christmas morning.
Here’s the thing, what she remembers is more about the traditions of the morning and less about the pile of gifts.
Year after year, our Christmas mornings followed the same pattern.
Brian put special effort into making Christmas morning magic.
Although it was never intentional, the pattern became our tradition. The tradition led to wonderful memories.
Tradition plus time equals memories. Every single time.
It may be hard to believe, but the gifts aren’t what make the memories.
Let yourself off the hook. Unless there is a super special gift, most kids, and adults, will quickly forget what they even received.
For sure, gifts are a fun part of Christmas, but they aren’t what create the best memories.
The traditions are what will eventually form the memories.
To make the gifts a part of the magic of Christmas, intentionally develop traditions of when and how they are opened.
It’s easy to make the gift opening part of Christmas special.
Tell the story of the Wise Men who brought gifts to Baby Jesus.
Draw names to see who opens the first gift.
Take turns opening gifts, enjoying watching what each other received.
Save one gift until the relatives arrive.
Make it fit for your family, but intentionally invoke a sense of specialness around opening Christmas gifts.
The Christmas season is filled with opportunities to create family traditions that lead to wonderful memories.
Don’t discount the value of visiting relatives.
Taking the time to visit relatives imprints the message that families are special and worth taking the time to visit.
To the adults, it can be a stressor and an intrusion of family time.
For kids, it’s just the opposite. It’s time with grandparents, extended family and friends who love them.
For years, every Sunday morning, our family attended church followed by lunch at my mother’s. It literally took up most of our day. To Brian and me, it became burdensome. Our kids, however, say that some of their best memories are of Sundays spent with Nana and their cousins.
Super idea…Invite Santa to drop off his gifts early. Open them on a day other than Christmas day and enjoy the day at home. On Christmas day, enjoy making the rounds to visit all the extended family.
If you buy a real tree, make it a family event.
I know families who make a day of picking out and bringing home the Christmas tree. It is a family tradition and something they look forward to on a yearly basis.
Likewise, decorating the tree.
I have friends who make an event of decorating the Christmas tree together. Take turns putting ornaments on the tree. Make the evening special by having cookies and drinks
Take a gift to someone less fortunate.
There is nothing more gratifying than helping someone else. Planting a charitable seed in kids is a gift that will grow forever.
Celebrate your heritage.
Off and on over the years, the Belsnickle has visited us at our extended family get-together. The Belsnickle is a piece of our Appalachian Heritage. (Granted, it’s a bit of a terrifying piece of our culture!)
Make a traditional dish.
My son-in-law makes Nanny’s eggs. Nanny was his great-grandmother. His kids will never know Nanny, but they definitely know where the recipe originated.
The possibilities to create great Christmas memories rooted in tradition are endless.
One word of caution; keep it simple. Complicated, intricate traditions will be difficult to maintain.
What is the secret to creating wonderful Christmas memories?
Traditions plus time is the secret to creating lasting Christmas memories.
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