The holidays give family members who live miles apart a chance to reunite and catch up with each other's lives. Similarly, these occasions also give new families the opportunity to build nice memories that they can treasure for years to come. Having a nice hearty dinner is something that has stood the test of time, as far as traditions go. But one way of making celebration of holidays more special and worth remembering through the years is by creating new ways of celebrating that can become family holiday traditions through the years to come.
Here's how to get started on creating new holiday traditions with your friends and family:
Sing
As corny as it may sound, music is an undeniable component of any holiday. Tunes that relate to the occasion make the feeling more jovial and merry. During Christmas for instance, you can prepare a short show, where the family can be split into groups of carolers. Each group will sing a few Christmas carols in front of everybody else in attendance, to show your appreciation for the season and your gratefulness to be around your family at this most important of dates.
If you have really musically-inclined family members, why not compose a song for the occasion or a ditty that would be very special to your family members. Being able to personalize the songs that you play during holidays can be quite a novel idea, and this makes the experience of attending a holiday dinner a very family-oriented one. The song can also be a touchstone to all the members of the family and serve as one more extra thing that everybody else in the clan shares.
If you're into more boisterous merrymaking, why not try singing karaoke? If you're a fun-loving crew and you don't exactly find a solemn dinner to be their idea of enjoyment, you can always choose to whip out a microphone and sing karaoke with the rest of the gang. Holiday traditions don't need to be stuffy and ritualistic all the time. What matters most is that you have fun with the people you care about and love.
Play
Games are a great way to relieve stress and catch up. How about a friendly game of trivial pursuit or monopoly? Many family members would probably remember playing games when they were kids, so there's a great nostalgic value to playing these games as adults. If there are children in attendance, it could also give them the chance to compete against the grown-ups on a level playing field.
If old-fashioned board games aren't your thing, why not start an annual Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation tournament? Pick the party game of your choice and just mash away at those buttons to see who's the best armchair warrior of them all. With new games coming out every year or so, you can vary the game played every year. Chances are you'll find yourself practicing for the tournament months before the actual event.
Talk
People talk during the holidays, but instituting a formal way by which people can do their sharing can be a great way to start a tradition. By either making each guest explain one's present or say a dedication before lighting a candle or a lantern, a tradition is strengthened when emotional bonds are involved in the communication process.
Remember, traditions are there to make the occasions more memorable and feel more special. They shouldn't feel like burdensome rituals that you just have to do. Make sure that everyone's in agreement with your new idea before trying something out.
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