Meaningful Family Christmas Traditions worth starting this year

I think we're all feeling that life has gotten faster and faster..

Sometimes I feel like I'm simply reacting to whatever is next on the calendar. And when we finally get a break—when there's an opportunity to slow down—I crave it so deeply.

I long for the time to mend the hole in my nine-year-old son's jeans, to bake simply because I enjoy it instead of feeling rushed or obligated, to read a book on the couch curled up in a blanket, to really slow down and savour a meal, or sip a coffee on the deck while listening to the birds sing - and let that nervous system really unwind... and not just on vacation! 

Those moments can feel so hard to come by when you're in the thick of raising young children.

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be, as an adult, to recreate the magic of Christmas you remember from your own childhood?

Why is that?

Perhaps our memories become sweeter with time. But I also think it's because, as parents, we've become the ones responsible for creating the magic. We become so busy making Christmas happen that it's easy to forget to slow down and experience it ourselves!  

For me, that's what The Family Carol Co. is all about—helping families slow down, savour the season, and create traditions that become some of life's sweetest memories.

The beautiful thing is that these traditions don't need to be elaborate or expensive. In fact, it's often the simplest traditions that become the most cherished.

Here are a few traditions your family might enjoy starting this year.

1.  Have a Family Carol Night

When was the last time your family sang together?

For many of us, the answer is "I honestly can't remember."

Somewhere along the way, singing became something we watched instead of something we did.

Christmas gives us a wonderful excuse to change that.

Choose one evening during the Christmas season to gather your family, friends or relatives and sing your favourite Christmas carols together.  Make it fun! Make it beautiful - whatever suits your family.  Bonus points if no one in your family thinks they're musical!

Light a few candles, brew some hot chocolate, gather around the piano, kitchen table, or living room with your guitar, piano, ukulele, or simply your voices!

Singing imperfectly. 

Sing together.

After all, the music is only part of the experience.

2. Read a Christmas Story by Candlelight

Did you know that the soft, rhythmic flicker of candlelight can actually help us relax?  Warm, amber candlelight—which mimics the visual spectrum of a sunset—cues the brain that the environment is safe, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering blood pressure, cortisol, and easing anxiety!  It's one of the reasons candlelight feels so cozy and comforting.

Lighting a candle has become one of my favourite ways to create a peaceful atmosphere during the Christmas season, and because it's a tradition that's been practiced for centuries, it also carries a quiet sense of sacredness and reverence.  It actually triggers a deeply ingrained evolutionary response, which is fascinating!  And makes sense!

I think its safe to say that most of us with young children don't tend to be in a season of lighting candles for safety reasons, but this is why it can be made extra special for Christmas Time.  

Get beautiful candle that smells wonderful, or a perfectly simple beeswax candle that you only take out for the month of December, and read a Christmas story by candlelight with your kids.  My kids absolutely love this tradition, they sense that its special and love cozying up with a book in this extra special way.

Nord Ceremony has written a great blog all about candlelight:  https://nordceremony.com/blog/the-science-of-candlelight-why-warm-glow-makes-us-feel-safe/

3. Start a Christmas Gratitude Jar

Beginning on December 1, place a jar and a stack of small slips of paper somewhere everyone will see them.

Each evening at dinner, breakfast—or anytime throughout the month—everyone writes down one thing they're grateful for.

Fold the notes and place them in the jar without reading them.

If you have a hard time getting the kids or teens on board at first, you start the first year.  As parents, write down what your grateful for - best if a good chunk of your gratitude notes are specific towards your children.  Once the kids get to experience the gratitude jar, they will be eager to take part and fill out their own next time around.

Feel free to name the Gratitude Jar whatever you want!  

On Christmas Eve, gather around the tree with mugs of hot chocolate and read the notes aloud together.

You'll relive moments that may otherwise have been forgotten, and you'll probably find yourselves laughing, smiling, and maybe even shedding a few happy tears.

 

Children rarely remember whether every decoration was perfect.

They remember how Christmas felt.

I hope this inspired one or two ideas for you to take home this year.

Here's to making this Christmas one your family will remember for years to come.

 

If you're looking for a beautiful collection of traditional Christmas carols for your own Family Carol Night, we're putting the finishing touches on something special. Join our mailing list to be the first to know when The Little Book of Christmas Carols is available.