The presents, the tinsel, the baking and decorations are all nice. Sometimes we pay a heavy price for those things, in the form of stress and family conflict. If that is true, then it might be that you want to dial it back a bit (see this post from October 11).
When you or your family remembers holidays past, do you want the picture to be joy and contentment and love? Then keep that in the forefront of all that you do. As adults, we rarely remember the gifts we got, but we are sure to remember the family dynamics and the wonderful memories.
Here are a few ideas that are meaningful in our family. It may be different for yours, so create your own list.
- Decorate the tree together as a family. String popcorn and make homemade ornaments.
- Go out in the town you live in and look at Christmas lights.
- Volunteer to ring the bell for the Salvation Army. Do it as a family.
- Go Christmas caroling as a family or organize a caroling party with other families. Go caroling, and then come back to your house for hot chocolate.
- Adopt a family who is less fortunate. Buy presents and provide their Christmas dinner. Include your children in this venture!
- Do advent activities. Here is a very fun and easy one that will help even the smallest children understand the meaning of Christmas. It is called "The Advent Event" and I highly recommend it!
- Take your family to musical events in your town, things such as Christmas pageants, musicals, Handel's Messiah, etc.
- Consider starting a "Christmas Scrapbook" where you all write and enter pictures of your holiday activities. Each year, you can look at Christmases past and add to it.
