Why Not Start a New Holiday Tradition This Year?
The silly season is finally here! Make it one to remember by adopting new holiday traditions and Christmas-time customs from other cultures
Natasha Saroca
1 December 2016
Houzz Australia Contributor. Natasha is a freelance journalist who began her career working across a number of home design and lifestyle magazines, including BuildHOME and Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly. She enjoys writing about design and colour trends, decorating ideas (particularly how to transform rooms with colour and patterns), organisation tips, entertaining ideas and easy updates for the home.
When she’s not creating Ideabooks for Houzz, Natasha can be found writing about all things fashion for Missy Confidential, working on her soon-to-be-launched website – www.asmartsequin.com – or shopping online for new quilt covers, cushions and fashion illustrations (her three current obsessions).
Houzz Australia Contributor. Natasha is a freelance journalist who began her career... More
The countdown to Christmas has begun, which means it’s time to start reviving all of the activities and customs you usually do once December hits to help you prepare and get in a festive mood for the holidays. You know, we’re talking about those popular, age-old traditions like putting up your tree as soon as December 1 rolls around, starting an advent calendar, and taking a walk around your neighbourhood to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over all the Christmas lights. However, if you feel like mixing things up a little this year, or simply wish to add new Christmas-time customs to your standard silly season celebration repertoire, consider creating your own holiday traditions, or adopting ideas from around the world and incorporating them into your festivities. Here are 12 fun ideas below to help get you started…
1. Host a Christmas themed movie marathon
Who doesn’t love watching classic Christmas movies over the festive season? Invite your family and friends over to watch a selection of your favourite holiday flicks together, or keep things intimate by keeping the guest list to immediate family (or just you and your partner) only. What Christmas movies are on my must-view list? Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Love Actually, Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life. If you don’t want to watch them all in a row, watch one or two each weekend in the lead up to Christmas Day, and set aside your favourite to watch on Christmas Eve night!
Who doesn’t love watching classic Christmas movies over the festive season? Invite your family and friends over to watch a selection of your favourite holiday flicks together, or keep things intimate by keeping the guest list to immediate family (or just you and your partner) only. What Christmas movies are on my must-view list? Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Love Actually, Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life. If you don’t want to watch them all in a row, watch one or two each weekend in the lead up to Christmas Day, and set aside your favourite to watch on Christmas Eve night!
2. Bake sweet treats for your loved ones
Whipping up a batch of classic Christmas cookies (or several) – like gingerbread cookies, shortbread or basic sugar biscuits cut in the shape of Christmas trees or Santa – is a great way to get into the festive spirit. Not only will your baking session infuse your home with a sweet, aromatic and quintessentially Christmas-y scent, but the cookies also make great gifts for loved ones, neighbours, teachers and your workmates. It’s also handy having some in the pantry that you can offer guests when they come to visit during the holiday period.
Whipping up a batch of classic Christmas cookies (or several) – like gingerbread cookies, shortbread or basic sugar biscuits cut in the shape of Christmas trees or Santa – is a great way to get into the festive spirit. Not only will your baking session infuse your home with a sweet, aromatic and quintessentially Christmas-y scent, but the cookies also make great gifts for loved ones, neighbours, teachers and your workmates. It’s also handy having some in the pantry that you can offer guests when they come to visit during the holiday period.
3. Share the love
Christmas is a time for giving, not just to your family and friends, but to those who are less fortunate, too. A few great ways to share the love and spread holiday cheer is to donate new toys to a Christmas toy drive, volunteer to help serve Christmas lunch or dinner to the homeless or families in need, or by buying fair-trade gifts handmade by artisans in developing countries for your loved ones.
Christmas is a time for giving, not just to your family and friends, but to those who are less fortunate, too. A few great ways to share the love and spread holiday cheer is to donate new toys to a Christmas toy drive, volunteer to help serve Christmas lunch or dinner to the homeless or families in need, or by buying fair-trade gifts handmade by artisans in developing countries for your loved ones.
4. Make a DIY Christmas tree
Ditch your store-bought Christmas tree this year and make one instead. Not only will this creative project provide loads of fun for the whole family, but the final masterpiece is sure to become the focal point of your living space and a conversation starter during your Christmas Day celebrations. If you need some DIY tree inspiration, take decorating cues from this earthy, rustic creation, which is fashioned from sticks that were collected from the homeowner’s property. Twinkling fairy lights have been wrapped around the bespoke tree, while white clay star and Christmas tree-shaped decorations complete the look.
Ditch your store-bought Christmas tree this year and make one instead. Not only will this creative project provide loads of fun for the whole family, but the final masterpiece is sure to become the focal point of your living space and a conversation starter during your Christmas Day celebrations. If you need some DIY tree inspiration, take decorating cues from this earthy, rustic creation, which is fashioned from sticks that were collected from the homeowner’s property. Twinkling fairy lights have been wrapped around the bespoke tree, while white clay star and Christmas tree-shaped decorations complete the look.
Another great DIY tree idea is to create an advent calendar for your wall – one that’s been designed in the shape of a tree, of course! This multitasking, makeshift tree shows how it’s done.
5. Organise a street party to celebrate the silly season
Love your immediate neighbours and everyone else who lives on your street (or building, if you live in an apartment block)? Then why don’t you arrange a street party just before Christmas so you can mingle and be merry with others who live in your close-knit community. If your home is located on a busy road (if you live in a cul-de-sac, you’ll have no problems!), consider moving the celebration to a driveway or someone’s backyard.
Love your immediate neighbours and everyone else who lives on your street (or building, if you live in an apartment block)? Then why don’t you arrange a street party just before Christmas so you can mingle and be merry with others who live in your close-knit community. If your home is located on a busy road (if you live in a cul-de-sac, you’ll have no problems!), consider moving the celebration to a driveway or someone’s backyard.
6. Decorate your tree with personalised decorations
I love the idea of making DIY decorations or customised baubles and using them to decorate a Christmas tree for a truly unique and personal look. Not too great at arts and crafts? Draw inspiration from the ‘wishing trees’ in Italy, which boast slips of paper on which people have written their dreams and wishes for the future – the notes hang from the branches in place of traditional decorations, in a similar way to how pages of a small book have been attached to the tree branches pictured in this charming, eclectic scheme.
I love the idea of making DIY decorations or customised baubles and using them to decorate a Christmas tree for a truly unique and personal look. Not too great at arts and crafts? Draw inspiration from the ‘wishing trees’ in Italy, which boast slips of paper on which people have written their dreams and wishes for the future – the notes hang from the branches in place of traditional decorations, in a similar way to how pages of a small book have been attached to the tree branches pictured in this charming, eclectic scheme.
7. Host an orphans’ christmas
Can’t travel back home to visit your family this Christmas? Rather than spending the holiday alone, open your doors to friends, neighbours, acquaintances and even extended family members who are also going solo this festive season. And who knows, you might have such a great time that you may just decide to do it again in 2015 (by choice this time!), and every year that follows.
Don’t forget to remind everyone to bring a plate or drink for everyone to enjoy, and remember to organise a Secret Santa, too, so no one misses out on a Christmas gift.
Can’t travel back home to visit your family this Christmas? Rather than spending the holiday alone, open your doors to friends, neighbours, acquaintances and even extended family members who are also going solo this festive season. And who knows, you might have such a great time that you may just decide to do it again in 2015 (by choice this time!), and every year that follows.
Don’t forget to remind everyone to bring a plate or drink for everyone to enjoy, and remember to organise a Secret Santa, too, so no one misses out on a Christmas gift.
8. Fill your little one’s shoes with sweets and small gifts
Did you know that in France, rather than hanging stockings on their mantelpiece for Santa to fill with lollies and toys, youngsters leave their shoes or slippers by their fireplace so Père Noël (a.k.a. the French Father Christmas) can fill their footwear with treats? Here’s an Aussie take on this tradition; while we think the placement of the boots may have been purely coincidental, the shot still gives you a gist of the festive idea in action!
Did you know that in France, rather than hanging stockings on their mantelpiece for Santa to fill with lollies and toys, youngsters leave their shoes or slippers by their fireplace so Père Noël (a.k.a. the French Father Christmas) can fill their footwear with treats? Here’s an Aussie take on this tradition; while we think the placement of the boots may have been purely coincidental, the shot still gives you a gist of the festive idea in action!
9. Head to the beach on Boxing Day
How do you normally spend your Boxing Day? Recovering from your food coma? Cleaning up your house after playing host to the whole family on Christmas Day? Watching the Boxing Day cricket test or the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race? Rather than remaining cooped up inside, why not go on a Boxing Day excursion to a nearby beach where you can relax, bask in the sun and take a refreshing dip in the water? Once you’ve clocked enough chill time and you’re ready to shake off your food coma, consider going on a leisurely beach walk, or play a game of touch footy or beach cricket with your family or other beach-goers to get your blood pumping.
How do you normally spend your Boxing Day? Recovering from your food coma? Cleaning up your house after playing host to the whole family on Christmas Day? Watching the Boxing Day cricket test or the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race? Rather than remaining cooped up inside, why not go on a Boxing Day excursion to a nearby beach where you can relax, bask in the sun and take a refreshing dip in the water? Once you’ve clocked enough chill time and you’re ready to shake off your food coma, consider going on a leisurely beach walk, or play a game of touch footy or beach cricket with your family or other beach-goers to get your blood pumping.
10. Take a family holiday photo
Christmas is the one time of year when the whole family comes together for a big celebration, so it offers the perfect opportunity to wrangle everybody together for a big family photo. If you’re keen to make this an annual tradition, try to take the family snap in the same spot, distance away and height each year (and with everyone lined up in the same order, if you want to go that next step further). Pop the photo in a special Christmas album, or make some room on your photo wall where you can put the family portrait on display.
Christmas is the one time of year when the whole family comes together for a big celebration, so it offers the perfect opportunity to wrangle everybody together for a big family photo. If you’re keen to make this an annual tradition, try to take the family snap in the same spot, distance away and height each year (and with everyone lined up in the same order, if you want to go that next step further). Pop the photo in a special Christmas album, or make some room on your photo wall where you can put the family portrait on display.
11. Write riddles on your wrapping paper
In Sweden, many gift givers write short rhymes on their wrapped Christmas presents, which give the receiver a clue as to what’s hidden inside. We love this quirky tradition and think it will ensure everyone has fun and a laugh when opening their presents on Christmas Day; don’t you?
In Sweden, many gift givers write short rhymes on their wrapped Christmas presents, which give the receiver a clue as to what’s hidden inside. We love this quirky tradition and think it will ensure everyone has fun and a laugh when opening their presents on Christmas Day; don’t you?
12. Make homemade gifts
Strapped for cash this Christmas or simply want to put your impressive DIY skills to good use? Rather than buying presents for your loved ones, make them thoughtful, homemade gifts instead, like this striking paint-dipped air plant terrarium. Other DIY gift ideas include customised cushions, painted mason jars that double as vases or homemade candles. While homemade presents may not cost a lot of money (if any), they will mean the world to the people you made the presents for.
Strapped for cash this Christmas or simply want to put your impressive DIY skills to good use? Rather than buying presents for your loved ones, make them thoughtful, homemade gifts instead, like this striking paint-dipped air plant terrarium. Other DIY gift ideas include customised cushions, painted mason jars that double as vases or homemade candles. While homemade presents may not cost a lot of money (if any), they will mean the world to the people you made the presents for.
And while you’re at it, make personalised wrapping paper for your gifts, too. We’re keen to try some of the tricks used here, such as jazzing up brown craft paper to be used as gift wrap by painting a pattern on the plain surface or using old photos as gift tags.
TELL US
What Christmas traditions have you created or adopted? We’d love to know, so please share your holiday customs in the Comments below!
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What Christmas traditions have you created or adopted? We’d love to know, so please share your holiday customs in the Comments below!
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Our traditions are very light but lots of fun:
Christmas Eve visit to the Blueberry Farm, later a walk around the 'hood to look at the lights then whichever Christmas movie has taken our fancy.
Christmas Day 'orphans' fruit and pancakes brunch out back under the Mulberry Tree with fun little 'secret Santa' pressies for everyone, then later afternoon neighbourhood drinks across the road.
But this is my favourite:
I have a friend with three children and every Boxing Day morning her children choose two of their presents to take to whichever 'place of need' the family has decided on for that year. This in the past has included a flood relief program, a refugee assistance centre and this year a Women's Shelter. She believes this choosing of something from their own pile of new things personalises the giving and gives the children ownership of how it feels to share. I think she's right.
Another one I heard this year and which I want to start is the 'Reverse Advent Calendar' where every day you put one item of food (can or packet) into the box and on Christmas Eve you take it to your local foodbank to include in their distribution.