Things You'll Need:
- Holiday music
- Seasonal books and movies
- Favorite family recipes
-
Step 1
Make a list of everything about Christmas and its many traditions that you have heard about, seen or experienced in your lifetime. Starting with ideas for the day after Thanksgiving when the Holiday Season should actually begin, list everything that you have ever thought of as food to feed your holiday need. Think of it in the same way you approached your list to Santa as a child, but instead of listing toys and presents, make a list of all the holiday traditions of holiday seasons past that you would love to make part of your holiday seasons going forward. Use past traditions as templates for your new 21st century traditional holiday season. Start with the past classic evergreen traditions, and add your personal favorite holiday traditions. Then add some new 21st century traditions to create a very special 21st century traditional holiday season.
-
Step 2
Sort your holiday season ideas into groups. For example seasonal foods and drinks, decorations, seasonal music, seasonal events, seasonal activities and gifting and giving. Next prioritize your groups from most desired holiday ideas to the least necessary festive choices. This will make it easier to make the choices you are likely to find the most satisfying if you have limitations after you estimate your budget versus costs.
-
Step 3
Estimate your available funds and the potential price tag of all of the items on your prioritized list. While this is not a very enjoyable part of holiday planning, it should be included as part of everyone's seasonal planning. After this task is completed you can now get on to the fun stuff.
-
Step 4
Schedule your holiday events and activities from the dates through the details. If attending a performance of the Nutcracker has always been something that you wanted to attend and your budget allows it, order the tickets. Plan the holiday outfit that you will wear and start playing the CD as background music to begin to create that holiday feeling we all long to find every year. Perhaps you love to put up a real tree because you enjoy looking for just the perfect tree to display your ornament collection. Do you have a favorite holiday movie that makes those special emotions well up inside every time you watch it? Do you have a favorite Christmas book or story that touches your heart every year if you read it? Don't overlook new and exciting holiday options that may become holiday traditions of your future. Many of the classics and new choices are readily available on Amazon.com. The magical holiday season only comes around once a year, so don't let it pass by without making new special memories. Honor your religious beliefs that are connected to the holiday season. These are all gifts that make this season so important and special year after year.
-
Step 5
Plan the foods and drinks that set the moods that make you want to hum and whistle Christmas carols. There are many traditional foods that come to mind that are specific to different nationalities or culture. Some foods are the same but have different names in homes with different ethnic backgrounds. But we all know what foods make us think of Christmas. For many it's Brown Sugar Baked Ham. For some it's Turkey with all the fixings. Others like homemade Raviolis. We all have a favorite that we look forward to having for the holidays. The question is do you have the time to make them? Make the time; they are part of your heritage and should be a cherished part of your holiday traditions. Not to be overlooked, of course, are the cookies. There are waffle cookies, nut horns, snowballs, thumb prints, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and also homemade candies such as fudge and chocolate covered peanut butter balls. If you are lucky enough to have Grandparents to celebrate with ask them for their special holiday recipes. If they are willing to write them down for you it is even better.
-
Step 6
Deck the halls. Decorate to your hearts desire. Use your ornaments from yesteryear or if your budget permits use them and add some new special 21st century touches. Perhaps you might want to add some special items made by special family members past and present. There is no limit to how creatively you can decorate in a manner that allows you to blend the best of the past with the best of the present. As an added 21st century decorative touch that serves multiple purposes, some cable companies offer a seasonal music channel that has a roaring fire on screen to add a toasty feeling. Add a candle that smells like burning wood, cedar or pine to enhance the mood and you've found an interesting way to turn your TV into a part of your decorations.
-
Step 7
Purchase or make thoughtful and useful presents. The old traditional adage that it's not the gift but the thought that counts, should still be applied to your holidays if you are willing to put forth a little extra effort. Mosaic picture collages can be made with free or low cost software, that makes each picture into a tile of the mosaic and combines many family pictures into one piece of art. Useful items can be created by hand. Memoirs and family histories can be compiled and made into treasured one of a kind gifts. While you're making or purchasing your gifts, if you are able, include a gift for someone in need as well.
-
Step 8
Play and sing traditional seasonal carols mixed with the new holiday favorites from Thanksgiving until you escort in another new year to the traditional favorite Auld Lang Syne, and as the lyrics of the song advise, take a cup of kindness yet for Auld Lang Syne. Then toast yourself with your favorite holiday drink for the wonderful way that you honored the traditions of the centuries past by carrying the best of them forward and blending them with the best of the 21st century for yourself, your family and future generations.
