New Holiday Traditions and Celebrating your Heritage

The Holidays are a great time to create new traditions and celebrate your heritage with your family. During the holidays, we gather to celebrate time together and rituals steeped in tradition. When I was growing up we made handmade ornaments and our favorite Christmas candy. One year we made beautiful shell ornaments, my favorite being a beach lover. And if you’ve known me long, you’ve had my famous peanut butter balls, so good. (don’t forget to download your own copy of the recipe)

Another special tradition was sitting by the fire listening to “The Gift of Maji” by O. Henry, first published in 1905. What a tender story. You might cry the first time you hear it. What do you like to do with your family? Any traditions?

Terry and I have started a few of our own. We have a Grateful Tree on our refrigerator and every year it reminds us of what is important. We love to visit the local art shows like Blue Genie and Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and stroll around listening to good music. For a few years, we were really creative and made all our gifts ourselves. It doesn’t have to be hard to be appreciated and loved. We also try to be a gift to others and step out of our so-called “busy lives” to see who has a need and if we can fill it. 

Whatever you do I hope you create wonderful memories for you and your family that last a lifetime. From my family to yours, best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season and a wonderful New Year! -Kimberly

Celebrating Heritage During the Holidays

Honor your family’s heritage by researching ancestral holiday traditions. Incorporate something new that you learned into your celebrations.

Share Stories

Create a special display of family photos, including those of members who have passed. During your holiday celebration, encourage older members to share stories and have someone either video or write these down for future generations. 

Beloved Foods

Gather everyone together to make your family’s favorite holiday treat. Or try making a popular dish from a country that honors your family’s roots.

Some of my best memories are making Christmas candy with my Mom, Granny and Aunt Ruth. We always did that at my Granny and PaPa’s house in Rockport. It was so fun. We had all the tables covered so we could make a mess. Divinity is very time sensitive and had to be dolled out quick. Hard fudge rolling on the stove with a cold cup of water in a coffee cup to test it for ready and my favorite peanut butter balls. So easy and so fun to make. You can get the recipe below if you’d like to make them. I just have one request – you share with me and let me know how much you love them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ancestral Rituals

Learn ways your ancestors celebrated the holidays. Incorporate some of those traditions into your family’s celebration. It will be fun and give you a meaningful connection to prior generations.

Creating New Traditions

When you gather with your family, be sure to take a lot of photos. Create an online album and send the link to everyone after the holidays

Take a long walk after a holiday dinner either through your neighborhood, a downtown area, or at a local beach, park, etc.

Volunteer for a local charity either before the holiday (such as collecting items for a shelter) or on the holiday itself (such as delivering meals to those in need.)

Visit a local attraction that is open on the holiday itself. Oftentimes it will be less crowded than normal.

And if you’d like to add new games to your family traditions you can find those available for you here. 

My wish for you this and every holiday season is that you feel love, hear laughter and make lots of memories. If you would like to download a version of this post so you have these ideas in print feel free to do so here. 

Happy Holidays! – Kimberly