Do you remember those days when the Christmas cards started arriving in your mailbox; all the colourful envelopes with Christmas stickers, containing photos and letters from relatives and friends you had not seen in years? It used to be so exciting to receive cards in the mail during the Christmas holidays; always wondering whose card you would get first. The thrill of opening them to read the messages and look at the photos, displaying them with your annual card collection.
However, has writing Christmas cards become a thing of the past? The first Christmas card was created and sent in 1843 in the United Kingdom; a tradition that seems to have dwindled over the years. With all of the digital outlets now available, has Facebook and email become your avenue to send holiday greetings to everyone? I know it is probably easier and faster to do, but do you not miss sitting down and writing a personal message to everyone on your list. I suppose it can be a daunting task if you had quite a few cards to write and send out. But now, this practice has changed with the onset of technology. Gone are the handwritten notes that would accompany a card or the holiday letters telling you of the great adventures that had happened over the past year. Thankfully, there are still some that send out handwritten Christmas cards and I look forward to receiving them. I still do my part and send out cards, although my timing might be off.
Some people I have spoken to feel that cards are more commercialized now than in past years; I guess that is a sign of the times and how progress happens. Yet do you feel cards have become too fancy or that those with embedded music are too much? Whatever happened to the handmade cards a child would make and present to their mother or father? If you did those as a kid, what is stopping you from doing that now as an adult? Better yet, with your own children and grandchildren? Now’s the time to be as creative as you want. So when it is all over, what do you do with the cards that you did receive? If you simply throw them out, that is fine, but why? Choose to recycle those beautiful cards. Here are a few ways that you can do just that.
Use them to make next year’s gift tags
Make paper chains
Reuse the Image to make your own cards
Create a Jigsaw Puzzle
Make Card Tree Ornaments
Put Them In Your Household Recycling
Here is your fun activity this week. Sit down with your kids and hand write some cards to those special family members. Grandparents will love to receive a card from their grandchild handmade just for them. Let them add their own special flare and love. I know their creation will be something that will be cherished forever.
Let’s take a moment to think about the unsung Christmas hero, Mrs. Claus. If you thought that Santa does this all by himself, think again. Aside from the elves making the toys, Mrs. Claus plays a big part in the holiday scene, although she stays in the background and gives the big guy the glory on Christmas day. I think that she may hold the key to the spirit of the holiday season.
Do you remember when you were a kid and you could not wait until Christmas – to open presents, play with your new toys and have that magical visit with Santa Claus himself? I still have that ‘belief’ in the magic of Christmas and all that it stands for and I don’t think it ever really leaves you, although some may disagree. As various Christmas shows tell you, the magic goes away once you grow up. However, I do not believe that. Do you?
How many movies have you watched where families fight and argue, don’t get along over the holidays? I have seen my share. Nevertheless, those aside, there are hundreds of family-friendly movies that you could watch with your kids. My favourite movie growing up was always Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the original Miracle on 34th Street. And when it comes to books, nothing beats the original Twas the Night Before Christmas. Take the time with your family this week and pick a nice family-friendly movie to watch or read a book to your kids, perhaps one that was special to you when you were their age. Better yet, why not choose a bunch of books, wrap them all up and have your kids open one each night throughout December and enjoy the time together. Start a new tradition. If you are not sure where to start, you can find a variety of reading options at Chapter’s Indigo by clicking here. Pick a book; start reading with your family.
And remember, it is the season to be thankful for all that you have. After all, the magic of Christmas lies in your heart, in the time we spend with our family and friends, enjoying some quality time watching a movie, reading a story or just hanging out TOGETHER. The bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe. Does it still ring for you?
Traditions come in all shapes
and sizes; some are new and have just begun, while others have been passed down
from generation to generation. Aside from the obvious and more popular
Christmas traditions such as cards, stockings and Christmas
crackers to name a few, others are not so obvious but you do them every year.
Some of these activities include:
When you decorate your tree? Is it an artificial or real tree? Do you go on a family outing to cut down your Christmas tree?
Is there an order to how you put your ornaments on the tree? Is there one that is always first or one that is always the last ornament on the tree?
Do you wrap presents weeks before or on Christmas Eve?
Do you take annual Santa photos? Do you go to the same place or do you mix it up by visiting Santa around your community?
The list is endless. I bet if
you took time to think about it, you could come up with a few things that you
and your family do every year. Here are a few of some popular traditions:
Look at Christmas lights
Have a Secret Santa gift exchange
Buy an Elf on the Shelf
Make a gingerbread house
Count down with an advent calendar
Listen to classic Christmas music
Plan a cookie exchange
So let us go back to the
start of the holiday season and tell me when that begins for your family. Is
your home decorated right after Halloween or do you wait until after December
1st? I am sure we all have our preferred times and if it were up to me alone,
we would always be decorated to celebrate the Christmas spirit all year long. However,
our house transforms as of December 1st but I do leave one little
item out all yearlong.
We all know how time
consuming decorating for the holidays can be, especially if you have a large
home. If the task has been a one-person job in the past, why not turn it into a
family affair? Get the kids involved in decorating the tree. Have them wrap presents
for friends or family members using brown craft paper that they decorate
themselves. If your kids like to colour, why not choose some Christmas related
colouring pages that they can colour together. Put all the pages into a book
for their grandparents as a super sweet gift; one that they will cherish
forever. Another special gift you can make as a family is to create a video holiday
greeting. Instead of sending out your annual Christmas cards this year, why not
try this. With the ease of technology and the kids help, I am sure you could
create an amazing video card that you can email to everyone or add it to your
social media platforms.
There are so many things you
can do to create your own special family tradition. Christmas is about making
memories to last a lifetime. Your legacy will live on in your children and grandchildren
so why not help them now to create their own unique meaningful traditions that
they will carry with them forever. They will look back on these memories with a
smile and warmth in their heart.
Get creative and have fun
with it. Who knows it could turn into a new tradition for your family.
