If your Christmas decorating has become a chore that sends family members scurrying to well thought out hiding places, bring the fun back by creating Christmas traditions. A fun tradition to start is a tree decorating party.
Create a tree decorating Christmas tradition
When children are small, they just cannot wait until you put the Christmas tree up. Everything is exciting — they even joyfully drag in all the boxes of Christmas decorations for you. Fast forward a few years. Now the children are older. They have other interests and things they would much rather be doing than getting the musty boxes of ornaments out of the attic.
Sound familiar? If so, you need a new Christmas tradition. The traditions of Christmas can be anything you want. Anything that you think your family will enjoy and will create warm, fuzzy memories. Keeping this in mind, if you are just starting a new tradition and your kids are older, you need to make it fun.
Have a decorating party
So what’s more fun than a party? Years ago, one of the Christmas traditions I started with my family was the tree decorating party. Yep…it takes some work but it is worth it. Each year, we would discuss how early we want to put up the tree. Then, looking at the family schedule, we set a date.
Once I had the date, I could begin planning the tree decorating party. Now, the kind of party you have depends on what best suits your family. Ours has been “immediate family only” for several reasons. First, I wanted it to be something our children remembered creating memories with just our family. Second, everyone is busy at Christmas and chances are other families will not want to decorate your tree.
After setting the date and deciding whom to include, I began the party preparations. I plan favorite snacks and drinks, complete with Christmas party plates, napkins, and cups. For this, you can buy paper products or break out the Christmas dishes for the first time of the season. I make the snacks ahead of time and hid them from the family until the time of the party.
Decide ahead of time if you want to include getting the tree or already having the tree set up in time for the party. For this, you’ll have to take into consideration available family time.
However you choose to do it, remember the traditions of Christmas that you start will stay with you and your family for a lifetime. Make it fun. Make it memorable, but most importantly, start some Christmas traditions with your family this year.
