The New Year is the perfect time to start some new holiday
traditions with your family. It gives your family a clean slate, and allows you
to create fun family rituals that you can participate in for years to come. As
the New Year comes around the corner, try a few of these timeless holiday traditions
to ensure a happy and healthy family life for years to come.
Volunteer Together
While this is one of the most popular during the holiday
season, it truly represents a family full of gratitude. Volunteering will allow
you to give back to your community as you teach your children about being
thankful for the world around. You can serve food at a shelter, read books
together at a local library, or help with tasks at the local humane society.
Decide upon something together, and plan on doing it a few times a year
together as a family.
New Year’s Sleepover
This can be a fun one if you and your children stay in for
New Year’s. Gather together in a family room, and put on a movie as you wait
for midnight. But instead of heading to bed separately once the fun is over,
bring in some sleeping bags and pillows for a fun family sleepover. Your
children will be excited about this once a year sleepover and will be on their
best behavior as the ball begins to drop.
New Year’s Interview
Sometimes it is difficult to look back on last New Year’s
and remember all of the things about you or your child. So instead of leaving
it to memory, make an interview of each member of your family and keep it saved
on video throughout the year. Then, on New Year’s Eve, watch the videos
together with your family and see how things have changed throughout the
seasons. Make sure to take another video of each other at the end of the year
in order to keep the family tradition going – you can talk about who you are,
what you are thinking, and what you want to see happen in your life over the
coming months!
Time Capsule
If you don’t like the idea of an interview, try making a
family time capsule instead. Each New Year’s Eve you can place a variety of
family memorabilia in your time capsule to be discovered after another twelve
months. You can use letters to your future self, your children’s class photos,
or anything you would like to leave buried for a year. Then, once the year
passes, uncover the time capsule to see how all of the things have changed in
your lives. Make sure to create a new one, and leave in the old things – a few
years down the road your family tradition will act as representation of all the
years you have spent together!
Have Fun in the New
Year
Starting a new holiday tradition over the New Year can be a
great way to come together as a family. Try one of these simple ideas to start
something new and celebrate the New Year with a fun ritual together.