Creating New Traditions

By Caroline Bujold

I find that nostalgia is a wonderful part of the Holidays. Reminiscing about good times is fun and carrying on traditions can be fulfilling. But because circumstances change and people move, it’s not always possible to maintain all the traditions of our youth, or traditions created only two years ago for that matter. But why should you miss out on all the fun?

What is your favourite thing about the Holidays? Chances are, it’s something completely quirky that only your family does. And that’s what traditions are made of.

But if your answer was ‘’I don’t have a favourite thing about the Holidays’’, then it’s definitely time to create new traditions!

Do you know how traditions are created? It goes something like this:

Me – Hey do you want to do something different this year?
David – Sure, like what?
Me – I don’t know.
David – I really liked that time we booked a nice hotel in Banff and spend a couple days there. It was freezing though.
Me – I loved it too, but it was somewhat expensive for only a couple nights. Hey remember when the furnace broke and it was -30C outside? We had to moved the mattress in the living room so we could be close to the fireplace?
David – Ya?
Me – How about we do that?
David – You want to move the mattress to the living room?
Me – Well ya! On Christmas Eve, we could move the mattress; eat supper in bed with the fireplace on and watch movies. That’d be fun and relaxing, no? Just like having our own little getaway!

It’s not possible to make that stuff up. This is a true story and it’s what we’re going to do again this year.

Traditions only take one fun time to be created and the “remember when“ that follows. What make traditions great, as I said last year, is “you know what’s going to happen and you look forward to it“.

Many traditions have come and gone and I keep creating new ones to replace the ones I can’t do anymore. Here are a few I remember with fondness:

• Silly gift exchange with the family (max 5 $);
• Themed potluck + activities;
• Christmas shopping at the last minute … on purpose with my friend Brigitte, usually with a mild hangover – why on earth did we do that, I don’t know, but it was so much fun;
• Stealing mom’s refrigerator cookie dough; gosh those were good;
• Putting on some sort of play with my cousins for our parents;
• On New Years’ Eve, go to the movies with my husband, grab some appetizers and drinks and watch the fireworks from the main square downtown. We’ve done that twice now and it fits our speed.

If the Holidays are a tricky emotional time for you, as it can be for many, think about one thing that you would love to do that could become a tradition for you. It could be an activity, a favourite meal you repeat every year, a special moment you spend with friends or family. Make it your own. It doesn’t have to be complicated or grandiose, just fun and personal.

Hope your Holidays are filled with traditions you embrace.