Day 22: Create meaningful holiday traditions to cherish
Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well. This post is part of the 25 Days of Gratitude, Self-Care, and Personal Growth event at 7 Cups.
The pressure to experience joy and create cherished holiday memories can be overwhelming. The holidays can be a difficult time, especially if you spend them without loved ones. Whether you are far from family, lost someone close and loved one, or making conscious choices about your relationships, the holiday season can be daunting.
Traditionally speaking, holiday seasons are a time of joy, fun, and celebration but for many, it is a difficult time of the year when they experience heightened feelings of grief, loneliness seasonal depression, or anxiety. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t find something to be joyful. There are many ways to create meaningful and personalized holiday traditions that can bring comfort, joy, and a sense of connection, even during challenging times.
1. Revive and honor old traditions that you enjoyed
You may have some old traditions that you enjoyed but now you don’t do them anymore due to one or other reasons. But this season, you may rethink bringing some of those old traditions to cherish the memories associated with them. Such attempts can bring a sense of connection and continuity.
You can also choose to honor loved ones by creating personalized ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree like photos, and handwritten letters, or volunteer your time to special charities or causes.
2. Cook your favorite meal
This one is my personal favorite as cooking your favorite meal is simply therapeutic. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or a holiday feast, it can be as simple as making your favorite sandwich, toast, or some hot soup. The process of making your meal is calm and relaxing. So, just make an effort to make something for yourself this holiday season.
3. Gift something to yourself
Giving gifts to yourself does not make you materialistic or selfish. It just makes you human. The gift can be anything that you like, maybe a book, a cup of coffee, some nature photographs or a meal at your favorite diner. It is one of the ways to celebrate yourself and a reminder that you deserve to feel good about yourself this season as much as anyone else.
So, let’s rethink how we spend our time this holiday season. I understand that it is a tough time of the year for you but know that you deserve time to be easy on yourself and try to be gentle and kinder to yourself. Please know the holidays don't have to be a time of sadness or isolation. Create your traditions to find joy, comfort, and a sense of purpose during this holiday season.
Let us know in the comments if you have any traditions of yours already or thinking of something to make one this year.
@ASilentObserver I don't have any family, and all the residents here at the care home have gone home with their kids or grandkids houses for the holidays ❤ so it gets kinda lonely 🙁 but I have my own traditions (sort of) I buy myself toys for xmas and activities to do on the day😁😁😁 also art and craft😁 and I go sit by my sons cross, I know he's in heaven and this night sound a bit silly, but I always buy him a present, and write him a poem or make him something ❤ I have a chest by his grave, I put all his gifts in there ❤❤
merry Christmas everyone ❤
@Tinywhisper11 No, it's not silly at all. Besides, someone has to pay attention to your son. If you don't do it around Christmastime, who will?
@slowdecline48 thanks dec ❤
@Tinywhisper11
That is as beautiful as it is sad. Wishing you a very merry Christmas and hope you know that even if we are not directly in your presence, we stay with you as much as you stay in our minds too.
@BastionKnight thankyou ❤🙂❤ hugs you tightly ❤ merry Christmas sweetie ❤
@Tinywhisper11 I understand how lonely the holidays can be. I am glad you created your traditions to bring joy and comfort.
@ASilentObserver ❤❤ thanks obs ❤❤ merry Christmas
I would do it but unfortunately, there isn't anyone else around to do those traditions with right now... Also, I don't have an aluminum pole anywhere.
@slowdecline48 aluminium pole😮😮😮😮😂😂 I hope you have a great xmas anyways ❤
@Tinywhisper11 Someone needs to explain this to you...the aluminum pole is necessary, you see. It has to be retrieved from the crawlspace--or closet, attic, whatever--& erected in whatever room the gathering will be held. You can read more about this great tradition here.
@slowdecline48 oh so not pole dancing!?!😂😂 is that a safe link?
Yes, it's safe. It goes to Wikipedia, facryinoutloud...nothing about pole dancing on that page. It's about the only good holiday left.
@slowdecline48 festivus miracles🤔🤔 interesting
@slowdecline48 I understand that it can feel isolating to do holiday traditions alone. But do you think you could try a slightly different approach? Maybe you can invite someone like a neighbor or friend to do this tradition. Also as for the aluminum pole, how about we go creative and find an alternate way? How about sturdy branch from a tree, or a broom handle? would something like that work?
@ASilentObserver my family getting together around the holidays always centered around food when we gathered so making special foods can be comforting.
I am big on pancakes, homemade bread, veggies, soups, and other food that I can put in the freezer and continue the joy after the holidays into the New Year.
I think the biggest gift I can give myself is to recognize my accomplishments as if I was an outside observer. I tend to downplay the things I do every day thinking they are no big deal.. A hero is not only one who goes to battle with courage, a hero is one who faces life and its uncertainties with the attitude, "I will get through this" because I always get through it. To me courage is waking up in the moning and being tempted to roll over and go back to sleep, but instead to get up and face this day asking myself how I can make something of what life has dealt me. Having that attitude means I have courage to go on and live life one day at a time. Some of the challenges I have faced in life have taken me a lfetime to overcome, but it all starts with my attitude to keep going.
There is a saying attibuted to Vince Lombardi, a former football coach, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." I try to keep that in mind as I face each day.
@soulsings your a hero in my eyes ❤ your attitude and kindness is something that will live forever, in the hearts of who it has touched ❤❤ hugs you tightly ❤ happy holidays ❤
@Tinywhisper11 thank you for your kind words. Happy holidays and a merry Christmas.
@Tinywhisper11 you are so kind and appreciative!
@soulsings merry Christmas ❤❤
@soulsings That is a beautiful and insightful reflection, Soul. Thank you for sharing with us. Your focus on food to celebrate and enjoy is heartwarming. I am so glad that you find joy in creating and sharing these special meals, and for sure the act of cooking itself provides a sense of comfort and continuity.
@ASilentObserver If okay to share, what are some of the accomplishments you are most proud of this year, even if they seem small?
The problem with being retired is I tend to not see any big accomplishments and I feel like they all help in some way to boost my self esteem. My mom died two years ago and although I miss her still as we had a harmonious relationship, I no longer deeply grieve her loss. Instead I have spent time in the last year developing gratitude for how they sacrificed to make my life more comfortable and nurturing than what they had lived through in the 1930's Great Depression. I did noit always see eye to eye with my parents but they did allow me space to spread my wings and fly so to speak. The more gratitude I feel, the less I am plagued by pain and self doubt. To me this has been a big accomplishment and one I am grateful for.
Let us know in the comments if you have any traditions of yours already or thinking of something to make one this year.
I like to make a chocolate cake yule log, decorated with toy fly agaric mushrooms.
@ChromeYellow333 This year, I’m starting a new tradition of writing small notes of gratitude for the people in my life who have made a difference. It’s a way to remind myself how grateful I am for their presence, kindness, and support. I plan to share these notes with them, letting them know how much they mean to me.
Plus, to sweeten the gesture, I’ll be including a cookie with each note—it’s a little extra touch to show appreciation. I feel this simple act can bring a lot of warmth and connection during the holiday season.
@ChromeYellow333 That is absolutely delightful. A chocolate yule log with toy fly agaric mushrooms sounds cool. You are very creative in the kitchen.
@ASilentObserver This year, I’m starting a new tradition of writing small notes of gratitude for the people in my life who have made a difference. It’s a way to remind myself how grateful I am for their presence, kindness, and support. I plan to share these notes with them, letting them know how much they mean to me.
Plus, to sweeten the gesture, I’ll be including a cookie with each note—it’s a little extra touch to show appreciation. I feel this simple act can bring a lot of warmth and connection during the holiday season.
@themerlin That is a wonderful idea, merlin. Writing notes of gratitude is really a thoughtful way to show your appreciation for the people in your life. Also a great way to reflect on the positive impact they have had on you. I am sure all will appreciate your gesture.
@ASilentObserver I hope so
I should be planning a new one and see how it goes
@nide12 Give it a try and let us know how it goes. You have all of us here for you
Yes you are right
@delightfulRiver4536 thank you, do you have any traditions? river
@ASilentObserver
No
@ASilentObserver
Traditions are wonderful. They can be passed down from generations to generations where they can be tweaked as well to add on new generational flavor. Christmas generations are very profound such as the following:
1. Christmas Evening the family gets together at grandmas or a friends home and make sandwiches have drinks and reminisce over past year good and not so good experiences while playing board games and popping popcorn until the little ones fall asleep.
Then out comes the gifts put them under the tree and hide a few in random places throughout the house because tomorrow after all the gifts are opened. That one gift that they wanted soooo bad will be apart of a treasure hunt where they will have to find clues to lead up to the main gift.
This tradition is great especially if you have a large family. It brings you closer together, gives you a chance to release burdens by verbalizing how you feel about what has happened and how you can move forward into the new year. This type of bonding is amazing especially because your with the ones you love.
2. Christmas Day: open presents, have a huge dinner, and go to the movies after visiting other friends and family that you know whomight want to join along.
Personally I love these traditions. It would be nice for us to pass it along in our families as well.
What do you think about these traditional activities?
@MsKarma These traditions sound absolutely lovely and capture the essence of the holiday perfectly. Thank you for sharing with us.
@ASilentObserver
Let us know in the comments if you have any traditions of yours already or thinking of something to make one this year.
@amiablePeace77 thank you peace for sharing with us. You have some lovely holiday traditions and I am glad you are bringing back the joy of decorating your home for the holidays. Sometimes even the small things can make a big difference in creating a comforting atmosphere.