I don’t come from a big immediate family ( 1 sister and 1 brother), neither does my husband, (same sibling arrangement, oddly) and we don’t have a large extended family network. While I admit I have often longed for, and no doubt idealized, about a huge festive holiday gathering – something like I imagine the Osmond’s (showing my age here) family to be, facts are it’s just not going to happen for us.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all doom and gloom over here! There actually are some benefits (at least in my perception) to having space from immediate family, one of them being you get to do things exactly the way YOU want to; no pressure or dare I say judgements from parents or siblings. In our case, though we live far away from family, we are blessed to have supportive, loving parents and siblings who we do try to see as often as possible especially over the holidays.
Growing up we shared most special holiday’s with my Mother’s family as they were close by, and I remember many childhood Christmas’s at my Grandmother’s house often with cousins, aunts and uncles. They are fond memories, but for whatever reason not many traditions stand out. Perhaps it was a different era, and maybe my own Mother and Grandmother weren’t overly keen on handmade items and traditional holiday celebrations, but I certainly don’t have many memories of endless baking, sewing or crafting through the seasons.
This may be why over the years, I have craved all things homemade and have been drawn to creating special celebrations and traditions for my own little family. I remember after having my children how important it seemed that we create memories just for us – that we make holidays and birthdays special in our own way so that we could have something to hold on to that was uniquely ours.
As I begin preparations for this upcoming holiday season I wanted to share some of the traditions we have incorporated into our holiday celebrations and the things we do as a family every year. I hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we enjoy creating them. Perhaps you will be inspired to create a few unique traditions of your own that your family will cherish for many years to come and maybe even pass along!
Creating a family photo card
This is something we have done for the past three years. Every October we get a family photo session done by professional photographers. I can’t stress enough how important the word professional is in that statement. Prior to the annual photo sessions I sometimes included a photo in a regular holiday card but I didn’t always have a good shot of the whole family and sometimes I didn’t include any pictures or because of poor planning didn’t send cards at all. (shame on me!!) The key to getting the cards organized is doing the photos in October – that way by the time November rolls around you are hyped to see the photos and get a pretty photo card printed to send out to relatives (in our case all our family and many family friends live far away). Most people love to see the updated photos of the family and I am quite sure they prefer the photo card to the alternative of a lengthy, detailed recap of our year in review!
Another bonus is that you will likely have several awesome photos to put in frames or turn into canvasses as home decor or make photo books as presents for aunts, uncles and grandparents. My kids are still young enough to like these annual family photo sessions and still let me plan outfits, props etc. I plan on taking advantage of this for as long as possible! If you don’t have that luxury anymore pull your weight as the “MOTHER” and try your best to coordinate outfits even just a little – it will make a huge difference!
We have found local photographers Josh and Carly Barnett to be the BEST photographers ever – if you are local you should definitely contact them – you can see more of their work here: http://barnettphotography.ca
Christmas baking and cookie decorating
Ok, I know this is a no brainer considering how many sugar cookies I decorate annually but each Christmas I make sure to have loads of extra cookies and icing around about two weeks before Christmas. We invite a few families over and have a cookie decorating party which the kids really enjoy. It is a great, simple way to get into the festive spirit and who doesn’t like playing with icing ? The kids have actually become quite skilled with the piping bags!
In the last few years I have started baking gingerbread cookies in all kinds of different shapes and we have decorated them instead of doing gingerbread houses, in fact this has become our tradition. I actually like it better than making the houses – it’s a fair bit easier, not as much candy required – and the kids can actually eat their creations! 
Family outing to the Christmas Tree farm
Getting a live tree has been a tradition we started since we were married and it is a very most important one for me – it just wouldn’t be Christmas in our family without a trip to one of the many tree farms in our area. Often they give you the option of cutting your own tree, but they will also cut it fresh for you, put it through the needle shaker and help you load it onto your vehicle. I have to give major kudos to my hubby here, he is absolutely the best tree sawer, hauler and “tree setter upper” – we are pretty lucky to have him!
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Lat year, we invited close friends to come with us and this is a tradition we are going to continue. There really isn’t anything better or more festive than choosing your very own tree out in the chilly weather then enjoying a cup of hot cocoa at home with the Christmas carols blasting and the smell of a fresh cut tree throughout the house – ahhhh – Christmas! We normally go on the first Sunday in December, then spend the rest of the day decorating the tree and decking the halls!
Handmade Holidays
I love all things homemade and so I usually try to make at least one holiday decor item each season. Anything from wreaths, table centres, ornaments or even just arranging greenery in my front entry pots. My children get into it as well. We have made countless ornaments together which we eagerly look forward to seeing anew each year when we pull out the boxes. I made a felt advent calendar about 6 years ago and we still love it although I am feeling the need to change it up soon! My daughter has become quite an accomplished sewer and often creates the most beautiful felt ornaments and decorations completely on her own.
This year I painted a rustic holiday sign at a friend’s house as part of a girl’s night out and made a wreath from fresh greenery for the front door. Although making items yourself can be a lot of work and often more expensive than simply picking them up at the local big box store (which I also do from time to time!) I find my efforts are often rewarded: I’ve learned a new skill, and usually end up spending quality time with family and friends. After all, isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
Outdoor family activity – or cultural event
This is a tradition we observe in many different ways each holiday season and something we really all love to do as a family. Often it is ice skating at an outdoor rink, building a snowman, sledding or skiing as a family. Other times it might be going to see a holiday concert, the downtown light up or a drive to see the many light displays around the city. Last year we went to an outdoor theatre event at a local farm called the Caravan Farm Theatre. It was amazing and sure to be part of our annual traditions. If you are local to the Okanagan you can check them out here:
http://www.caravanfarmtheatre.com
This is definitely one of my very favourite things to do because we get to spend time together as a family, often outdoors, sometimes learning something new and getting to know each other just a little better.
The holiday season is almost upon us and I know my little family is looking forward to spending time together sharing our favourite Christmas traditions. Here’s to a happy, wondrous holiday season filled with lots of love, good food, family, friends and of course – traditions!
