Old Christmas Traditions vs New Traditions

When I was young, my family would go up to Mt. Pilchuck in Washington State and cut down a tree for Christmas. The ride up through the mountains with the snow gracefully sitting on every branch was the most beautiful sight. My dad would cut down the tree and we would haul it all the way home. The trips to the mountains faded quickly and became a past time all too soon. Then came the flocked trees made to order, pink, white, you name it, then came the artificial trees. Times change. Being in the mountains became a chore, the weather, the cold and the traffic.

Having a real Christmas tree became obsolete in our home and now cutting a tree down isn’t always viewed as an ecologically good choice. People are getting creative with recycling paper and boxes to save a tree.

Making cookies is still my holiday tradition in my own home with our daughter every year, but many are opting for store bought baked goods or store bought dough as there isn’t enough time in the day, and that’s okay, too.

Traditionally, decorating a gingerbread house is fun and creative with lots of candy! Trying to sneak a piece of gingerbread or candy when no one was looking was the main goal, wasn’t it? Its really nice to see all the kits in the store now to save time and bring back something that was once becoming obsolete. Although, they are not nearly as tasty!

I remember sledding until dark on our huge hill. I was usually the last to go home frozen as the snow. Seeing snowfall where you live and building a snowman was our ultimate dream every holiday season as a child. In some areas its still possible, while others have never even seen snow.

Decorating stockings and hanging them by the fire has been passed down through generations, but many don’t have fireplaces, with stockings often store bought these days. Vintage stockings still sell on eBay, so if you are looking for something you once had as a child, they might have it there!

Ice skating was a tradition at Christmas time and still can be with so many outdoor rinks that are man made during the holiday season. We never had a pond or lake frozen that was safe to venture on but I knew of relatives that did and how I envied them. We had to drive a distance to the nearest indoor rink and pay to skate. Now, they have ice skating rinks popping up during the holiday season in even the warmest of climates. The photo below is at the beach on Coronado Island at the hotel in San Diego, California.

We didn’t grow up with many traditions except that we always opened our Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. Santa somehow always visited our house early in the evening. But I think it became an expectation every year and not a tradition.

Families are busy, people are busy. There is never enough time to do everything we want to do during the holiday season. There is always a lot happening and you have to make tough choices to do what’s best. But if you can, if you want to, make a tradition for your family if you don’t already have a tradition. Its bonding, its an activity you all can do together. Everyone can participate, or do something creative or just have fun. It makes memories to last and traditions are simply that, carried down from generation to generation. It doesn’t matter what holiday you celebrate, tradition is tradition. Its only a new tradition, once, and it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to be perfectly you.

Let me know in the comments, what traditions do you have? Will you make any new traditions?