Most of us have family traditions at Christmas. They might be minimal like always serving mums potato salad or trifle, or obvious like always opening gifts on Christmas morning. Some of them may be quite specific to your family to honour the memory of a loved one, or specific to your culture like celebrating on Christmas eve. But there are other’s of us who perhaps don’t have family, who would very much enjoy ways to get involved in traditions and build up to the day. Or there are just those of us who get so excited about Christmas that we want to find ways to celebrate with more people.
There is also a large percentage of people who find it all very overwhelming and stressful, and would love to make traditions with friends to celebrate whilst also helping each other get stuff done! There is no right or wrong way, and no real reason is needed. You don’t even need to say you want to start a tradition, but you may find if it is successful, it may become one regardless!
Here are some annual ideas that may become traditions with friends!
Christmas baking day.
Either you all get together and spend the day baking, drinking wine, listening to Christmas music, sharing recipes and tips and bake all sorts of puddings and pies, cookies and slices and whatever else needs to be made. Or each of you takes control of one recipe and you make big batches and share them out between you.
Gift Wrapping Party
This is a day where you all get together with gift wrap and sticky tape and labels and scissors and ribbons and boxes and bows. You all bring a suitcase of presents. One suitcase at a time, you help wrap and label each other’s gifts. It can be done all in one night or one night a week per load of gifts. You can have stations with one person cutting paper, one person wrapping, one person writing labels and one person adding tags and bows. Or each person can do all of the above and if there are 4 of you for example, then there will be 4 presents at a time being wrapped! Bonus points if you each swap “Santa Labels.” So person 4 writes the labels for person 1, person one writes them for person 2 etc…. This can be done in advance and does not need to be number specific. Just write a whole roll of 100 labels divided by how many kids/family members will be receiving Santa gifts as directed by your friend. Left overs can be used for next year.
Decorating days
This one kind of requires either a yearly or weekly rotation whereby you each visit one members house and help them assemble and decorate their tree, and otherwise decorate. Brownie points if it also includes a group effort to pack them all away.
Shopping Days
Who doesn’t love a shopping trip with friends? You each come with lists prepared and get shopping. Maybe one person buys all the things from Target and the other from the toy store. Or maybe it is easier to go together to each shop. Before you leave, you have a coffee, check off those lists and brainstorm ideas if anyone is a bit stuck. Try and make sure it is all done by the time you head home.
Movie Night
I cannot be the only person who loves Christmas Movies? Maybe you have a classic you watch every year or like to watch a new one every year, but after all that preparation, I think you and your friends deserve a fun chill night just watching a movie and getting into the Christmas Spirit! You can have snacks and drinks and takeaway, whatever makes the night as fun and easy as possible.
Look at the lights
I know many people save this treasured activity for Christmas Eve, but as the lights tend to appear in early December, why not take advantage of that, get a group together and burn a few extra calories in preparation for the festivities? Go for a stroll in the most lit up neighbourhood, take selfies and group pictures. Take hilarious silly snaps of someone kissing Santa or someone photobombing that nativity scene. Compare notes and get ideas for things you might like to include in your own display if you have one or how to start small if you don’t but you would like to try. You could even do a stroll once a week in everyone’s local neighbourhood if you’re really keen, or do a city lights tour if you have one available.
Carols by Candlelight.
It doesn’t matter if you are religious or not, carols by candlelight can be a fun and festive way to spend an evening as a group or a couple. The music and the atmosphere and the magic. You can bring a picnic if you live in warmer climates or hot cocoa and coffee if it is cold where you live at Christmas. You can sing along, or dance, or just enjoy the music, letting it flood over you and fill you with that excitement and joy this season brings.
Volunteer work.
Hampers need to be delivered to the needy. Gifts for children and food for families. Homeless shelters need people to collect and cook and serve meals. Clothing drives. Whatever your way of giving back to the community is, almost all charities need a little extra at this time of year. Pet food and blankets for the animal shelters that quickly fill each January, or a simple gift under the charity tree for a 10 year old boy. Fundraisers. Assistance for the elderly who have nobody at this time of year. There are so many ways to give back, that I am sure you could all get together once a year, pick a charity to help with and donate your time.
Pamper session.
This one has to be a favourite of mine. Whether you make someone’s home into a day spa for the day, and give each other makeovers, facial, manicures and pedicures, massages and more, or if you hire a professional or go to a spa…. most of us do end up doing the nails and hair and facials etc before Xmas anyway so why not do it together? If you go somewhere you may even get a group discount! Book early!
Remember, you can do all or none, a combination of a few, or chop and change each year depending on your circumstance. But if we all come together, even the grinchiest of people feel a little happier at this time of year, because sharing is caring and it takes a village!
❤ Love,
Your Best Friend ForNever
xx
