After a fun weekend of Halloween fun, I am relishing the idea of how much we all get excited about the same things every year. My kids look forward to it, I look forward to it, really the whole world looks forward to it.
As we prepare for the upcoming holidays, I so enjoy watching my kids get out the same decorations, talk about the same things we do every year, and overall get a sparkle in their eye. I wanted to take a minute to explore WHY and HOW these traditions and celebrations are so important. Mostly, I want to justify my 10 boxes of Christmas decorations to my husband! Every year I want to put up my tree sooner and sooner so I can enjoy it longer… anyone else? November 1st should really be declared “Christmas Tree Putting Up Day”! Lately, my goal has been to get everything up by Thanksgiving, so that I can enjoy the decorations for a full month until Christmas Day!
Here’s what I found on the research for how holidays and traditions bring us together and build that connection we all want with our kids. Some days are easier than others. But with the help of the seasons, there is an innate connection time built in to the holiday activities.
“…traditions build a sense of stability. Regardless of whatever else is happening during the holiday season, family members look forward to and count on participating in family traditions. When families take part in rituals, trust builds. Family members learn that regardless of the changes life brings, traditions will be a consistent constant.” (from The Importance of Holiday Traditions)
I love that even if my efforts to connect throughout the year sometimes get interrupted by homework and life, there are certain times of the year that my kids know what will happen, know how the house will look, what activities we will do, and can depend on that consistency.
“Teaching children about the holidays of other cultures helps them to see that no matter what differences we all have, we also have many things in common.” (from The Importance of Sharing Holidays You Don’t Celebrate in Preschool)
The idea that we can go into Target and see multiple winter holidays celebrated, says a lot about our society! We have come so far with tolerance, and will always have more to go. But I really appreciate these impromptu opportunities to explain other holidays and traditions to my kids, even if our family doesn’t celebrate them. Thank you, Google, for allowing me to quickly lookup where fruitcake originated and what the Menorah stands for, all while standing in the grocery aisle. Sometimes I will even incorporate other traditions into our own if they resonate with our family!
“Families having fun together and relying on each other gives children a strong sense of belonging, helps build self-esteem and strengthens connections.” (from Why Holiday Traditions Are Important To Kids)
For some reason, during the holidays I am more aware of the need to stop doing unnecessary work and make more time for the kids. It is a busy time of year anyway, but I love our holiday traditions and will purposefully carve out extra time for these awaited activities.
“Holiday traditions are an important part to building a strong bond between family, and our community. They give us a sense of belonging and a way to express what is important to us. They connect us to our history and help us celebrate generations of family.” (from Why Holiday Traditions Might Be More Important Than You Think)
There is no other time of year that we talk more about our extended family than when we are putting up the ornaments on the Christmas Tree. It is such a fun time to reminisce about our own childhoods and even our parents’ childhood. These multi-generational stories are so powerful for me and my kids.
“There’s research to prove that joy boosts our immune systems, fights stress and pain, and improves our chance of living a longer life. Being joyful could quite literally add years to life.” (from Why is joy so important anyway?)
Something about decorating for any holiday, brings me such JOY! It could be seeing my daughter’s face when she places a sparkly pumpkin on the mantle or watching my son turn on the Christmas lights. It could also be nostalgia for my own childhood memories of decorating throughout the year with my mom.
Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, Easter, Birthdays, Halloween, or the coveted Christmas, our holiday traditions are so important for our kids. I hope that the work we put into celebrating them now means they will always come back to celebrate them in the future.
I’d love to hear how you celebrate! Share any traditions you have with your kids in the comments below.