Those of us living in warm climates don’t have colorful tree leaves and crisp cold air to remind us the holidays are right around the corner. Rather, we must rely on the change of décor at our local Target or pumpkin lattes at Starbucks to get us into the spirit of the changing seasons. Children especially get enthusiastic when they see decorations and holiday foods at school, stores, and home. Holiday traditions create excitement and dimension each holiday season. However, there are other reasons why it is important to establish holiday traditions with children.
One reason is that children need structure, they need to be able to predict that, as a family, they celebrate certain dates and events in consistent ways. These holiday traditions should be created to express who they are as a family and what their family believes. Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP, professor of psychology stated, “Holiday traditions may offer an important organizing and centering experience and a foil to a life full of constant change. In our often chaotic, discombobulating, and frantic world, having long-held holiday traditions that offer important connections to and continuity with the past and to each other is critically important.”
Predictability lowers stress for children, as well as adults. When something such as a tradition is predictable, it gives children the sense of anticipation and something to look forward to as the holiday approaches. Writer Graham Moore wrote, “I believe in traditions; I believe in the idea of things being passed between generations and the slow transmission of cultural values through tradition.”
Establishing holiday traditions of spending time with family and loved ones offers children an opportunity for socialization associated with positive memories. To have set, predictable times with family provides occasions to relate with one another in unique ways. This allows each person to see different aspects of each other that are not always visible in day-to-day routines that have developed. While over the years some traditions have remained the same, such as visiting family and buying gifts for loved ones, other traditions have dropped by the wayside. According to the Pew Research Center, fewer people are sending holiday cards. Sending holiday cards is more common among adults age 50 and older than among younger adults.
Caroling has also been dropped as a tradition. Roughly one-third of Americans say they went caroling when they were children. Yet, adults age 30 and older are more likely to remember caroling as a typical part of their holiday celebrations than adults under 30.
Although times are changing, it is still important to guide your children into holiday traditions that are meaningful to you. By establishing traditions, you honor your culture, beliefs and family history. As the poet Miller Williams wisely wrote, “Ritual is important to us as human beings. It ties us to our traditions and our histories.”
