Posted on: December 1, 2008

'Tis the Season

Creating new family traditions is as easy as celebrating the season

By Kate Sullivan
CTW Features

Image courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

For most, the holidays are all about family, traditions and, of course, decorations. In many ways, these aspects of the holiday season can be interwoven, according to Jennifer Trainer Thompson, the author of "The Joy of Family Traditions: A Season-by-Season Companion to 400 Celebrations and Activities" (Ten Speed Press, 2008). She says that decorating her home for the holidays goes hand-in-hand with tapping into family traditions. Here's her take on helping tradition take root in your home.

-Commemorate the season by having a party for nature. Invite friends over and dip peanut butter in pinecones and then roll in bird seed. Attach with ribbon and hang in the forest for the animals. Then come inside and warm up with hot cider or cocoa.

-Embroider the date and year of one of your children's accomplishments into his or her stocking. From making the soccer team to acing the SATs, a simple stitch creates a lifetime of stories.

-Instead of ornaments, build a tree of good deeds. Kids can write the kind act on hard stock paper and hang with ribbon.

-Host a holiday baking party and bake together. Or have guests come with tins of their confectionary treats to trade with one another.

-Host a holiday sing along to get in the spirit. Invite friends, bring out the lyrics to favorite jingles and call it "holiday open mic night."