By Heather King
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other festive occasion, holiday traditions play a significant role in creating meaningful and memorable moments as we gather with family and reflect on the year. Celebrating holiday traditions instills a sense of unity and closeness when families and friends can connect, sharing in the joy of giving and receiving, and bonding over shared traditions. Today, we’re sharing some of our own team’s holiday traditions as they celebrate the season with loved ones.
Keeping Traditions Alive
One of the time-honored traditions of the holiday season is preserving our culture. When you follow age-old customs and practices, you foster a connection to the past and those who built the traditions you celebrate today. For instance, if you celebrate Hanukkah, lighting the menorah and playing dreidel with your family can bring a sense of closeness and belonging to an ancient tradition. Every culture has its way of celebrating the holidays that has been passed down from generation to generation, and these ancient traditions are worth preserving.
For Social Media Coordinator Anna Boettcher, anticipation is always high around the dinner table. “We are Italian, so for every holiday meal we have my grandma’s famous spaghetti.”
Creating Memories with Family and Friends
Holiday traditions present a chance to create cherished memories with loved ones. Baking cookies together, decorating the house, or any other fun activity that you enjoy doing each year can build rituals that you’ll remember for years to come. It’s always nice to reminisce about these moments, and often, the memories become part of the tradition themselves.
Website Developer Paula Sageser celebrates traditions in both Utah and New Mexico, where they travel to visit her husband’s family over the holidays. In addition to indulging in “lots of wine, baking cookies and rolls, and an amazing prime rib,” Sageser loves their tradition of driving around to look at the beautiful luminarias light displays in New Mexico.
Giving Back to the Community
Many holiday traditions include charitable donations or giving back to the community in a meaningful way. For example, some choose to volunteer with their family or friends at a local homeless shelter, donate to a toy drive or giving tree, or visit a nursing home to spread some holiday cheer. These thoughtful traditions center around service and good deeds, adding value and purpose to the holidays and creating memories to last a lifetime.
Client Account Manager Jen Guntner is “part of a networking group here in Eau Claire, and as a group of Polka Dot Powerhouse, we have done a Dream Drive every year. This year, it was Toys for Tots, and we bought a toy that represented our job or something we like to do and explained it during our networking meeting. Then we donated that to those in need.”
Casey Ciciora-Gold, Marketing Strategist, loves participating in virtual charity runs, “especially when I can do them on the beaches in Florida!” he says. “Nothing feels better than giving back and doing it in the hot sun on a white, sandy beach.”
Creating Anticipation for the Holidays
Taking part in personal traditions during the holiday season serves to create a sense of anticipation for the festivities. Children and adults alike look forward to the annual rituals—whether those are a special family dinner, lighting of the tree, or opening presents. Planning for and participating in these activities builds up the anticipation and excitement that surrounds this time of year.
Celebrating holiday traditions preserves cultural heritage, creates memories with loved ones, fosters a sense of connection and belonging, gives community purpose and support, and brings much-needed holiday cheer. Time-honored traditions represent a way to honor the past and ensure that memories live into the future.
Happy Holidays from everyone at Elle Marketing and Events!