Traditions Make for Happy Holidays
The holidays offer so much opportunity to lean into the happy. But I know all too well how it’s a difficult time for many as well. Missing loved ones can make this time of year feel especially tender…but I think traditions help.
Not only do traditions evoke cheerful memories of celebrations long gone, but they also offer comfort in the present. Because while people who we love dearly might no longer be with us, maintaining traditions we shared with them is a special testament to a connection that remains strong.
And so, we carry traditions forward, maybe adding a new sparkle to them or a delightful new flavor. Perhaps you’re inviting some new friends to share in your holiday…in doing so, the past is folded into the present with both loving remembrance and new vitality. It’s such a special time of year, a time when magic happens. Tenderness and cheer can walk together hand in hand, and, speaking from personal experience, it can be a comfort.
Decorating the Tree
One of my most cherished traditions is ornaments—they’ve always been incredibly special in my family. My mom gave my sister and me ornaments every single year, resulting in a collection that is cherished to this day. (Yes, I have ornaments from the year I was born!) Growing up, we’d hang them all on the tree, and as adults, my sister and I have continued our childhood ornament tradition by decorating our respective family trees with them.
Every year as I carefully unpack each one, I get to see my mom’s handwriting, which is truly so beautiful. The memories rush forth. The past merges with the present and the moment feels big and full because of this tradition’s meaningful tether. It’s a gift that returns to me year after year.
Traditions are Everywhere
Growing up, my mom would make loads of her pecan tassies and give them as gifts to everyone she adored. And now I make them, remembering what it was like in the kitchen when Patty was in tassie-making mode…remembering what it was like when we made them together for the last time.
About 25 years ago I started making chocolate truffles and salted chocolate nut bark. I’d pack it up in pretty containers with festive ribbon and we’d bring it home when we went back to Cleveland. I still make that chocolate, still recall how much my mom loved it.
My grandmother made the best stuffing, and she always made it during the holidays. Now, I’m the one who makes it every year.
Memories of these traditions all have a gilding on them, one that sparkles with the preciousness of what was while adding glimmer to the present moment and what will be. I’ve found that these touchstones bolster me. All the love and shimmer from my past make the present feel richer…more meaningful. And despite the tenderness that arises this time of year, there’s a palpable undercurrent of joy as well.
My hope is that the generosity of the season will envelop you, and that your own traditions will buoy you and your loved ones in the most meaningful way. Wishing you the merriest, cheeriest, most joyful holiday season!
