“This post has been sponsored by American Greetings. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
We all know that this year, the holidays will look a little different, but that doesn’t mean that holiday traditions are completely forgotten or skipped this year. This year, our family is getting a little creative and we are connecting with each other to determine how we are going to keep to our holiday traditions but make them fit the current times. And like many holiday traditions, ours include gifts and words of love. So as we have been planning how we are going to keep our holiday traditions alive this year, I decided to start out by heading to Wegman’s to grab a collection of American Greetings® holiday cards where I was able to buy 3 cards and save $4 (a discount offered now through Christmas Day (12/25).
Over the years, our holiday traditions have changed as our family has changed. When I was home living with my parents and siblings, our traditions, though the same as they are today, were done a little differently. But now, as our family has grown and the little ones are the ones that we are teaching the holiday traditions to, they look a little different.
We love our traditions and we have done them with our immediate family as well as our extended family over the years with each year bringing great new memories, and this year won’t be any different. Here are a few traditions that we celebrate during the holiday season, and here is how we are keeping those traditions alive.
Tradition – SENDING WORDS OF COMFORT
We always send words of comfort to those around us. Whether it is a friend or family member, we make sure that they know how special they are and that we are thinking of them – though we do share that sentiment all year around. It’s amazing how well holiday cards capture the emotion and feelings that we want to share. As I shopped at Wegman’s for holiday cards, the American Greetings holiday cards immediately caught my attention with their gorgeous designs and then their wonderful notes. Of course, I grabbed a few and I have them already set up to send to family members this holiday season with some of our family photos (well, mostly photos of Carter since that’s who everyone wants to see).
Tradition – HELPING THOSE WHO HELP US
Throughout the year, we make it point to help those who help us, and during the holiday season, we make sure to give gifts to the individuals and their families who have done things for us no matter how big or small. Last year, I wrapped up little holiday gifts to send to the doctors and nurses who helped me when I gave birth to our son. This year, we are putting gifts together for the nurses, mail persons, grocery store clerks, and other frontline workers who have had to go to work every day without the luxury of being able to stay home like many of us. With some of the American Greetings cards that I was able to get, I am putting special gift certificates and gift cards in each of the cards to give to those we are giving back to this year. It’s always such a special moment to see the smiles on their faces when they receive unexpected gifts.
Tradition – SECRET SANTA
Each year, some of my family and friends do a Secret Santa or White Elephant party. This year, we aren’t able to have the party, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still celebrate the tradition. This year, we are randomly drawing names and sending our gifts to each other so that it’s received before the holidays. On the day that we usually host the party, we will be meeting virtually and unwrapping them together while also doing the “guess who got you this gift” and then the big reveal. It’s so special to be able to see the expressions on each other’s faces when the reveal happens. As a little special additive to my gift, I am sending an American Greetings holiday card ahead of time with a special note and a hint as to what is to come and who I may be. It makes the tradition a little more fun and spunky since we aren’t able to do all the activities that we usually do in person. There are many ways to keep your holiday traditions alive and make this holiday season as special, if not more special, as the ones before and the ones to come. All you need is a little bit of inspiration and some creativity.
I would love to hear what holiday traditions you have and how you are keeping them alive this holiday. Share them in the comments!
