5 Holiday Traditions To Start with Your Family

This post is brought to you by Disney. All opinions are my own. Pete’s Dragon is available On Blu-ray™, Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere.

Storytelling is one of the most important ways we can share our history with our children. These stories are passed down through generations and recited as holiday traditions are experienced every year. In the movie Pete’s Dragon, there was a lot of emphasis on storytelling and how important it was for the families in the movie. When my family sits down to watch our annual Christmas Eve movie this year, Pete’s Dragon is a perfect pick because I know it will prompt us to talk about storytelling.

Who else talks about their grandma’s family-famous shortbread recipe while they’re recreating it for Christmas Eve? Or maybe your family sets up a fun holiday Scavenger Hunt every year like we do? Telling family stories is a nod back to generations ago when there were no pictures, no videos, and no internet. People shared their legacies and traditions through storytelling.

Holiday traditions are something that we pass on through generations–but let’s face it, sometimes it’s fun to create new traditions! Whether it’s through food, crafts, or storytelling, holiday traditions are to be treasured and passed down to future generations. Here are some of our family’s favorite holiday traditions, as well as some from my favorite bloggers. Adding a new holiday tradition to your family is a fun way to keep your family inspired around the holidays.

5 Holiday Traditions To Start with Your Family

A scavenger hunt turns gift opening into a family event. Maybe there is *always* a clue under Mom’s pillow. What if one of your clues was in the pool this year? I bet your family would put their heads together to come up with an inventive way to get it out! Scavenger hunts are always full of laughs, and those are the best stories to tell. An added bonus? Scavenger hunts also make gift opening last longer!

Keeping a Christmas Card book for each year gives your family something they can look back and reminisce about family and friends. I’d love to see some of the holiday cards my family received when I was young, and I bet it would prompt some amazing memories and stories about my childhood!

Your holiday meal can inspire tons of stories! This Turkey Baked in Cheesecloth is a recipe that Serena makes for her family every Christmas, and I can imagine the stories her kids will tell about it while they are cooking it for their families in years to come. Recipes are one of the best ways to pass along the memories of a family member.

 

Writing a Letter to Santa is the perfect way to capture a child’s wonder about the season. I have all of the letters my boys wrote to Santa, and I wish I had thought to use an adorable printable like this one! I love looking back on these letters and talking to the boys about the things they asked for, and their sweet thank you letters that they left along side the tree the day after Christmas.

Another amazing recipe, this time a traditional apricot dessert from Vanessa. Her great-grandmother used to make it and she carries on the tradition every year with her children, I’m sure while she tells them memories she has about her family.

Creating memories and traditions during the holiday season is something that lives on for generations, and is so very important. Maybe these holiday traditions will become new traditions for your family!

 

Get the book “Elliot Gets Lost” as seen in the film for $9.99 when you buy Pete’s Dragon on Blu-ray, Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere on Disney Movie Rewards!