Believe it or not there are many things around the holidays that people hate. There are so many stressful things that can go on at this time of year, like shopping and finding everyone the perfect gift. That’s why this is the time of year, not to stress but to take those few days to relax with your family and enjoy things that mean a lot to you and your family.

The most commonly known holiday traditions are the usual things, such as decorating your tree, baking cookies for Santa or opening presents. These traditions have become so common around the world that we look forward to them every year.

Although these things are fun, there are many things that are more important than opening gifts or decorating the house. The holidays are a time that brings family and friends together through joy.

 Having something simple such as a family breakfast or dinner reminds people that they have a family bond. These traditions remind us of our relationship with family.

Traditions can be something as little as a movie night or a game night. Not all traditions are known to be in your family since you were born.

Create your own traditions! They don’t have to be dozens of years old to have a meaning. Maybe something like an annual vacation means more to you than a movie night, but to many families it is more about time spent with your family, not how you spend it.  

Alyssa Reid says that “Every year for the holidays her and her siblings each sleep in the same room so they can wake up at the same time to wake up their parents.” 

They’ve been doing this for a while. Another thing Reid’s family does is every year they each get a pair of pajamas that they wear while opening their presents.

Why are these traditions important? Especially with covid, many families being stuck in a house together wasn’t really a great bonding experience, knowing that there’s this time to look forward to spending time with your family while having fun is a necessity.

Many families have big traditions and a few little traditions. Reid says,  “Other than opening one present we bake cookies and listen to Christmas music.” Like most families, Reid goes and sees her grandmas and grandpas. 

Not all people have the same holiday traditions but each and every one has its own meaning to it. Even the littlest things such as baking cookies puts a smile on your face and show the values of spending time with your family and not worrying about the presents and more about the ones you love.