The Heart of the Holidays: Creating Lasting Traditions


The rhythm of each year is harmonized by a symphony of holiday traditions — each noting a portal to cherished memories. Traditions lead to memories and add meaning to each celebration. Football on Thanksgiving, watching It’s a Wonderful Life for Christmas, and hunting Easter eggs may be on your list. If you don’t have traditions, why not create them this year? Even seemingly small rituals will help you build strong family and community bonds that last a lifetime.

Importance of Traditions

Traditions are important because they connect us to family, friends, and our communities. Watching the Thanksgiving parade together as a family can bring parents and kids closer through the shared experience. You talk and laugh and remember from year to year, providing unity and belonging — that’s the essence of a family tradition. It offers a comforting thread throughout the hustle and bustle of the season.

Start Something New

Not everyone already has traditions, and that’s perfectly OK! You can create your own and pass them down through generations. How do you start creating new traditions? It could be as simple as having a designated cookie and hot cocoa night. Similarly, you could plan to have something festive for breakfast every Christmas morning. You could try Christmas Tree-shaped waffles, an easy cinnamon roll Christmas tree, or fun monkey bread!

Picking out a new ornament that reflects the past year is another idea. You can get together, recap the year, and then choose an ornament that celebrates it. You could make this a game by getting suggestions from family members before voting for the final choice. If you are thinking about it throughout the year, you could even purchase an ornament during a family summer vacation to debut during the holiday season.

Writing letters to Santa doesn’t have to be just for the little ones! Get your family together to write letters, not just for kiddos but for everyone. You can collect everyone’s letter and address them to the North Pole, or let them know the elves will make sure they make it to Santa. Writing letters is also a great tradition to figure out what is on everyone’s wish list.

Remember to decide your intention for each tradition, which can be as simple as having fun together. If you are looking for deeper connections in your family year after year, you can attach more value to different activities. It’s all up to you! No matter the activity, holiday traditions hold the unique power to forge lasting bonds and infuse the spirit of togetherness throughout generations.

Building New Traditions at Lariat

Find your new dream home at Lariat, and start building holiday traditions in a beautiful space that perfectly fits your lifestyle year-round. In addition to your charming new home, our planned resident-exclusive amenities like The Watering Hole Pool Complex, The Junction Amenity Center Pavilion, nature trails, fishing dock, and more, are great places for new adventures. Contact us today to get started making new holiday memories.