WHAT ARE THE BEST HOLIDAY TRADITIONS TO START IN MY NEW HOME? SWEET IDEAS TO MAKE YOUR SEASON EXTRA JOLLY
WHAT ARE THE BEST HOLIDAY TRADITIONS TO START IN MY NEW HOME? SWEET IDEAS TO MAKE YOUR SEASON EXTRA JOLLY
What are the best holiday traditions to start in my new home? One of the things that can make leaving an old residence behind difficult, is all of the memories you created during your time spent living there. What can truly turn a house into a home is celebrating big moments and milestones within the same four walls, year after year. So, ahead of arguably the biggest festive season of the calendar year, how do you get comfortable and cozy when you have only just moved in? For starters, your first important step is going to be ensuring that a trusted professional team is getting you from Point A to Point B! Set the stage for relaxed energy in your new space, by giving yourself a peace of mind that only arrives when you have hired experts to help you move. Next up? A good deep clean and scrub at your fresh address will extend that peace even further. Now that your boxes have been unpacked, and the digs are squeaky and spotless. It’s time to start having some fun! Check out these five simple ideas to help bring your new home to life and make spirits bright.
Picking A New Spot For All The Decor
Although it is certainly nice for everything to have its own designated space, there is something exciting about getting to start anew at the festive decorating drawing board. Make a day or afternoon of it, and enjoy finding a home for pieces you have collected over the years, mixed in with some newly purchased items of course! A blending of the old and the new can be entertaining, but also symbolic for holiday memory and tradition making in your new home. If you have younger children, selecting all new cheeky hiding spots for Elf on the Shelf can be a wonderful adventure for them as well. And if it doesn’t come to you instinctually, weigh the options back and forth about where the best new spot for your tree is. Cottages and Bungalows Magazine suggests the following:
#1 – Tuck it in cozily beside the fireplace and mantel.
#2 – In the natural light of a window.
#3 – Filling up a blank wall
#4 – Go for bold: the entranceway!
Comfort Baking
Fill your kitchen and family room with the warmth and smells of delicious goodies, and you will be well on your way to creating a beautiful holiday ambiance in your new home. A reader once wrote into The Food Channel asking: “How soon can I start baking Christmas cookies?” and the network’s glorious (and obviously wise) answer was: “The sooner you start baking, the sooner you can start sampling!” In terms of helping everyone in your family feel just a little bit more at home; you cannot possibly start soon enough. A delicious new custom to establish for this initial Christmas could be, throughout late November and December, pick a day of the week and designate it ‘Baking Day!’ Make a wish list of all the recipes you would like to try, get an epic holiday playlist going, and work your way through.
The Great Debate: Deciding The Best Holiday Movie
There is nothing quite as intense as one’s fierce defense of their favourite holiday movie. Chances are you already have a ritual of watching yours every year, or several times a season at that. However, have you ever put your top choice up against those of the rest of your family? This is Christmas film viewing with a twist. Decide on the entries, and lay them out in March Madness bracket fashion. Every few nights another duo go head to head, and majority rules who comes out on top. Repeat until a winner is crowned! If you are feeling extra inventive and colourful, you can also design your own rating system; ie. ‘Film A receives 3 out of a possible 4 trees for storyline’. The added upside in 2020 is that as many people as you’d like can partake; all from the safety of their own homes. Group chats and Zoom calls can pepper the watching, but don’t hold us accountable for any impassioned arguments that may take place! It is definitely different than in years past, when large groups could gather without a care in the world, but virtually hosting a cinematic escape in your new home could possibly be the Christmas tradition no one ever forgets.
Christmas Eve Gift Exchange
This year, take some of the pressure off of your big holiday morning and make a new tradition of opening a special set of gifts on Christmas Eve instead. The morning can be chaotic and loud, with wrapping paper flying and rushing to get a large meal going. An evening of small present exchanges however, could offer some quiet reflection to look around your new home and all of the beautiful memories that are yet to be made. Dress in ugly sweaters, order in pizza, and take a moment to relax! Finally exhaling after a big winter move is the perfect way to commemorate the first holiday in your new home.
Something Special For The New Neighbours
How can you spread holiday cheer? Share it far and wide, especially for your own community to hear! A kind and thoughtful gesture this season can be to fire up the jingle bells and package a few sweet treats for your new neighbours. You can flex some innovative crafting/gifting muscles and hopefully begin to make some new friends in the process – two birds, one stone! If you have the time and means, a safe and socially distanced cookie and/or baking exchange could be a nice way to celebrate too. Another option is to simply have a retailer take care of all the hard work for you! Small makers and big box stores alike have countless varieties and price ranges to choose from. Guaranteed the thought and gesture will go a long way and can lay the groundwork for an ongoing holiday custom between you and your new neighbours.
Pulling off a housing move before the holidays is intense. It is already a very busy time of year, and 2020 has thrown an additional wrench into the mix like never before. Take a beat to think about how you really want the next 6 weeks or so to feel like, and go from there. Celebrating can come in all shapes and forms, and just like the Grinch learned; “Maybe Christmas… Perhaps… means a little bit more!”
