Except at times like Christmas you probably do not think about it that much on a daily basis, but many of the things we do affect people in ways that we are rarely aware of. The way we treat people throughout the day, doing little favors for our friends, returning phone calls at work, volunteering our time, listening when someone is talking, or getting angry with the people who just happen to cross our paths on a bad day are all ways that we inadvertently affect how other people view us. The things we do today can also greatly influence the way future generations act and how they view us. This can include how we raise our kids, what lessons we teach each other, the legacy we are going to leave behind, and the family traditions we choose to carry on or create on our own. Probably the most memorable traditions that families participate in and remember for generations are Christmas traditions. While it can be something as simple as passing on a very special Christmas ornament or as complicated as cooking a special Christmas meal using treasured family recipes, the Christmas traditions of today will continue to affect generations for years to come.

Just about every family has some type of Christmas tradition that they participate in, whether it be actively or passively. Little things like baking a special kind of Christmas cookie each year, gathering around the piano on Christmas Eve to sing Christmas carols, or decorating the Christmas tree with a collection of very special Christmas ornaments are all examples of family traditions that can be handed down from generation to generation. The most important thing about keeping a family Christmas tradition alive throughout the decades is to make sure you do them on a regular basis. While the Christmas season can be hectic for everyone involved, carrying on the family tradition is what makes Christmas such a special and memorable event for everyone. The stress and problems that may seem to consume you today will all be forgotten in the years to come, but the memories of your family Christmas traditions will last a lifetime for everyone involved.

Of course, you may not have a family Christmas tradition or do not like the ones that you do have. In that case, it is never too late to start your own family tradition that can be carried on well into future generations. Creating your very own family Christmas tradition is easy to do and will unify your family together during the holiday season. You can start in a variety of different ways and you do not necessarily have to wait for Christmas to roll around to get started. Starting a collection of special holiday items that can be prominently displayed during the Christmas season is a great family tradition that the whole family can participate in. This might include collecting some handmade nativity scene figurines and placing them on the table as a centerpiece, collecting traditional holiday nutcrackers and lining them up along the fireplace mantle, or collecting some very special and unique Christmas ornaments that can be placed on the family Christmas tree together as a family. No matter what you decide to start collecting, these items and the traditions that go along with them are easily passed down from decade to decade and will greatly affect future generations. Just imagine how a family member a hundred years from now will enjoy placing that little wooden Christmas ornament you bought today on their tree in the future. They might reflect on how that ornament got there or how the tradition began. It is a powerful feeling to know that your actions today could still affect how future generations will act.

You can also adjust or add to an established family Christmas tradition by updating, modernizing, or adding to it. Some family traditions involve cooking recipes that may not be as easy to create or enjoy today. With more people becoming vegetarians or not wanting to eat fatty foods, some of the past generations traditions need to be adjusted slightly to appeal to the modern family. There is absolutely nothing wrong with changing these family traditions as long as the spirit of the tradition carries on and continues to unify the family as one. Replacing shortening with butter in your great-grandmothers Christmas cake recipe is perfectly okay and does nothing to diminish the importance of your great-grandmothers efforts, so do not be afraid to improve upon a tradition that could use a little boost to keep it going for generations to come.

The point of having and maintaining a family Christmas tradition is to keep you all connected from one generation to the next. Tradition gives everyone something to hold on to and reminds us of what is really important during the hectic and fast-paced holiday season?family. The family traditions that were created in the past have influences you today and those that you carry on will influence the next generation and beyond. Just remember that it does not really matter what the family Christmas tradition is, as long as it brings your family closer together and allows you to appreciate each other as individuals and the family as a whole. These are the things that will be remembered today, tomorrow, and forever.