Making Memories During Christmas And The Holidays

19. Making Memories During Christmas and the Holidays

A favorite Christmas song has a line that describes Christmas as 'the most

wonderful time of the year.' While giving and receiving gifts is something that

is highly anticipated and remembered at Christmas time, there are also many more

activities that make Christmas memorable and wonderful.

One of these activities is decorating the Christmas tree. The Christmas

tree occupies a central spot and is the most visible display of Christmas in

most homes. Unlike in other countries, most American homes do not have a

representation of the Nativity scene, which is more likely to be located at

churches.

As soon as the Christmas season begins on the day after Thanksgiving,

families will begin their search for the perfect Christmas tree. This in itself

can become a memorable activity as children may accompany family members to

places like a Christmas tree farm to select a tree.

Once a real or artificial tree is selected, then it's an exciting activity

for the entire family to play a part in decorating the tree. Manufactured

decorations come in many shapes and forms. But a special memory is created when

family members make a special ornament for the Christmas tree, or contribute one

or more keepsake items to decorate the Christmas tree. It then becomes a ritual

each year for those particular items to be placed on the Christmas tree although

other decorations may change in coming years.

Another activity that can help to create special memories at Christmas is

baking cookies. Along with popular gingerbread cookies, using cookie cutters to

make special holiday-shaped cookies is also practiced a lot in households. Based

on the ages of children, they can help in the actual baking activity by

measuring and mixing some ingredients, or, younger children can sprinkle sugar

on the cookies or decorate them with icing when they are finished. Helping in

this activity can also be educational as parents can use the activity of

measuring and figuring out equivalent measures to teach fractions and other

mathematical elements.

An activity that is related to food which also helps to create memories

during the Christmas season is making fruit and goody baskets, which are filled

with candies, baked items and other treats for loved ones, their special

friends, neighbors, teachers or for charity. Items such as goody baskets make

especially wonderful Christmas gifts because they are home-made. That quality

often makes them more treasured than a Christmas present that is bought at the

store.

Because Christmas is the season of goodwill and good cheer, it is very

important to reach out to family, loved ones and friends during the season. The

busy lives that many people lead today often leaves them little or no time

during the year to be in frequent contact with family and friends who are

located far away, or even others who live within a reasonable distance in the

same or a neighboring state, for example.

It is therefore very common during Christmas to send a Christmas or holiday

greeting card to those individuals. Along with the pleasant memory of receiving

the card, there may be a short letter included that gives a brief account of any

significant event in the individual's life or with members of the family. That

makes sending and receiving Christmas greeting cards more memorable.

Then there's probably the most anticipated activity of Christmas - finding

out what Christmas gift Santa brought on Christmas Eve. While adults also look

forward with much anticipation to see what Christmas gifts they will get, it's

really the children who get the most delight from receiving presents at

Christmas. The carefully planned actions to hide Christmas presents from

children and then to magically place them under the Christmas tree to be found

on Christmas morning is one of the most wonderful ways to create unforgettable

memories for children at Christmas.