As much as presents play a role in a memorable Christmas, it is the things the family does together to celebrate the holiday that creates memories that last a life time.
Most families that celebrate this year will already have a basis to start on. It could be traditions passed down from grandparents and other relatives or simply a product of the culture they come from. The recession however, brings into focus that some of these traditions and holiday activities will have to be adjusted in order to meet the economic realities of each household. Fortunately this also creates an opportunity to try new traditions and make new kinds of memories.
Here are some great holiday activities that can be a part of how your family celebrates the holidays this season.
A great idea is to have you and your kids make homemade Christmas decorations. There are plenty of guides online to help you and your family make beautiful tree ornaments and holiday decorations for pennies on the dollar. The point is that the decorations will become cherished and treasured as the years go by as they will symbols of the time you spent together as a family in the days before Christmas.
Cooking holiday treats are another big part of celebrating Christmas. Try making traditional holiday recipes that you parents or grandparents made for the holiday when you were little. If you don't know how the made them try calling them up for pointers or doing some research online. Then shop wisely for the ingredients needed. If you do it right you will save more money making them yourselves than buying them at the store.
Take advantage of the weather to have fun. If you are fortunate to have a white Christmas in your area then there are plenty of winter activities that you can partake in as part of the holiday festivities. It can be anything from sledding and skating to snowball fights and building snowmen. It does not take much to put together the gear to have a good time with your family.
Also try making Christmas Eve a game night. This is probably one of the few times when all members of your family will be home at night so take advantage of it and play your favorite games whether it is Pictionary or Clue. It will be a great time to be had by all and will cost little or nothing. The only cost will be to probably buy a newer version of an Older game. For example say you have kids who trouble handling the paper money in monopoly. You can now purchase an electronic version of the game that uses credit cards.
Another thing you can do is add a touch of holiday magic to your younger children's Christmas experience. Normally Dad would have to wear a Santa Claus suit and the kids would be smart enough to be suspicious that Santa Claus is actually Daddy. However this Christmas there are great services that you can take advantage of that will maintain your children's faith in Santa and give you cover from their suspicion.
A great service is the letter from Santa. Your children likely send letters to Santa but never get a response back except for the presents the asked. You can now customize and order a letter from Santa that you can have your kids receive on Christmas Day. The letter is even made authentic with North Pole Postmark.
