Tuesday, December 22, 2015

December Ideas for the Secular Family

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I've had it in my mind for awhile now to offer some ideas for holiday ideas for December for the secular family. Since I am awake late (early) tonight, this is the night (morning). In another blog post I talked about how important it is to create your own holiday practices and to enjoy the freedom to explore ideas the make sense to your family this month. 

In that vein I have been gathering ideas for alternative December traditions that you and your family might consider this year, or next. This list is simply a collection of ideas that I have come up with for this blog...there are certainly more and better ideas to explore and to consider. What will your family do to make your holiday meaningful?
  • Turn off the screens and make holiday crafts for decoration or for gifting.
  • Make your own holiday cards for mailing.
    And I don't care what others say, I LOVE the family letters that come in cards.
  • Spread pinecones with peanut butter and nuts for hanging in the boughs of winter trees.
  • Enjoy dreidel night or a scavenger hunt.
  • Explore any other cultural December event you can find.
  • Read a holiday themed story together.
    By the fireplace if you can.
  • Go ice skating as a family.
  • Gather friends and go caroling.
  • Google Hangout with far away family during holiday gift opening.
  • Volunteer at your local homeless shelter or meals on wheels.
  • Adopt a family. Provide them with dinner, a tree, and gifts.
  • Secret Santa among family members.
  • December 1st begin collecting a gratitude list. Read it together on Christmas eve.
  • Secret Santa: except, rather than gifts, do acts of kindness for one another
  • Decorate ornaments for a tree. Keep some and gift them away as gifts. Have an ornament or decoration party.
  • Go for a walk by candlelight.
  • Hot chocolate and holiday lights!
  • Sleep in front of the glittering tree. Have a slumber party with the entire family.
  • Get creative with gift package wrapping by creating reusable bags or repurposed wrapping. Go green.
  • Create a scavenger hunt for gifts or for nature items.
  • Create gifts of warm socks, scarves, hats, or mittens for the homeless.
  • Donate books to your local library, preschool, nursing home.
  • Host a cookie sharing party.
  • Include letters and art work in gifts to family. 
  • Go for a bike ride.
  • Host a bonfire
  • Decorate your tree with something unusual. Jewelry. Beads, Household objects. Pine cones, seed pods, and natural things.
  • Invite strangers or new friends to spend the holiday with you.
  • Give the gift of service for use through out the year.
    Grass cutting. Meals. Child care.
  • Game night.

What will your family do to make your holiday meaningful?

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