Holiday Traditions

Lots of folks adore the holiday season, reveling in age-old carols, cheery cards, snow-laden trees, and the warm company of loved ones. Others, however, are over-scheduled to the max or tired of doing the same-old same-old year after year.

If you’re in the second category, take heart. You can bring joy into your season simply by creating new traditions that fit your family’s idea of celebrating the holiday.

You can borrow a tradition from a Hollywood star. Jennifer Aniston throws a trim-the-tree party for her girlfriends, while Jennifer Love Hewitt volunteers to help feed the needy at the Los Angeles Mission.

Or visit Web sites like www.familyfun.go.com and www.holiday-traditions.com
for a slew of suggestions, including the following:

* Craft a photo ornament: transform your tree into a family album by making miniature memories to be re-used each year.

* Light a remembrance candle: send happy seasonal wishes long-distance to friends and family far away at concurrent ceremonies.

* Celebrate the solstice: set out luminarias, sip hot cider around a bonfire, and stargaze to honor the longest night of the year on December 21.

* Remember the animals: decorate a tree in the woods with popcorn and cranberry garlands, pine cones rolled in birdseed and peanut butter, and apple and orange slices.

* Honor a public servant: take home-baked goodies to firemen, policemen, and other public servants who must work during the holidays.

* Create a global wish list: have each family member list one thing that would make the world a better place. From the list, choose one as a family to implement and keep the project going all year.

Read the Kentucky Living December 2012 feature that goes along with this Web exclusive, A Twist on Holiday Traditions.