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Imagine this … your grandma’s hands, gentle and full of stories, flipping through a photo album as everyone gathers around the photos from another era, laughing at the hairstyles, the outfits, the adventures.
Or grandad, with that twinkle in his eye, retelling (for the 100th time!) the moment he first met grandma, and even though you know every word, it still makes you smile.
Maybe it’s Dad … sharing that same joke he tells every Christmas. You’ve heard it so many times that it hurts, but you so know you will share it with your own children or friends.
These aren’t just stories. They’re the threads that tie us together. The magic we pass down, the laughter and love that never gets old. In today’s busy, digital world, these are the moments worth holding onto.
Christmas Present, Christmas Past
Christmas makes these stories feel even more special. It’s family time. It’s about those traditions that we have had since we were a child. As we get older, maybe we build on these with a new partner who brings their own history and create new traditions, but some things will continue forever.
Talking of traditions, how many times do we have to do something, before it becomes a tradition? Do let us know your thoughts!
Christmas is a time to get together and make sure that family and friends are not alone. Sometimes, in our geographically diverse world, it is difficult to meet everyone on Christmas Day itself but hopefully over the festive period we get the chance to meet up with those who really matter.
We may share gifts and we will definitely share food and drinks … but more importantly we will share stories from the past and we will create new ones.
Neil’s Tradition
One of my own family stories is that we always prepare a stocking for everyone who sleeps in the house on Christmas Eve. Everyone emerges in the morning (usually very early, over excited and for some a little hungover) carrying their own stocking and shouting “He’s been …!”.
Gifts in our stockings vary but will always carry fun and silly games as well as something the person may have asked for. When you get to the bottom though there are always chocolates and most importantly, an orange. This fruit idea may originally hark back to the Victorian era but was always something my own parents gave me, so I continue this tradition. I know these are often placed back in the fruit bowl later that morning by the recipients … although not like my childhood when I would find my Dad cutting them into segments for the half-time snack for his football team on Boxing Day!
Sharing Traditions
So please do share your own family Christmas tradition with us here in the comments, we would love to hear your stories and maybe others can create their own ideas from what you do.
Remember Your Own Stories
Here are some thoughts on making your Christmas one that you and your family will remember forever.
Try these ideas:
- Record grandparents telling their favourite stories using voice notes, video or even creating a family podcast.
- Encourage kids to prepare fun questions for others in the family before setting up the interviews … a great activity for the holidays.
- Create a shared digital photo album for everyone to contribute to with the photos they have taken over the festive period.
- Ask everyone “If you could save just one story to pass down to future generations, which would it be?”
- Start a "Family Christmas Traditions Book" where everyone writes down their special moments.
- At FROM YOU TO ME, we offer a fun way to capture what happens over Christmas in the 'Christmas Present, Christmas Past' journal … it’s amazing how easy it is to forget where you celebrated last year, who was with you and what gifts were given!
Be Present
Whatever you get up to this Christmas, remember to be present with others. Put that phone down and live in an ‘eye-contact’ world with those who matter.
This is what Christmas is about in my view.
Don’t just share gifts … give the gift of time and share stories.
They are the ones that last.
Neil
Founder of FROM YOU TO ME & a massive lover of Christmas
