There's no avoiding it, the holidays are here. Whether it's Kwanza, Christmas, Hanukah or Festivus, its time to celebrate this holiday season.
Everyone has a special way of celebrating this season. Some focus on the religious and cultural meaning, some focus on family/friends and togetherness, some focus on the giving (and receiving) of gifts, some focus on the food and stretchy pants and many of us wrap it all up with a beautiful bow and find the holiday spirit everywhere they look.
Regardless of your focus, we all have our holiday traditions. Your family may have the children write holiday wishes to hang on the tree. Maybe you move the elf on a shelf or mensch on a bench around the house to keep the spirit alive in your children as long as possible. Your family may watch the holiday classics, A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life every year and laugh and cry every time. Your family may be a Secret Santa to others in need. Or anything else that fosters the holiday spirit within your home.
For us, it's a scavenger hunt. We make our kids work for their gifts. When they were little it was following the pictures around the house and you'll find all your gifts in the laundry room. Now it's full-on Survivor Challenges with some Amazing Race thrown in. They've had obstacle courses, going around the neighborhood, puzzles, and locks to navigate just to find their gifts hidden somewhere surprising. At 14 and 16, I'm thankful my kids still let me do this for them. I was particularly touched when the kids gave us a scavenger hunt to find our gift last year, man I love these kids.
We all have something. But just for fun, I'd love to share a link of how others around the world celebrate.
Regardless of how you celebrate, enjoy your time with those you love building memories to last a lifetime.