Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: New Years and Non-Religious Traditions
• Method 2 of 4: Christmas and Religious Traditions
• Method 3 of 4: New Years with Children
• Method 4 of 4: Consumer-Free Holidays
• Tips
• Warnings

New Year and Christmas are holidays filled with good mood and expectation of miracles. Whether you are celebrating the secular New Year or the Christian holiday of Christmas, there should be an atmosphere of joy and happiness these days, and we hope our tips will help you create one. In this article, you will read about how to celebrate the New Year, celebrate Christmas, arrange a real holiday for children and not let the spirit of consumption ruin these wonderful days. Happy Holidays!

Steps

Method 1 of 4: New Years and Non-Religious Traditions

1. 1 Radiate a good mood. If you heard a New Year's song, do not frown and mumble "here it is again," but smile and sing along. A cheerful mood during the New Year holidays will help you infect others with the spirit of the holiday and get even more pleasure from it yourself.
   • Say "Happy New Year!" or "Happy New Year!" to everyone, be it a janitor who removes snow, a conductor in a tram, or a cashier in a supermarket. Smile and give people a piece of the holiday mood.
2. 2 Celebrate the New Year according to tradition. Allow yourself to become a child for a while and enjoy the festive mood: write a letter to Santa Claus, make paper decorations, check if there are any gifts under the Christmas tree. If you live or temporarily find yourself in Europe or America, the festive focus will shift to Christmas (December 25), and this will be a great opportunity to experience local traditions. The main thing is to believe in New Year's magic.
   • Get to know the New Year or Christmas traditions of other countries. Perhaps this is how you will find ideas for new recipes or decor. You can find absolutely everything on the Internet these days!
   • If your city has a holiday fair or, for example, an exhibition of Christmas tree decorations, be sure to go there.
   • Arrange a time travel! Read how the holiday was celebrated in pre-revolutionary Russia or in the Soviet Union. Take note of interesting ideas and bring them to life. For example, make a retro Christmas tree by hanging cotton figurines, beads, paper flags and candies in colorful wrappers on it, or arrange a masquerade ball, or play forfeits and blind man's buffs, or cook a herring under a fur coat and "Olivier".
   • Not all old traditions are worth following. Don't decorate the tree with real candles - it's dangerous! An electric candle string will be a great and safe replacement.
3. 3 Decorate your home for Christmas. There are endless ways to decorate your home. For example, decorate the house with garlands, hang a homemade wreath on the door (if you are not sure that it will survive in the entrance, hang it in the apartment - say, on the door to the living room), put bouquets of fir branches in the rooms, figures of Santa Claus and Snow Maiden or poinsettia in a pot. If you have a party planned, you can follow the English tradition and hang a sprig of mistletoe in a strategically convenient place, under which you can kiss anyone (instead of a real mistletoe, you can take any elegant sprig - most importantly, explain to the guests why it is here).
4. 4 Buy and dress up a Christmas tree. Go with the whole family to the Christmas tree market for a live tree or to the store for an artificial one. If you already have an artificial tree, check that it is not broken. Set up a tree, hang an electric garland on it and decorate with toys. Make sure that your pets do not turn it over or gnaw it, and if the tree is real, do not forget to water it periodically.
   • You can decorate the tree with old toys that your family keeps, or try something new. For example, you can use Star Trek characters, Disney cartoons, superheroes, or toy trains as decorations. It all depends on you: be creative or stick to tradition as you like best.
5. 5 Get together with family and friends. For many people, celebrating the New Year means just a meeting and a pleasant pastime with family and friends. New Year is a public holiday, and many have vacations at work at this time. Take advantage of this to be with family and friends. Create your own family traditions or celebrate according to the already established ones.
6. 6 Invite your friends and family to celebrate the New Year together. If you want to separate the costs and the amount of work, invite each guest to bring a ready-made dish. The most important thing is to get together with the people you love and make the severe winter frosts a little warmer, warming each other with your care. Think about whether to cook a traditional New Year's dinner, or try an unusual menu, or go out of town together, or go to a restaurant. If you do not have time to get everything together on December 31st or someone has other plans, do not be discouraged: you still have a whole week ahead.
7. 7 Go caroling. Strictly speaking, the time for carols will come at Christmas and will last until Epiphany.But if you want to do this on New Years and congratulate your friends or neighbors in this way, why not? Practice a few holiday songs and sing them. It will be fun even if you don't have a special ear - you don't have to sing alone! You can also sing during the New Year's feast, and if you don't feel like it, just turn on the appropriate music during a gala dinner or at the moment of opening gifts.
   • If you are going to go to congratulate friends or neighbors, you can dress up as Santa Claus and Snow Maiden and stock up on sweets or other symbolic gifts in advance.
8. 8 Watch New Year's movies. Have a movie night. Get together with family and friends to prepare a treat like mulled wine or cocoa with cookies. Include a New Year's or Christmas movie: "The Wizards", "Carnival Night", "Irony of Fate", "Frost", "Home Alone", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" or any other.
9. 9 Do a good deed. This best suits the New Year's spirit: share joy, kindness, beauty and love with others, at least during the holidays. You may enjoy volunteering at a homeless shelter or participating in charity events to collect toys, books, clothing, or food for those who are disadvantaged.
10. 10 Prepare gifts in beautiful holiday packaging. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on them - small symbolic presents are enough. Some families have a pleasant tradition of exchanging gifts to show their affection for one another. You can buy gifts or make them yourself, and on the Internet you will find a lot of ideas on how to pack them beautifully.
    • After midnight or in the morning of January 1, gather the whole family around the tree and exchange gifts, or put all the gifts under the tree on the 31st, as if Santa Claus brought them (especially if the family has children).
11. 11 Don't forget about outdoor activities. Get out into the woods or parks, go to the ice rink, or just play with the kids in the yard. If you're lucky with the weather, go sledding or make a snowman. If there is no snow, dress warmly and walk together. It's always great to get out of the house and get some fresh air.
    • If you live in the south or celebrate the New Year in hot countries, then the weather on holidays is usually warm. Thanks to this, you have a great opportunity to walk, play in the fresh air, admire nature, and perhaps even swim, sunbathe or have a picnic. Don't forget sunscreen and a hat!
12. 12 Treat with understanding those who do not like the New Year. If someone says “Let's cancel the holidays” or makes such negative comments, just say something disarming, for example: “It's a pity that you are not celebrating the New Year, but come to us anyway, if, of course, you have you have no other plans. " Be kind and understand that there may be reasons for the person not to like the holidays. Perhaps he is going through difficult times right now; You can gently ask if he is okay, but if the person does not want to share his problems, do not insist.
    • No one is immune from the sad mood during the holidays. Troubles and troubles do not know what a vacation is. People may have relationship problems, family problems, work or school problems, financial difficulties, or large debts. There are even more sad reasons, for example, a serious illness or the death of a loved one. Sometimes a person can simply be exhausted by the pre-holiday chores, endless cleaning and shopping. Children and adolescents are especially sensitive to stress. If you are close enough with the person and you know that certain things related to the New Year can make them very upset or angry, try to avoid them. Put yourself in his shoes: you also don't want to be forced to have fun with force.
    • If you or your loved ones are tired of some family or friendly tradition, you can change it or even cancel it. Discuss, negotiate, compromise. Perhaps your traditions and habits are outdated and do not please you, as in the old days, which means that it is time to bring a fresh stream to the holidays.
    • If a person does not want to celebrate the New Year and have fun in the company, perhaps he still does not mind somehow celebrating the holidays - for example, having tea with you one-on-one or going to church on Christmas.

Method 2 of 4: Christmas and Religious Traditions

1. 1 Think about the meaning of Christmas. If you feel like you have gaps in your knowledge on this topic, read the Bible. The first and second chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are devoted to Christmas. If you wish, you can read them out loud during a family holiday and discuss your impressions with your family.
   • Talk to your children about the meaning of Christmas. Tell them how Christ was born. Find beautiful illustrations to keep the kids interested and try not to bore them with too long a conversation.
   • Since the biblical text is difficult for young children, they can read a children's Bible or children's books that retell the story of Christmas.
   • You can also reflect the atmosphere of Christmas in the New Year's decor. Hang angel figurines on the tree and crown it with the star of Bethlehem.
2. 2 Celebrate however you see fit. For some, the most important event of the holiday is to attend the Christmas service in the church, while others prefer to quietly pray at home. Whichever option you choose, it is important for Christians on this day to turn to God with their souls and thoughts.
3. 3 Create activities that you and your loved ones enjoy while still reflecting the Christmas spirit. You can cook treats for the poor and needy, visit a lonely person, or visit a friend in the hospital. Doing a good deed is a great way to spend Christmas.
4. 4 Celebrate with others. Gather around the table with family and friends and spend time with people who share your faith. If suddenly people of other confessions, other religions or non-believers find themselves in the company, do not quarrel: Christmas is a time of peace and harmony, and not a reason to prove your case at all costs.
5. 5 Give it to others. Take the time to give to others, whether it's people you are close to or just less fortunate in life. If it is customary in your family to exchange gifts at Christmas, remember that we are doing this in memory of the gifts of the Magi to the Christ Child. At the same time, "giving" is not only and not so much about the material. By giving to others, we remind ourselves that the Lord has given us through the Savior. Kindness, caring, love, mercy - these are the main gifts of Christmas.
6. 6 Spend time in peace, be filled with gratitude for the coming of the Savior to our world, in honor of which we now celebrate Christmas. On this day, Christians celebrate receiving the greatest gift in the history of mankind. Filling your heart with gratitude is vital during the Christmas season if you truly want to let Christ into it.
7. 7 Make a nativity scene. If you have children, you can create with them a composition depicting a scene of Christmas and the worship of shepherds and / or magi. Use ready-made figures of characters or make them in any technique in which you know how - they can be wooden, cardboard, even knitted.
   • Before the revolution, nativity scenes were popular in Russia: Christmas scenes were played out in a two-tiered box with the help of puppets. If you wish, you can also prepare your own puppet show or simply act out the scenes by roles, voicing the toy characters.

Method 3 of 4: New Years with Children

1. 1 Dedicate your children to family traditions. Whichever country you live in, introduce your children to family traditions at an early age.For them, New Year's holidays are always magic and magic.
2. 2 Tell the children about New Year and Christmas stories. You can tell them before bed, read books to the children, or watch movies with them. It is a good idea to buy a book about the traditions of celebrating Christmas and New Years around the world. This way you will introduce children to the cultural traditions of other countries.
3. 3 Help the children to believe in Santa Claus (if they are not so big that they have already stopped believing in him). Explain to them who Santa Claus and Snow Maiden are, where they live. To make children really start to believe, put gifts under the tree secretly until they can see. If children receive gifts at night, and not in the morning of January 1, at the time of their mysterious appearance under the tree, you can briefly open a window or window, as if the gifts had entered the house from the street.
   • Decide for yourself whether it is worth inviting Santa Claus and Snow Maiden to congratulate the child. Very young children can get scared.
4. 4 Decorate your Christmas cookies. Bake shortbread or gingerbread cookies and decorate with the kids. Kids will love turning regular cookies into colorful and delicious pieces of art. To do this, you need glaze and colored sprinkles. If you are ready for some real feats, try building a gingerbread house.
5. 5 Decorate the tree with your children. Once you've brought the tree into your home and set it up, get your whole family together to hang the garlands and decorations. If the children are young, give them a boost so that they can participate too. For babies, it is worth buying a special set of shatterproof toys, for example, wooden or felt.
6. 6 Buy or make a stocking or boot for gifts if desired. Santa Claus usually leaves gifts right under the tree, but if you like the Western tradition of stockings over the fireplace, you can adopt it. Think about where you will hang or put your stockings in the absence of a fireplace. You can leave them under the tree, or you can, say, put them on the windowsill.

Method 4 of 4: Consumer-Free Holidays

1. 1 Create family rituals and gift-giving traditions. Traditions should be in keeping with the spirit of the holidays and involve all family members. Perhaps it will be a joint trip to church on Christmas, or joint preparation of New Year's dinner, or even writing heartfelt letters to each other with a story about how the support and kindness of your family helped you in the past year. Whatever your family tradition, pay special attention to the care and joy of spending time together. Never try to compete with the best gift.
2. 2 Avoid spend money, which you already do not have. Don't go into debt just for the sake of the holiday. You don't have to buy an expensive gift. You can make a gift with your own hands: many people think that such a gift is even better, as it expresses attention and care for the recipient. Give what you can afford - believe me, the gifted person will understand, and you will set a great example of how to avoid the pre-holiday shopping rush.
   • A few gift ideas: bookmarks for books, framed family photos taken throughout the year, homemade cookies or jam. You can give a set for making cookies: flour, sugar, decorative sprinkles and several molds, packed in a beautiful bag, as well as a cooking recipe attached to a ribbon, which says what else needs to be added (butter, eggs, or something else). More ideas can be found here or on other sites.
3. 3 Learn some New Year's songs. There are wonderful songs that you can sing together - and if any of your friends or family can play guitar or piano, that's great. If so, ask them to play and sing along to the accompaniment. If you don’t know such songs, you can easily find them on the Internet.
4. 4 Make your ads quieter! Seriously, make sure that all those "buy this, buy this for the New Year" (and even more so - "take a loan for New Year's gifts") disappeared from your home. We live in a consumer society, but there is no need for the TV to shout about this on the eve of the holiday. Turn down the sound during commercial breaks and teach children to do this, or simply record your favorite shows and watch them, skipping ads, or find them on the Internet (again, without ads). Thanks to this, you can enjoy a calm evening without annoying reminders that it is time for you to go to the store, or even to the bank.
   • In no case do not succumb to the influence of consumer culture, which imposes that countless spending and a pile of purchases are a must-have attribute of the New Year. It's not like that at all.

Tips

• Remember that on New Year's Eve you do not need to have a bunch of gifts, admire the snow-covered landscapes or sing holiday songs. The very fact of celebration and the presence of the appropriate mood is necessary. Everything else is just a bonus.
• In some families, especially in Germany or with German roots, a toy in the form of a glass pickled cucumber is hung on the Christmas tree. The first one who finds it receives a special gift, as the most persistent, or gets the opportunity to be the first to open gifts. Traditionally, this toy is hung last.
• If you suddenly meet people who claim that you should limit yourself to the New Year and have no right to celebrate Christmas because you are not a believer, then simply avoid this topic in conversation with them, or remind everyone that at home everyone can do what considers it necessary.
• Remember that for some, Christmas can be a real challenge, especially if someone close to them is sick, there are intra-family conflicts, or even a relative has died. Do your best to help these people feel comfortable, give them a little warmth.
• Always celebrate the New Year with family and friends. Invite them to your home, have fun cooking holiday cookies together, and if you are far from each other, there is always the Internet, with which you can send each other photos and make group video calls.

Warnings

• Not worth preaching. While you may have your own religious beliefs, you also need to respect the views of others. Just enjoy the festive mood and give it to everyone around you.