Years ago my sister and I started sister-weekend, a time to celebrate the holidays with each other. It has become a special weekend we look forward to each December. We begin planning the weekend during the hot summer months and then look forward to our special time all fall. It's a good tradition.
As life changes, so do our traditions, and as I think about the year ahead, I'm thinking about the good traditions to come including the following:
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
We gather with close family members to celebrate. Where we gather and what we do changes a bit each year, but the mainstay is that we gather together for a meal and gift exchange.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
Our tradition changes every year--for my husband and I this is typically a more intimate, quiet celebration.
Birthdays
Typically we celebrate birthdays we local explorations, shared meals, and small gifts.
Vacation
During the year we plan a few short vacations at beautiful local places. Sometimes these vacations are coupled with special birthdays, graduations, weddings, and other celebrations. Our vacations typically include lots of outdoor activities like biking, hiking, swimming, and more.
Family Reunions
We have a few family reunion traditions including a women's holiday party, beach meet-up, and mountain climb.
Anniversary
Our anniversary comes at a celebratory time of year so we are usually coupling our anniversary with other celebrations too.
Seasonal Traditions
Winter finds us watching movies, completing inside-house chores, hosting and attending dinner parties, and participating in outdoor adventures.
Spring always includes some local travel, gardening starts, and Easter celebrations.
Summer includes lots of beach trips and vacation.
Fall is a great time to hike, bike and prepare for the winter holidays.
A good year includes best possible health and happy times with friends and family. I'd like to a dd a few more traditions like sister-weekend, traditions that ensure we spend quality time with good friends and family, and traditions that find us contributing to the greater community in meaningful ways too. Onward.