Happy Holidays, friends! Last month, I wrote a blog on how to survive your first Thanksgiving as a married couple If this is also your first Christmas as a married couple, it must be such an exciting time! This time of year is already so full of magic, companionship, and love. If you live in my house, TONS of food too! To spend this wondrous holiday with your partner by your side just adds a whole new layer of joy.
In your own families, you probably grew up with certain traditions. Now, as a new family unit, it’s your time to establish your own Christmas traditions. For some traditions, you will probably adopt a few from each side of your families. For others, you can create your own unique Christmas traditions.
Check out these ideas for newlywed Christmas traditions and see which ones you’d be interested in adopting!
Send Out Christmas Cards.
If your house was like mine growing up, every year your parents’ fridge was covered in holiday greeting cards from extended family members and friends. Now that you’re married, it’s time to decide whether you want to participate in this tradition. After all, there’s no better time to start sending out a holiday greeting card than your first married Christmas together!
Pro tip: As a new married couple, it is appropriate to include one of your favorite wedding pictures on the card. This is a great idea for relatives who weren’t able to make it to the wedding!
Make Gingerbread Houses.
Decorating gingerbread houses have always been a fun and beloved Christmas activity. Put your creativity to the test and see who can make the best decorated gingerbread house! Additionally, this is an activity that can be carried on for years to come, especially as you start having kids.
Add New Ornaments Every Year.
As a way to document every year of marriage, you can create customized ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree every year. This can include a favorite picture or write down a fun memory that occurred during that calendar year. If creativity isn’t your thing, you could always buy a souvenir ornament from a vacation you made that year or an ornament to remind you of a special event that happened. My hubby and I have a kiwi bird ornament from our honeymoon in New Zealand a few years ago. We also have a door-shaped ornament with “2017” on it to commemorate when we became home owners last year.
Buy Christmas Pajamas.
Whether you’re naughty or nice, everyone deserves a new pair of jammies to sleep in on Christmas Eve. One of the best Christmas traditions for couples (that gets more fun when you have kids!) is getting new pajamas for each other and exchanging them the night before Christmas. To keep things exciting, switch up the theme of your pajamas every year. I mean, who doesn’t love onesies?!
Put Up a Christmas Tree.
During your first round of holidays as a married couple, you get to decide what day you want to put up your holiday decorations. Most people do it the day after Thanksgiving, but get together and decide what you want your tradition to be. Some things to consider when establishing Christmas tree decorations and traditions are:
Colored or white lights? Real or fake tree? Traditional or contemporary ornaments? Tree topper – star, angel, or bow? Tree skirt or not? Color scheme?
Whatever traditions you end up implementing, just remember that they’re YOURS. They are little special touches that you’ve come up with together to add some magic to your holidays. I hope you and your partner have a very merry first Christmas together!
Contact our office at 832-421-8714 if you have questions about our therapeutic services.