Holiday Traditions & Decorations

As you're decorating your home for the holiday season, chances are you'll come across some decor that holds special meaning for you and your loved ones. Associating holiday decorations with certain traditions will make adorning your home for this time of year especially meaningful.

Function

• Holiday decorations can remind you and your loved ones of traditions that may have been started generations ago. For instance, you and your children can decorate the Christmas tree with strings of popcorn or candy -- an activity you may recall doing with your parents as a child. Or, you can allow the youngest child in the family to place the star or angel figurine on top of the Christmas tree -- a decoration that serves as the final and most significant tree ornament in some families.

Benefits

• One of the most rewarding parts of the holidays is to connect with family members and recall the traditions that make this time of year so special. You can use elaborate decorations such as tree ornaments or candleholders engraved with the family name to decorate each year, or you can put up pictures that your kids made when they were younger as a family tradition that will give you fond memories of past Christmases.

Considerations

• It's a good idea to use holiday decorations to create some new traditions for your family this year. For instance, you can let each of your children pick out a Christmas ornament in their favorite color, or 'vote' on a different material to create the Christmas wreath in this year that will decorate the front door.