Family traditions look very different across cultures, religions, and even households. While some practice traditions throughout the year, many save them for the holiday season. 

75% of Americans surveyed agreed it’s important to adopt new holiday traditions. This shows that people see value in changing rituals as their families evolve. But what are some ways to approach creating simple, meaningful traditions? 

Use Common Interests to Brainstorm Family Activities

Thinking of activities your entire family will enjoy can feel like a guessing game. Luckily, new traditions don’t have to involve exploring new interests. Lean into what your family already enjoys. When everyone enjoys the activity, they’ll be excited about spending time together. When everyone looks forward to the tradition, it is more likely to last.

Are there pastimes your family enjoys but often does separately? These can transition into something you all do together. 

Ways to spend time together include: 

• Pick a new recipe for dinner or dessert and give everyone a part in making it
• Read aloud, or read separately and discuss afterward
• Agree on times to work on a puzzle together until it’s complete
• Find a TV series to watch together
• Go on family walks or bike rides

Sharing enjoyment of activities is a simple way to build stronger family connections.

Incorporate Family Traditions Naturally

Variety in ages, interests, and responsibilities often means family members have different schedules. This can make carving out special family time, even once a week, difficult.

While the holiday season can be stressful, many still make time for traditions. Several holiday activities, like baking or decorating, happen naturally—they aren’t scheduled. This approach can be applied intentionally to creating year-round traditions.

Natural activities that can be used intentionally to create family time include:

• Eating a family dinner at the table at least once a week
• Walking the dog together on the weekends
• Sharing the best part of everyone’s day at bedtime

It isn’t what your family does that gives new traditions meaning. It is committing to spending time together regularly and intentionally. 

Get Everyone Involved in Making Family Activities Happen 

Assign everyone a role in preparing for family time. Assigning roles makes the activity practical because everyone plays a part. This avoids one person from being responsible for making the tradition a success.

The more people contribute to something, the more meaningful it becomes to them. Each person will experience joy and pride seeing the tradition they helped with come to life.

After agreeing on an activity, brainstorm different tasks needed to make it happen. Even young ones can participate by completing simple tasks. You can even include some roles for two or more people to encourage working together. 

 Game night responsibilities could include:

• Picking the game
• Setting the game up
• Reading the instructions aloud
• Putting out snacks
• Putting the game away

Rotating responsibilities each time can help keep the tradition fresh. Select a different family member to pick which game to play, which dessert to make, or which book to read each time. This gives everyone a chance to make their voice heard and feel special.

Keep Family Time Consistent Yet Flexible

There’s no question that family traditions are established through consistency. Discuss a plan for the shared activity, such as how often to repeat it. This can also be helpful for building excitement around the new activity.

Writing down the agreed schedule on a shared calendar can be a helpful reminder for everyone. Yet, keep in mind that life happens. Conflicts, illnesses, vacations, or busy weeks may mean skipping the family tradition. 

Flexibility allows traditions to stay special instead of burdensome when something arises. Before implementing the tradition, take time to compare schedules. Write down the days of the week and times that everyone is usually available. Use this for determining when family time will occur and make-up dates.

Make Reflection a Part of Family Traditions

The family tradition doesn’t have to be over once everyone finishes dinner or the movie is over. Set aside time after the activity for related discussion. Choose a few different questions to ask each time to guide the conversation. These can be questions that create anticipation, provide insight, or celebrate the tradition.

Some fun questions that can guide your discussion include: 

• What was your favorite part? Why?
• Did you learn anything new about someone from today’s activity?
• What role would you like to have next time? Why?

Encourage serious discussion as well. Encouraging feedback and ideas can help in modifying traditions as your family evolves. Ask family members what they’d like to see change, or ideas for new ways to keep the tradition fresh.

Starting new family traditions doesn’t require perfection, hours of planning, or out-of-the-box creativity. It simply requires commitment and intention. Embrace what makes your family special to create traditions that leave lasting memories.