7 New Holiday Traditions That Can Make the End of the Year Even Sweeter

The holiday season can be full of holiday traditions and festivities, but that doesn't mean you have to do the same old things year after year.

Christmas really is the perfect time to explore mixing the old with the new, including building on classic celebrations with a twist that makes them more fun and fresh for everyone involved. If you're eager to spice up the winter with some new traditions, look no further than the seven playful ideas below.

Arrange a Cookie Exchange

Sure, White Elephant and Secret Santa gift exchanges with friends can be fun, but they can just as often end in hurt feelings and disappointment. Instead, something that's sure to put a smile on everyone's faces is a cookie exchange. We suggest grouping up and having everyone on the guest list make a batch of their favorite holiday cookies for you all to divide up and swap, so you all go home with a variety of sweet treats. With a bit of teamwork, you can ensure there aren't any repeats and that you get to try cookies from different eras and cultures—and that everyone's preferences and intolerances are accounted for.

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Throw an Ornament-Specific Secret Santa

We've found that narrowing down Secret Santa exchanges can relieve a lot of the stress associated with them and ornament exchanges are an especially low-stakes yet entertaining approach to gifting. These days, there are so many cute ornament options out there, making it easy to find something that'll remind you of the recipient, whether it represents their fandom, favorite food or just an aesthetic that suits them well—or you can make something by hand, just for them. Plus, after a few years of ornament exchanges, you'll have a tree full of pieces personally hand-picked for you.

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Also read about: 7 Overdone Holiday Gifts We Actually Love Receiving Every Year

 

DIY an Advent Calendar

Pre-made advent calendars can be plenty of surprises, offering the discovery of a new sweet treat, themed knickknack or beauty goodie leading up every day until Christmas, but they can also feel a bit impersonal. On the other hand, advent calendars you make from scratch for loved ones are impactful gifts that keep on giving. Whether you choose to incorporate 12, 24 or 25 tiny gifts (or somewhere in between), you just need to label your bags or drawers for each day and fill each one with something that's sure to light up their face as they count down to the holiday.

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Visit a New Holiday Market

While some malls get completely decked out for the holiday season, offering plenty of festive spirit, they often pale in comparison to special holiday markets that pop up specifically for the season. Indoor markets can be cute and cozy, while outdoor ones let you bundle up and sip on hot holiday drinks as you browse. It's also a great opportunity to discover truly unique gifts while supporting local artists and craftspeople. If you don't have a local holiday market, it may be work a long drive to locate one in another city, or even try to shop at a different one every year to really mix things up.

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Celebrate Christmas Eve, Too

In various cultures, Christmas Eve is celebrated just as proudly as Christmas, with families gathering in the evening to share big meals and open presents early. It's an awesome opportunity to enjoy good food and one another's company, with festivities such as party games and karaoke thrown in for good measure, and if you're not keen on everyone opening all of their presents, you can create a tradition around each person opening a single gift the night before Christmas.  It's also a great option for people who have to split Christmas between their parents or different families, ensuring that no one misses out on the festive fun.

 

Also read about: 5 Creative Ways to Package Your Holiday Gifts

 

Or, Do the 12 Days of Christmas

If you love Christmas too much to let go of it after Dec. 25, you can always celebrate the 12 days of Christmas instead. While the song of the same name tells a story of increasingly extravagant gifts (including a truly absurd number of birds), you can forgo gifting entirely and focus on spending time with loved ones in the days between Dec. 25 and Jan. 5. One great way to celebrate is with a holiday movie marathon over the course of 12 nights. Maybe you want to focus on cheesy holiday rom-coms, or go in a different direction with festive horror flicks. We won't judge!

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Pay the Holiday Spirit Forward

Feel like you've got too much holiday spirit to keep all to yourself?
Celebrate by giving back this year, whether you spend some time volunteering at food banks, shelters or local hospitals. If you're in a gifting mood, you can also participate in Operation Santa through the U.S. Postal Service, adopting a letter to Santa and making someone's holiday by fulfilling their wish list. It can add a lot of brightness to a stranger's holiday, and it can feel really good to pay it forward.

 

Tend to procrastinate during the holidays? Click HERE to discover some truths we think you'll relate to.