You have accessed a restricted section of the website. Please enter your username and password to continue.
Christmas traditions don’t have to be fancy or complicated. They just need to be meaningful, little rituals that your family can look forward to each year.
One of my favourite traditions began when I was young. Each year, we would head down to the back of our family farm to choose the perfect Christmas tree, one for our home and one for my Nan’s. We were all excited to decorate each tree with siblings and cousins.As life moved on and I became a mum, that tradition transformed. My own city kids didn’t get a farm experience, but they did get the tradition of selecting the “perfect” tree from a seller on the side of the road.
The tradition when I was young was to drive around our town looking at houses decorated with Christmas lights. Later this became walking up and down the amazing Franklin Rd with my own children admiring every house decorated, lit up, as well as listen to the corallers singing on the street.
When our children were young, we really tried to instil in them that Christmas is not just about receiving presents, but importantly, it’s about giving. Every year we baked small Christmas cakes and treats to deliver to friends, neighbours and teachers. We also took them shopping to choose gifts for children in need, supporting the shoebox appeal. Watching them pick out toys, colouring books, and treasures they thought another child would love was always a highlight of Christmas. It helped them understand the true spirit of generosity.
As with most celebrations, food plays an important role in Christmas traditions. For many families, there’s one special dish that simply has to be on the table. For some families it’s the one must-have dish that simply must be on the table. In my family, dessert became a full-blown sport. My siblings and I have an unspoken (and sometimes spoken) dessert competition each year, each of us trying to outdo the other. It makes for great variety and plenty of laughs. And of course, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the leg of lamb from Nurtured at Home!
Children don’t need elaborate traditions, just simple ones that create connection, joy, and great memories.
Meri Kirihimete
