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The Importance of Christmas Traditions

  • 1 minute read

'Tis the season to be jolly! And what is merrier than celebrating Christmas with your loved ones?

The Christmas season is typically one of traditions—whether rooted in religious, cultural, multi-generational, or simply within your own home. Just the mere thought of these traditions can evoke a sense of comfort and warmth. It's no surprise, really; as humans, we thrive on structure, routines, and rituals. Research has shown that a lack of routine can contribute to anxiety, stress, and poor sleep. On the flip side, traditions, especially during Christmas, play a vital role in fortifying familial and cultural bonds, fostering a deep sense of belonging.

As you think about creating new traditions with your child, keep in mind that they don’t need to be elaborate; even simple acts like watching the same movie or baking cookies together every year can create a magical bond that transcends time, something you and your child can look forward to over and over again.

Now, let's "unwrap" and share some of our favourite Christmas traditions!

  • Photo of Diane Hurford sitting in red chair smiling at camera

    Now the kids are older (20 and 21), we each look through our phones for the top 15 or so photos we took throughout the year. Then we get together one evening in the week before Christmas and go through the photos together, through our TV.  It’s a great way to look back on the year and remember those occasions, people and places that created special memories. 

    - Diane, Founder and CEO

  • We are a family of four, and every year, we don the same Santa-motiffed shirt for the day.

    - Glenn, Director

  • Christmas for us is a typical Kiwi Christmas, where we have a big BBQ late lunch, which is usually very informal. There is always too much food, so there is plenty of leftovers to see us through Boxing Day.

    - Lisa, Accounts

  • The night before Christmas each year, before we all go to sleep, my dad plays an old Christmas CD with classic Christmas songs at full blast in the living room. My other favourite tradition we do is a big breakfast Christmas morning, with pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, and spaghetti that we get to all feast on!

    - Ariana, Marketing

  • My husband absolutely loves pecan pie, so I make sure we have it every year. My son is still quite young and doesn't understand Christmas yet, but I am excited for him to get older so that we can create our own family traditions! As transplants from the Northern Hemisphere, they'll most likely include time outside and BBQ!- Maude, Marketing

  • Our family take turns hosting each year. We have a roast for lunch, followed by opening Christmas presents and then we play games, usually in teams. A lot of fun and the children get to join in. Anyone we know that will spend the holiday alone receives an invite. This year there will be 30 people at Christmas.

    - Michelle, Customer Service

  • I am Hungarian, and our main celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. We gather together for a festive dinner with several courses, starting with a Fisherman's soup, that is, you guessed it, made of freshwater fish. Then, a stew of fermented cabbage leaves stuffed with pork mince AND THEN, various deep fried and roasted meats with side dishes. At the end of the dinner comes the Beigli, a poppy seed/walnut roll.

    - Attila, Warehouse

  • Each year, a few weeks before Christmas and whilst listening to some Christmas music, our family of 4 decorate our fresh-cut Christmas tree. Then, we host our extended family for a get-together on Christmas Eve with some good food, good wine and good company!

    - Danny, Logistics

  • My favourite Christmas tradition is eating home cooked ham rolls with the family on Christmas Eve.

    - Alison, Administration