The first day of the new year generally marks the end of the holiday season. It’s the last day many of us have away from work, and many schools require students back in class the following weekday to resume learning. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t an occasion to celebrate! On the contrary, there are plenty of ways to make New Year’s Day a special and memorable time in your home. An easy way to do this? Incorporate a few traditions into your family’s annual plans to participate in year after year.
If you’re looking for a few meaningful traditions to add to your family’s New Year’s Day plans, consider these:
Donate SomeThings You’ll No Longer Need
If you didn’t go through the process of donating clothes, toys, and other things your household doesn’t need before the holiday season began, start the year off with a clean(er) slate by getting rid of your excess stuff. Challenge everyone in your home, including your children, to come up with some things they can afford to give to someone who needs them more than they do – and help them understand how thankful someone else is going to be for their generosity.
Set Some Goals Together
Whether you want to call them New Year’s resolutions or something else, pick a few things to work toward to improve yourselves. You can kick a bad habit or reinforce a good one, strive to progress in your career or reach some other milestone or challenge yourself to focus on your priorities – whatever those may be. Setting goals as a family will allow you to keep one another accountable, helping to ensure you all make progress together.
Enjoy a Special Meal
In many households, where there’s a reason to celebrate, there’s a reason to feast! New Year’s Day is easily viewed as a day to indulge in a delicious meal. Serve up your family’s favorite dish, grill up something memorable, or see if your favorite restaurant is taking reservations. If you love to host, feel free to invite nearby family and friends over to join. As lovely as it is to catch up with everyone during the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it can be a bit more relaxing to spend time together once you’ve made it through them.
Take a Photo
If your family isn’t great about taking tons of pictures together, use the new year as a reminder to take an annual family portrait. Have fun with it by donning matching pajamas or take a serious approach with more formal, well-coordinated attire. You probably won’t have much luck booking a professional photographer on New Year’s Day, but that’s OK! Purchase a small tripod and a trigger, or try to master your camera’s self-timer function,
However you choose to spend New Year’s Day, it’s important to start your year off on the right foot by enjoying yourself and spending time with those you love. Incorporate one or two of these traditions into your family’s plans on January 1, or come up with your own traditions to celebrate together.