Combining Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas traditions, and the highly anticipated rituals that come every year.  Whether it was savoring the turkey at Christmas dinner or playing board games with cousins while stories are swamped, I cherish all of it.  As a newly married wife, the first few years of marriage meant navigating Christmas traditions from both sides of the family.  I always think back to that scene in Friends where each person begs Monica to make the potatoes a different way and in the end, dinner is ruined but they have tons of potato dishes left over.  As comical as the scene was, it shines a light on the reality of Christmas traditions.  How will you navigate the holidays?

Swap Stories

Take the time to reminisce and swap stories from Christmases past.  Share your family traditions that you love and ones that drove you nuts.  Decide which Christmas traditions you both want to keep and which ones need to go away or wait to do until later.  Keep in mind the potato incident from Friends and don’t overload yourself or your husband.

Ask for Help from Momma

One of the best things I did was asking my Mother – in – Law for family recipes.  We love good food on both sides of our family.  Favorite meals and treats make the holidays that much more special.  For Jason, one of his favorite treats is his moms pumpkin roll.  When we got married, I asked her to share her recipe as well as showing me how to make it.  It has become a favorite in our house.

Stand Firm in What You Decide

Making new traditions and combining family ones can sometimes be difficult when family dynamics are so diverse.  Decide between the two of you what your family will do and the things you will hold dear.  Ultimately, you have to do what is right and works for your family but don’t be afraid to try new things and add new traditions to your family history.

Newly Married Life Series | Birmingham Wedding Photographer