{"id":1816,"date":"2022-12-27T08:32:11","date_gmt":"2022-12-27T15:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/?p=1816"},"modified":"2024-08-31T11:57:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-31T17:57:32","slug":"your-best-holidays-ever-week-5-and-seeking-a-more-meaningful-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/your-best-holidays-ever-week-5-and-seeking-a-more-meaningful-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Ways to Have a More Meaningful Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you longing to have a more meaningful Christmas<\/strong>? Perhaps you hope to help your children, grandchildren and the other young people in your life share special family traditions during the holiday season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might decide to cut down your own tree (Christmas Vacation<\/em>-style!) or serve those less fortunate at a soup kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out these ideas for meaningful Christmas activities, and you might make some new family memories and have a wonderful time, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some of our readers have shared how they enjoy meaningful time during the holidays with less emphasis on the commercial aspects. They’re enjoying simple Christmas<\/a> celebrations and more time with friends and loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’ve been looking for ways to make Christmas exciting and magical for my children without making it chaotic and stressful for me,” wrote our reader Kelly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kids<\/a>
Photo: Tammra McCauley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Annie plans to buy ten $10 gasoline gift cards and pass them out randomly. She’s going to send some money to pay for someone’s heating bill, and she hopes to take a carriage ride in the city or go ice skating with her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Di from Copenhagen, Denmark plans to take time to listen to Christmas music, drink hot chocolate and tell her kids what Christmas is all about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marie plans to spend more time for family and friends, take a relaxing soak in a hot spring, make homemade Christmas decorations and stop in a tea shop for a hot drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some more ideas about how to celebrate Christmas in a more meaningful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15 Ways to Have More Meaningful Holidays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Give a Gift with Purpose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have people on your list who seem to have everything for whom you still feel inclined to give a gift, consider giving to an organization like Heifer International<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can choose wonderful gifts that will help other people, from a flock of ducks or a goat to an irrigation pump that will provide clean water. If you order early, Heifer will send you a beautiful card that you can give your recipient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Christmas<\/a>
Photo: Herry Lawford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Sing Christmas Carols<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Get together with some of your neighbors and go caroling. This nostalgic Christmas<\/a> ritual doesn’t need to be complicated – just print out Christmas carol lyrics<\/a>, announce a meeting place and go for an hour or two. Don’t forget the hot chocolate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Pay a Visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Talk to your nearest assisted living or nursing home facility, and find out if there is a resident who does not have regular visitors who could use a little cheering up. Visit someone who’s feeling lonely at the holidays, and simply give the gift of yourself. If you can bring your kids along, all the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Practice Gratitude<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I get caught up in the busyness of the season, writing in a gratitude journal<\/a> always helps me refocus on all the good around me. You could also have a family activity where you share three things for which you’re grateful each evening during the holidays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Spread Holiday Cheer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make an effort to simply smile as much as possible during the holidays. Joy and smiles are contagious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Snow<\/a>
Photo: Dendroica Cerulea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

6. Give a Christmas Present to the Animals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Put some birdseed out for the birds, or go to your local shelter and pet the older cats for an hour. Make a donation to the Dumb Friends League or Humane Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Make a Spontaneous Donation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Put a bill or two in the red Salvation Army pot on a chilly day, and thank the bell-ringer for his or her service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Start Your Day with Peace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Read a Christmas devotional during the holiday season, or begin your day with a prayer or meditation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Make a Joyful Noise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some families gather around the piano, sing one Christmas carol each night during the holiday season and explore the origin of the carol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Give an Anonymous Gift to Someone in Need <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My sister and parents have an annual tradition of making a gift basket for a family that has fallen on hard times. They have some hilarious stories of trying to be stealth in delivering the baskets and trying to sneak off without being discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Helping<\/a>
Photo: Daquella Manera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

11. Do Something Kind for a Homeless Person<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Give a warm pair of socks, a hat, a little cash or something yummy to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Get Everyone Involved<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Have each family member choose one activity during the holidays, so that each person has some personal involvement in your family’s celebration. You might just start some new family traditions! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Unplug and Read<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Put the devices away and read a favorite Christmas story together, like The Night Before Christmas<\/em> or the nativity story from the Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Enjoy a Holiday Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Take in a play at your local community theater, or go hear a performance of Handel’s Messiah. If you’re a singer, join along!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. Talk to Store Clerks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve ever worked a retail job during the holiday season, you know it can be very challenging. Ask employees how they’re doing, and give them extra grace when stores are busy and lines are long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Simple<\/a>
Photo: Little Blue Hen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Christmas Blessing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’ll end this series with an old Irish Christmas blessing. Here’s what I hope for you and yours this holiday season:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The light of the Christmas star,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The warmth of home and hearth,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cheer and good will of friends,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hope of a childlike heart,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The joy of a thousand angels,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The love of the Son and God’s peace to you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you<\/em> add more meaning to the season? Drop a comment about your traditions and ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s to a simpler Christmas<\/a> and your most relaxed, peaceful, meaningful and enjoyable holiday ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save for Later<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you use Pinterest to save and share ideas, here’s a handy pin: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"1","last_modified_date":"2024-08-31T11:57:32","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holidays","category-simple-living","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"yoast_head":"\n15 Ways to Have a More Meaningful Christmas - Happy Simple Living<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"15 ways to create meaningful Christmas traditions and memories with your family and friends during the holiday season.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/your-best-holidays-ever-week-5-and-seeking-a-more-meaningful-christmas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"15 Ways to Have a More Meaningful Christmas - 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