Create your own Christmas memories

There's something about Christmas that takes us back to our childhoods. We remember what we would have for our Christmas breakfast, the time we were allowed to open our gifts, what our parents liked to have as their tipple for the day and what movies we would watch all flopped on the couch as the day ended. Recreating these traditions is as important a part of Christmas as it is to create some memories for our own children.

When the time comes to finally have a Christmas that involves your own little family, it can feel safe and comforting to go back to those childhood memories and recreate the Christmas of our youth. But it can be just as exciting to bring in some new traditions that your children will remember as their own. 

To do this can be fraught with emotion. It can feel that you are taking something away from that special feeling your parents tried to create and you may feel that you are walking away from what was good about your childhood. But it is incredibly important to build your own Christmas, in your own image, to show that you really are an individual family unit. Besides, this means you can pick and choose the best bits, do away with the bad bits and have the perfect day.

So how do you decide on the best new family traditions for your family, which ones to keep and which ones to discard. As times goes on you will fall into certain patterns, but the following tips might help you to build a Christmas that will ensure happy memories for you and for your entire family.

• Make sure the tradition means something real. Maybe you always used your Great Aunt's gravy boat at Christmas as a child – but the reason why has been lost and you really don't like it anyway. Your traditions need to be particular to your family and to have real significance.
• Remember that you are now part of two families. You and your partner each bring the traditions from each others families and it is important to respect those. Talking about it is the first step. Think about how the day will go and those things that are really important to you. Find compromises and replace those on the list that won't work for either of you.
• Use new Christmas traditions as a way to heal old wounds. Not everyone has good memories, so Christmas can be upsetting for them. It is the perfect opportunity to build new memories that are fun and will be passed on.
• Bear in mind that your kids will see the tradition as what they “always” do. Even as they get older they will still want their toast cut into soldiers and their favourite duck bowl for their pudding. Don't start a tradition that you are not willing to repeat year after year.
• Whatever you do, do it together. From the shopping, to the wrapping, to the cleaning up – this is a family event that everyone needs to feel a part of. Give out special jobs to members of the family and bring fun into the whole festive season. 

Looking forward to Christmas is about so much more than the gift giving. It is about memories created and memories shared. It is the time to remember those we have lost and to cherish those who are with us now. Christmas is just special – that's all.

Merry Christmas to you all from Azana Photo Frames!