Newlyweds First Christmas…a few things to consider

As you anticipate your first holiday season as a married couple, you should consider a few things that will make the season a little easier on you and your spouse. Your traditions might be different from your spouses traditions – in fact, you can count on them being different, at least some anyway. Depending on how sentimental each person is, this can be a real challenge during the holiday season. If your spouse has been to her grandparents each year of her life on Christmas Eve, but your mother’s side can only get together on Christmas Eve, someone’s going to have to give. That process can be painful. The holiday season doesn’t have to be a divisive time, but here are some tips and issues to consider.

 

1. Try to be sensitive to your spouse’s traditions involving family celebrations and church services. It’s best to try and get on a schedule early in your marriage – i.e.: this year is at my parents and next year is at your parents. You can’t be at two places at once! Quality time at one place is better than trying to squeeze in two celebrations and feeling rushed, or having to travel long distances during the holidays from one celebration to another.
2. Holiday decorations can have a lot of meaning to people. In our home we alternate decorating styles from year to year. One year we decorate ala Pottery Barn, Martha Stewart, etc., and then the next year we decorate with all things sentimental and don’t care if things match or look pretty.
3. Carrying a lot of holiday decorating baggage can be a bad thing. Personalized Christmas stockings are a great example of an issue that can cause problems. If you both have old ratty stockings that Grandma made you but that look horrible together, it may be a great time to get new coordinating Personalized Christmas stockings. You’re building this new home together and sometimes you shouldn’t be afraid to start fresh.
4. When does Christmas morning actually start? In my home growing up we awoke at 7 AM and started tearing into gifts and eating all of the Christmas morning delicacies. Some people actually like to sleep in on holidays. Decide ahead of time when the festivities start.
5. You’re on your own now so make Christmas traditions together. It’s appropriate to hang onto old traditions that involve extended families, but you need to begin making new traditions as a new family. Don’t separate yourselves by any means but begin making new memories and traditions that can be passed on to your kids.