My Favorite Holiday Tradition: The December Game

I absolutely love the holiday season, and all the traditions that come with it. Baking cookies, singing carols, lighting the advent wreath - I love it all. And, while I have never been a big fan of change, I have learned to embrace new traditions and even enjoyed evolving old ones over time.

A few years ago, my dear friend Sarah (check out her amazing holiday goodies: LolaBeth) introduced us to a new tradition - and it’s one of my favorites yet. We call it The December Game, and this is how it goes:

Grab Your Calendar - Or, Create One!

In past years, I have drawn a special calendar, just for this game. This year, I’m keeping it simple and using my existing calendar - mostly because I just love the look of this one. If you are going to draw one, I recommend making it as festive and colorful as you can - just make sure that every day is numbered with the date, and whichever core holidays you celebrate are included!

Add Your Favorite Traditions

The next step is to write in the traditions that you love, that need to take place on a specific date. For us, this includes things like: going to the New England Botanical Garden’s Night Lights, all of the parties (this year includes hosting our family party, joining our neighborhood one, and starting our first annual cookie decorating party for the kids!), and meeting Santa at our local library. We’re sure to also include anything that needs a lot of prep, like decorating Christmas Cookies or wrapping gifts, or things like work trips (I’ll be in NYC for a few days this month).

The “Fun” Part

Now, it’s time to create your “Fun December” evenings. We try to hold as many as possible - during peak pandemic, most nights were completely open, so we had a lot. This year, we’re aiming for at least two per week. On your calendar, mark them as “Surprise!” so you don’t overbook. What happens each evening is…a surprise! Since our kids are still little, our focus is on activities for just my husband and I. You can absolutely do this solo or for the full family. There is no right or wrong - the goal is to have fun! Here’s how it goes:

• Depending on the number of slots you have, you’ll each write fun activities onto a small piece of paper - think raffle ticket size. We don’t share our activities with each other - so there is always an extra element of surprise. We typically add 1-2 extra “tickets” each, in case we write the same one. Some of my favorites from past years are:

  • Order Chinese + Watch Hamilton

  • Watch Elf

  • Light a Fire + Open a Bottle of Red

  • Play a board game

  • Make (dairy-free) hot chocolate + do a puzzle

• Once you have your tickets ready, put them in a jar! Then, each evening you’ll select one. We typically choose one right at 5pm - that way, if learn that we’ll be ordering takeout or cooking something together, we can plan the kids evening accordingly. Then, as soon as they kids are in bed - it’s time to do that evening’s surprise!

The Most Important Thing

The most important part of this tradition - or any - is to do what works for you. We love this, as well as the many other traditions we have throughout the season (and the year!). I would love to hear what YOU love to do - and if you play the December Game - drop your “ticket” ideas into the comments - I would LOVE to hear them!