Holiday Traditions to Try at Our Retirement Living Communities

Check out some of our favorite new holiday traditions!

At Sunshine Retirement Living, our memory care, transitional assisted living, and independent living communities all love the holiday season! From the music to the food, the family and friends to the wonderful tradition of it all, there’s truly something that brings a hint of magic to everyone. This holiday season, we want to encourage you to implement a little more joy into your holiday season by incorporating some new holiday traditions. From brand-new traditions to some unusual ideas inspired by places around the world, check out our suggestions below!

Holiday Cards

One of our favorite suggestions is writing holiday cards with your loved one for children in children’s hospitals who might not get to go home for the holidays. Bring a stack of holiday cards, some great pens, and get to writing sweet wishes for the holidays for the kids. Not only will it put a smile on the children’s faces, but it’s sure to make you and your loved one smile as well!

Gratitude Tree

A heartwarming tradition you can incorporate is a reminder to all to express gratitude on a daily basis. A gratitude tree is the perfect craft for your next holiday event! Using a sturdy vase, arrange some branches (whether faux or collected from outside) and set it out in an easily accessible area. Provide some cut construction paper in the shape of tree leaves, markers, and even cute holiday stickers, and place them next to the vase with instructions. Encourage each guest to write at least one thing they are thankful for on the construction paper and then hang them on the tree. At the end of your gathering, your barren tree branches will be full of gratitude leaves, and your hearts will be full and warm!

Hygge Night

Hygge is the Danish art of being cozy, gracious, and relishing in the simple things. Take some time this winter holiday season to bring the hygge home and into your life! Have a hygge-themed party with your loved ones serving hot chocolate, mulled cider, warm cake loaves or other cozy treats. Decorate your home with snuggly blankets, twinkle lights, battery-operated candles, and dim the lights. Encourage friends to bring a board game, a book, or a few stories, and have an unplugged evening of laughter, friendship, coziness, and joy.

Explore World Cuisine

So many of us have a traditional meal we eat during the holidays, which may come from our ancestral heritage, and we think the holiday season is an excellent time to learn about a tradition from another country! Pick a region you don’t know a ton about and do a little research to find their traditional holiday meal, and get cooking! Perhaps you’ve always wanted to try making a Buche de Noel like the French, or latkes from Israel, or even saffron buns from Sweden! Now is your chance to experience cuisines from around the world. If you’re feeling a little ambitious, create your own Feast of the Seven Fishes, or Tangyuan–a traditional Chinese dish popular during the Winter Solstice. Celebrating and learning together is always a great idea!

This holiday season, have a little fun with tradition and add in one or two of these ideas. You never know what will wind up becoming an annual tradition in your home!

If you are interested in learning more about our holiday traditions at Sunshine Retirement Living, please give our friendly team a call!