❄️ Holiday Traditions | Badge of the Month | December 2022

I like to create an Advent Calendar every year so we can count down the days from December 1st through 25th. I started this tradition in 2020 and have continued it every year since. The first year I had different things written on pieces of paper folded in origami shapes--each day was something different! Some days it was a small gift (like stickers), some days it was a new recipe to try (like golden milk eggnog), and some days it was a task to accomplish (like decorating the tree). In 2021 the calendar was focused on "getting in the Christmas spirit" and had a different question to answer each day. The questions were things like: What's your favorite and least favorite Christmas carol, what is a Christmas memory that involves an animal, and what's the most memorable Christmas gift you've ever given. This year each day is a photo challenge--you have a color and an adjective and have to take a picture of something fitting that description. The pictures are placed together in a grid and at the end all the photos will come together to create one large mosaic picture. Who knows what I'll come up with for next year! I'm thinking a scavenger hunt of some sort...

As part of the holiday tradition, I like to watch how the stores are decorated with shiny lights and tall Christmas trees that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling. The one tradition that I admire the most while staying away from family is meeting all your near and dear ones.

Christmas trees are THE most treasured tradition that I do every year. We always have a "star-of-the-show" tree adorned with family and heirloom ornaments -- it's scrappy, but full of love and memories. Both of my children now have their own 5' trees in their rooms that they decorate (and re-decorate lol). I love catching sight of a sparkling tree as I walk by a room!

My favourite Finnish celebration has been the Independence day. It is celebrated on December 6th (another one was just yesterday).
Traditional way of celebrating includes:
Lighting 2 white and blue (in colours of the national flag) candles in the window in the evening. They symbolise home and fatherland.
Watching the Unknown Soldier movie
Watching the Presidential Independence day Reception "Linnan juhlat" (and surely gossiping who wore what )

Jaarlijks kook ik voor mijn studentenjaarclub en hun aanhang en maak een heerlijke kerstmenu.

My dad is great at keeping with the holiday spirit. He's a really active member in the business community in my hometown, and every year they rents out a large theater. Next, they find families who might be struggling financially during the holidays and invite them to a free movie with a visit from Santa. My dad wires Santa up with a microphone, and while the movie plays, everyone runs around town buying anything the kids wished Santa for. When the movie ends, the viewers emerge to find a huge pile of presents addressed to them!

As I've gotten older and families have blended and spread out it has been harder to have too many Christmas traditions. With a split household, we never consistently have the children for any holidays - only if they fall on our "days." And then sometimes we give them up for most of the day if they want to spend it at church with their grandparents (a different religion than I grew up in). But one thing that I can always do is my Advent Calendar. It comes out every year and was made by my grandmother. She hand sewed the whole thing. I sent her a picture Dec 1 this year and it "made her day" to know I was thinking about her and still using the calendar she made me as a baby.

I love the Dec holiday shutdown tradition my company has adhered to for quite some time . We ( the whole company globally ( 22+K strong) except essential to keep the lights ) get a full week off (sometimes more depending on the day Christmas falls). It's so refreshing to not stress about the number of emails or requests in your inbox while away since almost everyone is away, so no one is emailing anyone for anything. Most employees come back from the break refreshed and ready to tackle the new FY23 challenges present and coming .

Hello!
In India, we celebrate Diwali and people do wait for it whole year.
A lot of traditions like shopping , making Rangolis, meeting your neighbors and relatives whom you have not met for a long time as you are living out of town, eating a lot of SWEETS!!! and yes eagerly looking out for different dishes that going to be served as we hop from one house to another. I also do admire the Christmas time here, as we see beautiful decorations on shops, malls and i have this tradition from last 2 years that i watch every new Christmas movie on Netflix in Dec. I am obsessed about this and my family keep sending me recommendations if i have missed any movie. Just completed Scrooge and 48 Christmas wishes this week.

I just love to spend this time around with my Family and Friends. We plan a dinner on the Christmas Eve with some desserts and gifts. We also have some fun games and Carol singing at our offices.
Overall a great week before we start with the New Year.

The holy month of Ramadan alternates between fasting and feasting. 30 days when the worlds best foods brought to the table. We really look forward to exchanging our food with neighbors, to multiply our table-spread, as also share our bounties with the poor and needy. To top it off, we have the Eid day to signify end of the month. What an amazing season!

https://community.qualtrics.com/XMcommunity/discussion/comment/52974#Comment_52974wow. this is a beautiful tradition.