Traditions Matter – Creating Unique Christmas Traditions

Whether it’s traveling around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, making cookie baskets for friends or snuggling up together to read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, the special moments that are created by Christmas traditions are what make this time of year so magical. And it’s these special moments with our family and loved ones that turn into Christmas memories we cherish for years to come.

In addition to carrying on the Christmas traditions that have been in your family for generations, it is also exciting to establish new holiday traditions. Below are some wonderful ideas for unique traditions that are sure to make this Christmas season especially bright for your family and loved ones.

Photo via Find Joy in the Journey Blog

The Happy Housewife blogger shares several of her family’s traditions that revolve around the Christmas tree. Her family cuts down their own Christmas tree each year and decorates it together. But what we thought was really neat was how her family always has a big slumber party under the tree!

Country music stars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have established several traditions with their three daughters that they all look forward to each year. First, they always put up the Christmas tree on their daughter Audrey’s birthday. Then on Christmas Eve, they all get to open one present – which is always new Christmas pajamas to wear to bed that night. Finally, they always make sure to put out food for Santa’s reindeer!

She Knows magazine lists several Christmas traditions from moms around the U.S. on their website. One mom’s story was quite heartwarming. Marcella’s family invites someone from the community that they know is in need to their home on Christmas Eve for a special meal, Christmas sweets and some holiday family fun.

Christmas presents are always the perfect opportunity for families to enjoy fun and exciting traditions. Forever Families, for example, suggests drawing names from a hat and then making each other handmade gifts. It’s always a fun surprise to see who-has-who and what they came up with as the perfect present!

Women’s Day magazine shares the story of one Fayetteville, AR, family who started a great tradition of sneakily spreading Christmas cheer throughout their whole town. In 1994, the family decided to secretly decorate a tree that they displayed in town as a special surprise for all the residents. Each year, the family continued to surprise everyone with this Christmas treat that eventually turned into a magnificent display as the tree grew from three feet to almost 30 feet in height. After the family’s children were grown, the community continued the tradition. Now each year, the tree is decorated by community members who remain a mystery!

Does your family have any unique Christmas traditions? Old or new, we would love to hear what traditions your family has for the holidays. Please leave a comment to share with us, or post it to the Hickory Farms Facebook page.

It’s Not Too Late! There’s Still Time to Order Quality Christmas Gift Baskets

With all of the holiday hustle and bustle, it’s easy for Christmas to sneak up on you. Fortunately there’s still time to order high quality gourmet food gifts from Hickory Farms!

Save your sanity by shopping online. You can avoid the crowds and have your selections shipped to friends and family in time for Christmas. Take a look at some of our best sellers, and be sure to head over to Hickory Farms to order your Christmas gift baskets in time for the holidays!

Award Winning Sausage and Cheese from Hickory Farms

Family Favorites

Show how much you care by sending this generous gourmet food gift. This selection comes with traditional favorites, including Beef Summer Sausage and Farmhouse Cheddar. It’s the perfect way to get a taste of all the classics!

Christmas gift baskets from Hickory Farms.

Award winning food gifts from Hickory Farms

Home for the Holidays Gift Box

You can’t go wrong with this hearty assortment of gourmet meats and cheeses, accompanied by our specialty mustards and crackers. In addition to the variety of gourmet cheeses and sausages, this gift is eligible for free military shipping!

Gift baskets for Christmas from Hickory Farms.

Gourmet food gifts from Hickory Farms

Grand Gift Snack Tower

Go all out and surprise your friends or family with this tower of treats! It really has something for everyone, adding delicious sweet gifts and gourmet nuts to an assortment of gourmet sausage and cheese.

Gourmet fruit gift box from Hickory Farms

Orchard’s Bounty Gift Basket

Another of our top sellers, this gourmet fruit gift box is sure to be a holiday hit. In addition to delicious crackers, gourmet sausage and cheese, and a berry nut mix, the Orchard’s Bounty Gift Basket features luscious Crown Comice Pears, Fuji Apples, Red D’Anjou Pears, and Mandarin Oranges. All that comes nestled in a beautiful, hand-crafted Peterboro basket for a gift that will carry fond memories for years to come.

Sweet gifts from Hickory Farms

Famously Thin Peanut Brittle

If there’s someone with a sweet tooth on your list, give them a box of our Famously Thin Peanut Brittle. Anyone who loves old fashioned candy will adore the familiar taste and hand-crafted quality of our brittle. Explore our chocolate gift baskets to find even more delicious sweet gifts.

Which Hickory Farms gift baskets and food gifts do you look forward to giving or receiving every year? Weigh in with your favorites in the comments, or visit our Facebook page.

Host a Hanukkah Open House

The Festival of Lights is almost here! For many people, Hanukkah is an important time to gather with family and friends. If you are planning to host a Hanukkah party, it’s time to start preparing! Take a look at some of our suggestions for hosting a wonderful Hanukkah open house.

First of all, it’s time to set the stage with some pretty Hanukkah decorations. You’ll find plenty of great ideas from Martha Stewart, like the fun glittered dreidels shown above. For a more homespun take on this idea, consider placing some antique dreidels in a beautiful, hand-crafted basket. Our holiday gift baskets are a great choice because they provide yummy snacks in an attractive basket you can use year after year.

Don’t forget the mantel! This unique, contemporary menorah is easy and quick to DIY, but will definitely impress your guests. Whether you enjoy simple or ornate decorations, Apartment Therapy has some beautiful ideas for Hanukkah tablescapes.

Of course, you can’t have a party without some good tunes. If you’re looking for a fun Hanukkah party playlist, check out Hanukkah Rocks, or this convenient downloadable playlist from Pottery Barn.

If there will be children in attendance, games and activities are a must. Fortunately, Bible Belt Balabusta has you covered with lots of creative Hanukkah activity ideas that are not only fun for kids, but also teach them more about the important meanings behind the holiday traditions. Flip the Latke would be easy and fun, while Sufganiyah on a String simply puts a Hanukkah spin on the tried-and-true party standby of eating a donut off a string without using hands. (Sufganiyah is a traditional Israeli donut.)

After you’ve got the decorations, the music, and the activities planned, it’s time for one of the most important parts of any Hanukkah celebration- the food! There are definitely some non-negotiable items when it comes to the Hanukkah menu: challah (egg bread), latkes (fried potato pancakes), and the aforementioned sufganiyah, or jelly donuts. Many of the traditional foods for this celebration are fried in oil, a reference to the miracle of the oil which Hanukkah celebrates.

Another tradition for Hanukkah meals is to include lots of cheese dishes in honor of Judith. Consider creating a fantastic holiday cheese plate using gourmet cheeses from one of our cheese gift baskets. This article from Jewish Woman Magazine recommends pairing your cheese selection with delicious fruits or nuts, giving you the perfect excuse to order one of our fruit baskets or nut gifts.

Gourmet sausage, like our Beef Summer Sausage, is a great addition to your cheese board and will keep guests happy before the meal is served.

For dessert, make some marshmallow dreidels, or let us do the work and treat your guests to a basket of sweet gifts including candy, cookies or gourmet chocolate.

What are your Hanukkah traditions? Share your family’s holiday traditions with us in the comments, or head over to our Facebook page!