The Holiday Tradition That This Mom is Glad She Started

We all can look back and think of the holiday traditions we used to do as kids. Maybe you would leave cookies out for Santa or watch a holiday movie every Friday night. Traditions are a great way to make memories with your family and enjoy this special time of year. It's time to start new traditions with your family that will carry on for years to come. Kate Schweitzer, mom and blogger, shares the one holiday tradition that she is glad she started.

She and her family used to go to Ireland every year and she would always pick out a cute wooden ornament from the gift shop to bring home. As she grew up, she made it a point to always bring back an ornament from wherever she traveled to. "A decade later, my Christmas tree is filled with reminders of all the amazing places I've been: a Venetian mask from Italy, a miniature red telephone booth from London, a little Adirondack chair from Maine, a guitar with real strings from Nashville," Kate wrote.

As the time came for Kate to start her own family, she was traveling less and less. Work, kids and responsibilities overcame the need to travel to new places. She was sad that her favorite holiday tradition was slowly dying. It was during a conversation with a friend when she realized that the tradition didn't have to end. She started giving her daughter a new ornament every year. The ornament might be anything from a memory they shared together, a craft, or a symbol of one of their interests in that year of their life.

She admits this is more of a tradition for her than her daughter. However, when her daughter grows old enough to move out and buy her own tree, she will have a collection of meaningful ornaments that represent each year of her life. Kate says, "I look forward to the holiday 15-odd years from now, where I pull out a hefty box filled with each one of my daughters' ornaments. I'll tell them about their lives and who they were, and I'll hand the box over to them, so that they may continue the tradition."

This is such a wonderful idea that you can cherish forever. We want to know what your holiday traditions are! Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @TLCmeNow!

Via: PopSugar