After the Holidays: How Joy, Change, and Traditions Shape Our Christmas Memories

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14, NIV)

Like many before, this Christmas was a beautiful tapestry of family traditions. I gathered with my siblings, and my daughter and I, as we have done every Christmas since she was a young girl, baked our traditional cookies: gingerbread, peanut butter, and pecan sandies. I also made two-pound cakes, an Amish Cinnamon Bread, and a lemon pound cake. Even when my mother was alive, she would make her famous fruitcake using a family recipe that was passed down through the generations. This Christmas, I was content but could also sense a change on the horizon. The big Christmas gathering at my parents’ old homestead is evolving, as family members grow older and younger ones start their own traditions. Many of them have their friends and families, traveling to other cities or have other plans. But the beauty of our family traditions remains a testament to our love and joy.

However, I am beginning to accept that time is moving on, and it’s moving faster than I might want it to. Rolling through the camcorder of my memories of Christmas past, I catch myself thinking about loved ones who are no longer alive. It is surprising how quickly years creep by us. As I searched the dining room, I noticed that many of those who used to sit around the table were deceased. All of my loving aunts on my mother’s side of the family are deceased, and a few aunts and uncles on my dad’s side and my precious mother. I did not break down and cry as the memories in my mind ended. I have spent many Christmas days going back and forth between relative’s houses. But now, as I look through the window, there is no longer a need for piles of presents under a Christmas tree because the traditional Christmas I knew as a child is evolving into something else. I must now learn to surround myself with new traditions, such as taking trips on my own, volunteering at a local shelter, or hosting a Christmas dinner for friends, while I release and cherish the old ones.

The beauty of a new Christmas lies in our gratitude for family traditions while embracing change through prayer. While it’s natural to feel disappointment as some cherished customs fade, it’s the memories we carry forward that reveal how we celebrated the true and living God that will count the most. Our Christmas traditions, deeply rooted in faith, should motivate us to strengthen our loved ones’ hope in Jesus, empowering them to stand confidently in His glorious presence when He returns.

Though our traditions may evolve, the Lord remains constant and unchanging. He reassures us that He holds our right hand, ensuring our safety and security through every season. We need not fear change; His hands are always stretched toward us. Isaiah 41:10 promises, “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Choose to live a victorious life in the coming year!