Tips for Newly Weds First Christmas Together!

As you anticipate your first holiday season as a married couple, you should consider a few things that will make the season a little easier on you and your spouse. The holiday season doesn’t have to be a divisive time, but here are some tips and issues to consider.

1. Try to be sensitive to your spouse’s traditions involving family celebrations and church services. It’s best to try and get on a schedule early in your marriage – i.e.: this year is at my parents and next year is at your parents. You can’t be at two places at once! Quality time at one place is better than trying to squeeze in two celebrations and feeling rushed, or having to travel long distances during the holidays from one celebration to another.

2. Holiday decorations can have a lot of meaning to people. It is always very exciting to get your first Christmas tree together. If possible, make the event extra memorable by going to a farm and cutting it yourself. Traipsing through a tree farm together searching for that perfect tree is a lot of fun. Afterwards, you can enjoy a cozy mug of cocoa snuggled in front of a crackling fireplace.

3. Carrying a lot of holiday decorating baggage can be a bad thing. Personalized Christmas stockings are a great example of an issue that can cause problems. If you both have old ratty stockings that Grandma made you but that look horrible together, it may be a great time to get new coordinating personalized Christmas stockings. You’re building this new home together and sometimes you shouldn’t be afraid to start fresh. Create new memories together!

4. When does Christmas morning actually start? Some people actually like to sleep in on holidays, some people carry a tradition of waking up early and starting right away tearing into gifts! Decide ahead of time when the festivities start.

5. You’re on your own now so make Christmas traditions together. It’s appropriate to hang onto old traditions that involve extended families, but you need to begin making new traditions as a new family. Don’t separate yourselves by any means but begin making new memories and traditions that can be passed on to your kids.