The 2022 holiday season is kicking off this week. Throughout the country, people will be attending social gatherings, greeting family and friends, sharing feasts, shopping, decorating and more, to ring in the most festive season of the year. Stories make the holidays all the more special.
Whether spoken in the form of anecdotes from holidays past or read from a book, sharing stories adds to the joy and festive atmosphere of the season. There are stories to warm the heart or give you a fright, and stories to remind you of your favorite childhood holiday customs as well. In this post, we’re sharing three ways that you can incorporate stories into your holiday fun this year.
Make plans to visit hospitals, nursing homes or shelters to read stories
Holiday joy is magnified when we do nice things for others. The holidays can be a stressful or lonely time for many people, however, such as children who are in the hospital or elderly nursing home patients who don’t get many visitors. Consider calling ahead to the facilities in your community to make arrangements to visit and read holiday stories aloud.
Host a holiday story night in your home
Hosting a holiday story night is a great way to spread joy and to remind friends and loved ones how fun reading can be. You can select stories ahead of time or ask your guests to bring along a favorite of their own. One person might be designated as the reader for the evening, or you can take turns and ask for volunteers.
A holiday story night is also a great way to encourage interaction between the younger members of the family and neighborhood and older folks. Don’t forget that all stories do not have to come from the pages of a book. Chances are, some of the elder members of your household or community have some great holiday stories to tell that are not found in a book but are tucked in the pages of their mind!
Share stories of your faith during the holidays
If you are Jewish or Christian or come from another faith background, there are likely specific stories designated for the holiday season. For instance, Christians can find the Infancy Narratives in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, in the Bible. These stories tell of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is the central focus of Christmas.
Consider scheduling one night a week, throughout the holiday season, to gather with friends or loved ones and share stories of your faith. You might even make it an ecumenical tradition, inviting guests of different faith backgrounds to share stories according to their own customs. No matter how you decide to celebrate, remember to make reading stories — or writing them! — part of your holiday fun!
