Nairobi News

For most of us, Christmas is all about traditions doing; those things you’ve done every year, evoking feelings of nostalgia and cheery memories.

But if you’re someone who likes a little novelty mixed in with their holidays, it’s worth considering what sort of new activities you can add to your celebrations.

From culinary concoctions to indoor games to outdoor activities, here are a few ways to add some spice to your holiday routine, and for some great holiday nostalgia.

1. Have a Christmas treasure hunt – If you have children you can try and make them work for their treats. You can add a competitive element to your Christmas day celebrations by hiding treats throughout the house or outside, perhaps offering up clues about where they are.

2. Mix in some charity – It’s all too easy to forget about people in need during the hectic holidays. Add a charity component to your Christmas celebrations and some food or toy at some charity home or take a minute or two to share the Christmas cheer with street families.

3. Choose a different main course – Speaking of dishes, what do you usually eat for Christmas dinner? Most people enjoy a main dish that includes roasted meat, chicken and chapati. So why not try out something different this Christmas? Like tradition foods.

4. Do some baking – Many people think of the holidays as a time to relax, eat and drink well, and enjoy the satisfaction of a few delicacies in the sweets department. Do an online search for old-fashioned treats and see what you can come up with that might surprise and delight your dinner and guests.

5. Avoid the rush – Instead of running around and facing all the crowded malls and stores and last-minute shoppers, start your planning early. Don’t wait until 2 days before Christmas to get what you need. You will also be more relaxed around your friends and family if you are better prepared for family gathering. Last-minute shopping only serves to create stress and wear people out.

6. Schedule relaxation – No matter how busy you are, it is a good idea to plan on setting time aside just to relax.

7. Connect with family – What better way to make the holidays traditional than to gather your entire family together. See how many relatives you can invite to your home. Try to connect with family members you have not seen in a while. The best tradition of Christmas is to share it with family members.

8. Attend a religious service – Even if you haven’t been to church in a while, check out the holiday schedule and attend services. Going to church on Christmas eve is a good opportunity to share the feeling of togetherness by joining in the song Silent Night, and enjoy the acting out of Christ’s birth. And if you are particularly adventurous, you could attend a Christmas service of a different sect.

9. Enjoy the great outdoors – Take advantage of your day off to get outside and get some fresh air. Take a walk and stroll more comfortable.

10. Start the New Year a week early – There is no time like the present! Many people make New Year’s resolutions to forget them the day after. So why not do the same, but the other way around? Start the next year of your life a little bit earlier. Make a list of New Year’s resolutions, decide in which ways you are going to develop for the next 365 days. Thus, you will have several days for the things to kick in and not being able to start new life from January 1 will not have the same damping psychological effect on you.