Favorite Holiday Traditions and Cheer-Filled Activities for the Season!
- Teyona Rakell
- Dec 27, 2025
- 5 min read
Bursting with holiday excitement? Join me as I share my favorite holiday traditions. From celebrating Christ and Kwanzaa, to family time, festive decor, travel, gift giving, and seasonal activities. Discover ideas to make this season joyful and memorable, whether at home, in the community, or exploring new traditions for next year.
***Sings, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
For those bursting with Holiday excitement, it is indeed the most wonderful time of the year! If you’re anything like me, you’ve been planning and preparing for this holiday season since last year. Whether your excitement is fueled by the anticipation of celebrating Christ and his existence, the urge to bring out your wonderful holiday decor, or your readiness to spend quality time with your loved ones, you’ve come to the right place to share your excitement.
The holiday season is a time for joy, family tradition, acts of kindness, and the excitement of new life experiences, such as the first Christmas for some, engagements, family reunions, and a host of other sentimental moments. If you enjoy shopping in stores, as I do, you can shop to the tune of your favorite holiday songs while on a quest to find the perfect gifts for your relatives or perhaps even yourself, making your trip to the store a little more enjoyable! While some of you may like to opt for at-home activities, others may like to indulge in public winter activities. Whatever you do, take in the moment, be grateful, present, and I pray that you are surrounded by love. As for me, I enjoy a mix of holiday activities that bring plenty of joy to my family and me.
My Favorite Holiday Season Traditions:
Celebrating the Reason for the Season:
Christmas is celebrated as a major holiday nationally in America, and it's known for family, decorations, and gifts. And while I enjoy those aspects of Christmas, it is truly amazing to celebrate Christ and his wonderful presence in the world on Christmas. In my church, we celebrate Christmas morning with a worship service as a church family, surrounded by our biological families. Such a wonderful and cherished moment that I look forward to each year.
Holiday Movies & Music:
Holiday movies are probably some of my favorite pastimes. Watching my favorite classics like This Christmas, The Best Man Holiday, and America’s Favorite, The Grinch … the Jim Carrey version, haha.
And I can hardly wait to play my carefully curated Holiday playlist with all of my favorites, from classic holiday jams to smooth holiday Jazz. Nothing says Christmas like listening to Silent Night by The Temptations, All I Want for Christmas, the Mariah Carey classic, and other favorites like This Christmas, redone by Chris Brown, and my all-time favorite O Holy Night!
Check out my Holiday Playlist on Tidal: Teyona Rakell's Holiday Cheer Playlist
Family Time:
Spending quality time with family and loved ones is always so heartwarming. Whether it’s time with my immediate family or time with those loved ones I don’t get to see very often, I always appreciate being submerged in the love of my family and close friends.
Traveling:
While I enjoy being home for the holidays, I also enjoy traveling on any occasion. Whether traveling to visit loved ones or taking a holiday vacation. A change of scenery offers the perfect opportunity to make new holiday memories in a fresh location.
Holiday Decor:
Each year, I'm eager to pull out my bins of holiday decorations and deck the halls. I even start decorating as early as October! My excitement about Holiday decorating comes from my grandmother, as I look at old photos, I can see her beautiful holiday decor in the background each year. Changing my color/ theme and trying new trends to add variety to my decor is something I look forward to yearly. I also find joy in admiring the decorations of others as I walk through the neighborhood or ride around the city.
Kwanzaa:
Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday celebrated by the Soulaani people, Black Americans
with ancestral connections to Indigenous America, African Descent, and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. During this time, we remember, reflect, and celebrate unity, family, community, history, and love among the Soulaan people.
Holiday Parties:
Hosting parties and events is a blast for me, so of course, holiday parties are always fun! As a host, I love bringing people together to play silly games with marshmallows and candy canes, laughing and making memories as a family, gift exchanges, and prizes for the best Christmas outfit. Truly exalting Christmas pillars of love, family, and joy.
Gift Giving:
After all of the shopping is done, I love giving gifts to others. The truth of the matter is that not everybody receives gifts during this time or ever. This is not limited to those who are financially disabled, but it impacts those very near and dear to our hearts, such as the men in our families, sometimes the elderly, those who don’t have a significant other or children, or even those family members who we don’t hear from often. Everyone deserves to feel special and loved, especially during the holidays.
Community Service:
Aside from giving sentimental gifts to those in my family, it's also important to give to the community and spread hope and joy to those most in need. Something as small as necessities, a meal, or gloves can go a long way for those experiencing hard times.
May the season wrap you in peace, gratitude, and lasting joy.
Although the holiday season never quite feels long enough, there is still time to take advantage of the holiday and winter festivities! Coming together on Christmas Day might not work for all families, but you should still take the opportunity to gather and celebrate according to the needs and adjustments of the ones you cherish. While this season brings joy to many, we must be considerate of those experiencing Holiday Blues. Make an extra effort to be around those you love and appreciate the time you can spend with those who are present. I think we all could benefit from creating new memories, continuing old but sacred traditions, and spending time with our loved ones as much as possible.
More Activities to Indulge In:
If you need more Holiday cheer ideas her are a few more to add to your winding-down year or to next year's list:
New Year’s Eve Watch Night: Spend NYE in church with your family.
R&R: Rest and Relaxation. No rush, ease into the new year.
At Home Activities:
Contest: Gingerbread house, Christmas cookies, best holiday pie/ dessert.
Holiday Parties: Ugly Christmas Sweater, Holiday Pajamas, Themed Attire.
Watching your favorite holiday movies.
Holiday games
Dinner parties
Family decorations.
Public Activities:
Ice Skatings
Winter Activities: Check your local event guide; some cities have a host of winter activities happening within specific dates in the winter season.
Light Shows: Walkthrough or ride-through.
Holiday Train: Some cities offer Holiday Express train experiences.
No matter how the season is celebrated, it is a time to reflect with gratitude, gather in love, and create memories that will last far beyond the holidays.
Enjoy a glimpse of my holiday décor over the years, party highlights, and special moments with loved ones. Don’t forget to share your favorite holiday memories in the comments. I’d love to see them!
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