Global holiday traditions to spice up your celebrations

By The Health News Team | December 15, 2023

Child putting decorations on a Christmas tree

The winter holidays are approaching, and families are thrilled to be able to celebrate as they did prior to the pandemic. But with this renewed ability to gather and enjoy comes a desire to find ways to make the holidays feel especially merry for the little ones.

One way to brighten up the season is to find a new tradition or two to introduce to your family’s holiday celebrations. Whether it’s switching up when you give gifts or adding a special adventure to your plans, you might just find you’ll want to keep these global holiday traditions around for years to come.

1

Deck the trees — and boats.

In Greece, both trees and boats are strung with lights in honor of the country’s revered maritime history. In San Diego, you too can enjoy the lighted spectacles of the sea by making a special nighttime trip to one of several areas where boats are docked along the San Diego waters. From Oceanside to Shelter Island and Coronado, our seaside community offers its own brilliant display of maritime holiday cheer.

2

Forget the elf, the Yule Lads are here.

If you’ve grown wary of all the shelf elf’s antics, look no further than Iceland for a fun alternative. The Yule Lads are a mischievous bunch that leave kids both tricks and treats during the 13 days prior to Christmas. While they’re not great to look at — think witch-like trolls — and might leave behind a mess, they certainly love to shake things up while surprising kids with gifts full of holiday cheer.

3

Celebrate the Winter Solstice for the win.

The longest night of the year is celebrated all over the world. Scandinavia marks the winter solstice with candlelit processions to the city square, the U.K celebrates with gatherings at sunrise, Iran enjoys a special feast, and Vancouver lines the streets with paper lanterns. Create your own solstice celebration by lining your driveway with luminaria made of brown paper bags filled with sand and a battery-operated candle or heading to the highest San Diego peak to watch the sun rise while enjoying sweet and savory breakfast delights.

Make safety an annual tradition
The holidays are an excellent opportunity to come together and celebrate. Whether you choose to try out one of these international traditions or stick to family favorites, don’t forget to celebrate safely.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the best way to minimize COVID-19, flu and RSV risk — and keep yourself and loved ones healthy — is to get vaccinated when eligible. The CDC also recommends people consider wearing face masks in crowded indoor public locations, gathering outdoors when possible, and testing for COVID before and after gatherings if you're having cold-like symptoms.

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The Health News Team

Author

The Sharp Health News Team are content authors who write and produce stories about Sharp HealthCare and its hospitals, clinics, medical groups and health plan.