Christmas is just around the corner, and the festive season brings different traditions that have become special to each person and family. Some families spend Advent around the table, cooking and eating dinner together, while others enjoy hiking and sledding outdoors.
For many families, Christmas food is at the heart of the festivities, but Christmas traditions do not always have to revolve around food. Here are a few ideas for activities to enjoy with your family or friends during the holiday season.
Swap the Advent calendar or candy in the slipper for a game or healthy snack
Not every December morning has to begin with chocolate or candy. After all, that is probably not how your mornings start at other times of the year. Stores offer a variety of healthy alternatives, and adding more variety makes December mornings more exciting too.
You can just as easily tuck an apple or carrot into the slipper, along with a little note telling your child about the vitamins it contains. You could also surprise children with craft supplies, stickers or other small gifts that will not create the habit of eating something sweet first thing in the morning.
Add Christmas flavours to your morning porridge
A healthy, nourishing bowl of porridge takes on a whole new charm when you add a touch of Christmas spirit. Does that mean a pinch of cinnamon, some cardamom or a finely crumbled gingerbread cookie for you, perhaps with a few raisins too? Breakfast should be nutritious and healthy, and a few small additions can bring welcome variety to familiar everyday flavours.
Morning exercise with the family
Why not start your day during the holidays with some morning exercise that the whole family can do together? Put on some Christmas music and do a few squats, stretches and full-body reaches to get your blood flowing and wake yourself up. Quality time + movement—what could be better? :)
Put the snow shovels to work
If nature blesses us with beautiful white snow, which always makes December and winter feel more special, we inevitably have to put in a little effort to get out of the door or find the car beneath the layer of snow. Next time, get the whole family involved in clearing it. It is a special way to spend time outdoors and breathe in the fresh air—and if all that shovelling turns into a romp through the snowdrifts or a snowball fight, enjoying a warm cup of tea indoors afterwards will feel especially good with rosy cheeks.
Spend the daylight hours adventuring outdoors
While we certainly spend much more time outdoors in summer, many of us tend to retreat into the comfort of our homes during winter. On weekdays, the daylight hours may pass while we are at school or work, but weekends offer the perfect opportunity to try something different.
Estonia has a variety of hiking and skiing trails, sledding hills and wooded areas where everyone can find something they enjoy. The weekend is a perfect opportunity to chat while walking with friends or family, show a little competitive spirit on the ski trails or feel like a child again during a snowball fight. Why not try winter swimming too? Read more in our article about winter swimming.
Finish the evening with gentle stretching and a peaceful wind-down
The Christmas rush can bring a little more stress into our lives than usual. After all, we often find ourselves worrying about gifts and planning visits and the Christmas dinner. To help you sleep better, it is a good idea to stretch and do some gentle exercise before going to bed.
You will find several different stretching sessions on the FitQ platform. For example, you could try this yoga-based stretching workout.
What Christmas traditions does your family already have, and what other exciting things could you do together? We hope this article has given you a few ideas. Feel free to share your family’s fun and unique traditions with us on FitQ’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
