Christmas and heirlooms go together like, well, Hallmark and hot chocolate.
As we hang the “special” ornaments, we can’t help but reminisce about the person that gave them or the story they represent.
It’s why so many of us wait until we are together to finish decorating the tree. We want to share those stories to connect our collective memories.
Special ornaments are a big part of our traditions, and they often become cherished family heirlooms. One of our most cherished ornaments is a tinfoil-wrapped star my sister made when we were kids. While we are all grown up with our grown-up children now, that star still hangs on our parents’ tree.
Before I got married, my mother made sure we would have our own Christmas heirlooms. She asked each guest of my wedding shower to bring an ornament to hang on our first tree. Many of them have survived their now-vintage status, and I still wait for my husband to hang them on the tree with me.
While gathering and sharing our traditions is a big part of the holidays, sometimes we get wrapped up in checking our list of traditions that we miss new moments. Last year we had one of those new moments and a new tradition was born.
Christmas and Heirloom Explorer Holiday Movie Bingo
We have a split family when it comes to Hallmark movies; 50% love them, 50% hate them. Our television hangs in a family room and is open to the kitchen. It’s hard to escape whatever is on. Typically, the non-holiday-movie lovers would hide out in their respective rooms…which is no fun during the holidays when our time together is so precious. Our children decided to change that dynamic.
Our youngest created holiday movie bingo cards to make it more enjoyable for those that needed a little help digesting those plot lines, and my oldest came up with the prizes. We had so much fun hanging out together, and watching these movies with this new twist. There was so much laughter as we negotiated the nuances of what counted and what didn’t. These moments have now become my most cherished memories. Cozying up together with popcorn and hot chocolate to play Holiday Bingo together is something I’m looking forward to this year.
Want to download your own set of cards? Check out our Holiday Movie Bingo page. Here you can download the cards and read some suggestions for how to play. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have.
Happy Holidays.
~ Heirloom Explorer