Creative Christmas Traditions

Ah, it's that time of year again...winter's here and so are the same tired traditions that accompany every Christmas season: choosing a Christmas tree, baking colorful cookies, wrapping presents, knitting matching scarves and sweaters for the entire family, writing Christmas cards, organizing the annual Christmas party...Won't these activities EVER get stale? Isn't it time that we shook the run-down up a bit? Whatever happened to creativity? Here's my list of some truly unique Christmas doings that may soon become traditions in your household:

*ORGANIZE A CANDY FEST: Does your family love Halloween? What about trick-o-treating? See if you and your neighbors can organize a trick-o-treating outing on Christmas day. Houses can hand out Christmas-y candy and baked goods, and children can dress up like characters from their favorite Christmas stories.

*GET ARTSY: For more artistically-inclined families, the answer to spicing up this Christmas may lie in fashioning Christmas-y tye-dye shirts using tye-dye kits from art supply stores like Michael's or AC Moore. Be sure to use red and green dye for that Christmas feel!

*MAKE HANDPAINTED WRAPPING PAPER: This year, personalize your gifts by decorating your own wrapping paper. Find unglossy paper (like paper lunch bag material or typewriter paper) and use paint, sponges, nail polish, glitter glue, pom-poms, feathers, and other materials to liven up the gift-giving season!

*GO HAWAIIAN! Bored with the classic "caramel popcorn and toasty fireplace" type Christmas parties? How about throwing a Hawaiian-style luau instead? Assure your guests that warm days will return by serving fresh fruit, BBQ, and punch. Wear bold flowery prints and decorate the room with bright colors!

*DON'T LIMIT YOURSELF: If your family likes to go Christmas caroling,be sure to choose a non-Christmas song for this year's "performance" in addition to your seasonal favorites. Select a beloved classic or a modern pop song. Just be sure that it's family-friendly!