The influence of social media on our lives has been both good and bad for holiday planning. On the up side, it’s easy to get all kinds of great ideas for gifts, recipes, and decor. On the down side, seeing all the picture-perfect crafts and family outings online can make us feel like our efforts don’t measure up. The challenge, then, is to find what’s good about social media — what makes our holiday celebrations more meaningful and fun — and ignore all the rest.
First of all, let’s step back and think about what makes social media so popular in the first place: it builds connections between people. You might not have everyone’s home address these days, but you can still reach out to family and friends with digital holiday cards, either emailed directly or shared as a post. This is a good idea for businesses, too, to give customers an end-of-year thank you. If 2019 hasn’t been all that great, you don’t need to give a review of the past year. Share a favorite holiday memory or recipe and ask others to do the same. Since I live far away from a lot of my family, I love seeing everyone’s pictures and messages at this time of year. Traveling back to visit all the places I’ve ever lived isn’t realistic, but I can still keep in touch through Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Many families have holiday traditions that they’ve practiced for years. For example, my family always goes to pick out a Christmas tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. But sometimes, life changes, such as when loved ones pass away or children move out, can upend family traditions. Social media has a wealth of information about new holiday traditions you can adopt in place of the old ones that just don’t work anymore. At its best, social media is an incredible way to share ideas around the world. From Canadian Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve in Australia, we can scroll our news feeds to see how everyone is celebrating. If you’re looking for ideas, I created a Pinterest board called “Family Holiday Traditions” at pinterest.com/GoFlourishMedia that lists all sorts of new and old traditions you can adopt with your family.
If you create something you’re proud of, by all means, share it with the world! But your holiday crafts and parties don’t have to be perfect to be Instagram-worthy. People appreciate authenticity. That falling-down store-bought kit gingerbread house you made with your kids is worth sharing, too. It may remind someone of a good memory from his own childhood.
I’ve heard it said that “Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is a tradition.” Anything you enjoy doing every year — even something as simple as taking a walk to enjoy the leaves — can become a family tradition. So enjoy your traditions, enjoy your holidays, and don’t forget to share the joy with others.
Susanna King is the Co-owner of Flourish Media, a social media marketing company here in Aiken. She has a degree in multimedia design and has worked in the online media industry for over two decades.
