3 Ways to Add Christmas Music to Your Holiday Traditions

Music is a true unifier. In it’s presence, we cultivate moments of bonding and connection that evoke all kinds of emotion. Would you agree? Food does that for me, too, but music is definitely high on the list of legacy building tools. Especially during the holidays, I can’t think of anything more uplifting than a collection of our favorite Christmas music.

When I was a kid, the holiday traditions depended on who’s house I was at. My mom’s home was full of Spanish Christmas music that enveloped the entirety of our Cuban Christmas traditions. Those songs were typically upbeat and perfect for dancing. My dad and step-mom’s home was filled with traditional holiday music that ranged from classic tunes to religious hymns. And, in truth, I loved it all!

Now, as a legacy building mom and a Life Is A Special Occasion Hallmark Ambassador, I want my kids to feel the magic of the holidays through all their senses – including by adding the joys of Christmas music to our holiday traditions!

3 Ways to Add Christmas Music To Holiday Traditions

The holidays are exciting for everyone because it’s the season of change. As we culminate the end of a busy year, the holidays come around and shake everything up! Our homes are filled with holiday decor, our kitchens become treasure troves of holiday dishes and, so, it makes sense that Christmas music finds its way into our routines, too. Here are 3 ways we add Christmas music to our holiday traditions…

1. Non-stop Christmas in the car: Oh yes, you read that right. A tradition that I’m excited to pass down to my kids is the one where, the day after Thanksgiving, our car’s radio station is permanently set to the station that is permanently playing Christmas music. You know the radio station, right? The one playing non-stop Christmas music? Yes! I love it! Admittedly, we’re in the car a whole lot more now that we’re living in California, so it might not be alllll the time. However, for the most part, while driving around town, my kids and I are singing along to Christmas music.

This has been a great way to introduce the babies to some of my favorite traditional holiday tunes and, since California offers a plethora of Spanish and bilingual radio stations, they’re exposed to a diverse collection.

2. Christmas Music Games: I can’t say gracias! enough to Hallmark helping legacy building moms do our jobs. Time and time again, they surprise me with their thoughtful and beautiful products that lead to memory-making. This music machine, in particular, is a must-have for adding melody to your holiday traditions. The Dance Like an Elf music machine is perfect for young kids (mine are 2 and 4 years old), especially, because the Christmas music game is another opportunity to reinforce listening skills.

Once you turn on the Christmas music game, the Elf calls out silly dance moves for you to follow. Each time you press the button, the music goes for 90 seconds, giving you plenty of time to dance out the Christmas vibes. With Northpole traditional elf dance moves like “Stir the Hot Chocolate,” “Build a Snowman” and “Ski Down the Mountain”, there is also plenty of opportunity to get silly together and allow for creativity. We have had so much fun with this little toy! And since the songs are short, we pretty much jam out to Northpole Elf tunes anytime we’re walking out the door.

Whether with the help of Hallmark or not, find ways to do more with Christmas music than just listen to it. Reinforce Christmas music as a holiday tradition by dancing or being silly with it, too!

3. Purposed Holiday Soundtracks: Do you shuffle, or listen to an album all the way through? I’m insane (at least I realize it?), but I observe how people listen to music. Most friends I have are shufflers, but I’m an all or nothing kinda girl. I like to be in one zone and move straight along before launching into another musical genre.

Anyway, there’s no right or wrong way to listen to music (duh), but I’d like to propose the idea of purposefully selecting soundtracks to reinforce holiday traditions. For instance, in the car, we listen to traditional Christmas music that airs on the radio. It gives a wide range and surprises us with a new tune every now and again. The mood is casual, light, and we turn the music off at any moment without interrupting the mood. At home (which is currently my mom’s house), we listen to her collection of Spanish holiday music to reinforce cultural traditions and language. If we’re baking or cooking (or otherwise focused on a task), I opt for a smooth, jazzy sound – classic or not – that’s acts like a background set to the star of the show. Michael Buble is a current fave.

You can have holiday soundtracks as you get ready for church or bed. You can listen to a particular album as you decorate your home or look through old photos. The point is that you’re using the power of your auditory senses to prompt and cue holiday traditions (which are really just habits). Pretty cool, right?

Adding music to your life – particularly during the holidays – is a worthwhile venture. And when done with purpose, music can reinforce almost any virtue and tradition you hope to instill in your babies. If being at my mom’s house the last couple weeks has taught me anytime, it’s reminded me how important the habit of music is too my memories.

Check out your local Hallmark store (or online) to find a music machine or personalized gift that helps you build a legacy!