Aside from the festivities that come with the season, the holidays create this unique energy that just screams “Time to spend time with family.”
However, it is easy to forget this and focus on getting caught up in the demands of the season that we almost forget what matters the most – family.
Strengthening your connection doesn’t require grand gestures or elaborate plans. Small thoughtful actions can have huge impacts that can make this free time a time of growth and deepened intimacy.
This guide explores five practical ways to enhance your relationship during the Christmas season
1. Prioritze Quality Time
The holiday season is often filled with activities from shopping for gifts to attending social gatherings. It is easy to get lost in attending to these needs and you forget to prioritize quality time with your partner. With guests constantly coming and going, cooking different meals, and attending to relatives and parties, what time do you have set for yourself and your partner?
Yet, the holiday season presents you with an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your spouse. With no work responsibilities and the festive atmosphere, what better way to enjoy the holiday season than with your spouse?
It is important that during this period, you do not get carried away with the activities of the season and neglect your relationship. Quality time means being fully present, without the interruptions of work emails, social media, or other obligations.
Use this season to get better at being a couple. Consider attending Christmas events such as a concert or a caroling night where you can just be a couple together.
Take a leisurely walk around the neighbourhood and enjoy the beautiful Christmas decorations.
2. Communicate Your Expectations
As joyful as the holiday seasons are, it can also bring potential stress if your expectations as a couple are not aligned. For example, you may want to spend the holiday travelling while your partner might prefer a sit-in family type of holiday.
Without having a conversation about your expectations for the holiday, you might end up with the “Wait, babe, we’re not travelling?” expression on your face.
As a couple, planning for the holiday season is a great place to strengthen your bond. To maintain harmony in your relationship, it is important to be open and honest about your plans and expectations for the season.
Begin by discussing what the holidays mean to each of you – whether it’s about spending time with family, giving meaningful gifts, or simply relaxing together.
The next step is to find a balance between both expectations. For example, if one of you prefers large family gatherings while the other prefers quiet, intimate celebrations, find a way to balance both desires. You could divide time between extended family events and private moments for just the two of you.
These conversations, when handled appropriately, will prevent either of you from feeling excluded or disappointed during the festive season.
3. Give Thoughtful Gifts
The essence of giving gifts during the Christmas season is not about the extravagance of the gift but the thoughtfulness behind it. A truly meaningful gift reflects the bond you share with your partner and shows that you’ve paid attention to their needs and desires.
It’s not the monetary value of the gift that matters but the sentiment and effort behind it.
Focus on gifts that hold emotional significance, something that celebrates a cherished memory or a shared milestone.
For example, you might create a personalized photo album capturing moments from your relationship or gift them a handwritten letter expressing your love and gratitude. If your partner has mentioned a goal or aspiration, such as learning a new skill or pursuing a hobby, consider a gift that supports that ambition, like enrolling them in a class or providing the tools or materials they need.
Another way to make your gifts meaningful is to plan for your future together. For instance, you could create a “bucket list jar” filled with ideas for adventures you’d like to experience as a couple or gift a calendar marked with future date ideas.
4. Serve Others Together
The holiday season is one of the best times to strengthen your relationship and what better rewarding feeling than giving back to your community as a couple?
Think of it as one of the love languages – giving acts of service together. Engaging in acts of service together benefits those you are helping and increases your bond as a couple. When you help others, you are growing your empathy threshold, necessary for building a healthy relationship with your partner.
In this season, you can decide to reach out to local orphanages, volunteer at a local charity, or distribute clothes. If you want to make an even broader impact, consider organizing a small donation drive. This could be as simple as collecting toys, clothing, or food from friends and neighbours to distribute to charities or families in need.
The process of working together to plan, promote, and execute such an initiative can be fulfilling for your relationship.
Beyond the impact this will have on others, these activities encourage gratitude on your part. As you see the difference you can make together as a couple, you will likely feel a sense of appreciation for each other and the life you share and create memories that you can talk about as a couple.
5. Create New Traditions
The holiday season is a perfect time to create traditions that are unique to your relationship. These are traditions that can be done year after year and ultimately become a cherished moment you will both look forward to.
One idea is to take the annual Christmas photos together. The good thing about this is that it creates a visual timeline of your relationship where you can see how your family has grown over the years. Each season will have its unique moment that you can share as a family and laugh over at dinner.
Another tradition is to bake together. Every year, you can choose a different recipe to try out – cookies, gingerbread, or holiday cakes. It’s not the final output that matters but the process of choosing the recipe together as a family and working together to bring out that final result.
Another idea could be to write personalised holiday letters to each other as a family. This is an important time to reflect on the past year and express your love, gratitude and plans for the future.
Whatever activities you choose, the key is to choose that which you can relate to as a family.
In Summary
The joy of the Christmas season is in how it brings families together. As much as we want to do a lot, it is important to prioritise activities that strengthen the connection in your home.
Even as the season unfolds, let these intentional actions serve as a reminder that love and connection are the greatest gifts you can give each other.
