We’re not called “Traditions” of Braselton for nothing! The original vision for our 1140-acre, amenity-rich, lifestyle-focused master-planned community was a place where long-held traditions could be celebrated and new-found traditions could be made or adopted. A shining example of this can be found in our annual Sheila Fest all-day outdoor concert. As hundreds of people take to the event lawn with their coolers and sports chairs for a day filled with music, it has become a cherished tradition for countless couples and families at Traditions of Braselton. We also host summer kick-off parties by the pool, Halloween parties for the kiddos, holiday parties for neighbors of all ages, and so much more that are well-attended and much-anticipated year after year. With the holiday season just around the corner, we’ve done a little digging into some unusual traditions you and your family might want to incorporate into your own home and holiday pastimes.
Thanksgiving
Host a Thanksgiving “Roast”
Many families observe the tradition of going around the table and sharing the things they are most thankful for this year. Some families find it easier to show their ion through playful sarcasm and the occasional ribbing. If your family falls into that second category, you might want to give the new tradition of the Thanksgiving “Roast” a try. There are several ways you can do this. Let your Thanksgiving celebration attendees a heads up so they can prepare a “roast” for everyone at the table – nothing MEAN, just in good humor. If you’ve got a pretty full table, that first option may take too long, and you’ll risk the food getting cold. Another option is to designate one family member each year to be the recipient of the roasting. Again, let your other guests know in advance so they can prepare their “roast” of Uncle Billy or Grandma Jean. A third option is to designate one family member each year to be the deliverer of the roasting. He or she can go around the table and roast everyone one-by-one. Depending on your chosen method, you can find a fun way to designate the best roaster as this year’s biggest turkey with a booby prize.
Go On a Second Wind Stroll
After everyone has pulled away from the Thanksgiving table, suggest a second-wind stroll around the neighborhood. Not only will this be an excellent opportunity to walk off that full feeling (and maybe even a few calories), but it’s also a great chance to show your guests around the neighborhood and introduce them to any neighbors you encounter while you’re all out and about. By the time you return home, you and your guests might be ready for PIE! The best part of this tradition is that you can observe it at any holiday gathering – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, too!
Christmas
The Most Awesome Advent Calendar EVER
We borrowed this one from our neighbors in Switzerland. To lend a little holiday excitement to every day, you might want to create an advent calendar for each child in your family. Have a craft day to create them just after Thanksgiving. If your children know their numbers, they can decorate and draw 1-24 on little round wooden circles that you will glue to wooden clothespins. You will need to find small paper sacks that you can fill with one little item – like a toy, trinket, sweet note, dollar for their piggy bank, or piece of candy. Seal each bag with the corresponding set of numbers for each child. You can set these out on a tabletop or hang them from a raffia string like a cute clothesline, and once it’s time for bed on December 1, each child can open the bag sealed with the #1 in their handwriting. They can repeat this practice each night until the 24th – Christmas Eve. This practice is sure to send them to bed each night with thoughts of sugar plums dancing in their heads.
Jingle Balls
For a fun holiday party twist on beer pong, set up a bunch of red solo cups at one end of the table and use the other half as the “playing field.” Have your guests line up and try to land their ping pong ball in one of the cups. To their delight, they’ll find a prize in each cup. If it’s a mix of kids and adults, you’ll want to provide family-friendly prizes – like small stocking stuffers and toys – in each cup. If they miss, they can keep trying until they get one in (or designate a grown-up to get it in for them). If it’s an adults-only party, you can fill the cups with things like gift cards, scratch-off lottery cards, airplane bottles of liquor, etc. If your players miss their first try, they must take a drink of whatever you’re serving up and move to the end of the line. Please remember to drink responsibly!
New Years Eve
Make It a GRAPE New Year
Take a signal from the good people of Spain. While legend holds that this tasty tradition got its start in the 1800s when grape growers in the Alicante region were trying to push year-end grape sales, it’s still a family-friendly tradition that’s both easy and economical to adopt. The premise is simple… consume 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight to ensure 12 sweet months of good fortune and prosperity.
Burning Bubbly
While many cultures drink a toast to the New Year with a glass of champagne, New Year’s Eve revelers in Russia add a rather unusual ingredient. Before midnight, write your wishes for the New Year on a small piece of paper. Hold those wishes over a champagne flute and burn them with a lit candle so they turn to ash at the bottom of the glass. When the ball drops and the clock strikes midnight, pop the cork on a bottle of champagne, pour it over your ashes, and drink it down to make them come true.
New traditions are popping up all the time. Remember, no one even knew what an Elf on the Shelf was until 2005! Adopt any one of the traditions above into your own cherished family pastimes, or keep an eye out for new ones you can collect over the years. It’s our wish that you’ll celebrate all your family traditions in a home of your own in Traditions of Braselton one day soon. Visit us at www.TraditionsofBraseltonHomes.com or in person at our Discovery Center – located at 401 Delaperriere Loop in Jefferson. We are open Monday – Saturday from 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday from 1 pm – 6 pm. If you have any questions before your visit, please don’t hesitate to call us at 706-664-2830.
From all of us here at Traditions of Braselton, we wish you and yours a very Happy Holiday Season!
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