Missing a loved one during the holidays can be especially challenging. It’s common for this season to bring up old memories and stir up feelings of grief. Gathering around the table with friends and family is a holiday tradition, but those empty seats serve as a stark reminder of those no longer with us. It’s natural to feel the weight of their absence more acutely during these moments.
Yet, the holidays also offer a unique opportunity to honor their memory in meaningful ways. By celebrating their life and sharing stories, you can create new traditions that keep their spirit alive. Together, you and your loved ones can find healing in the act of remembrance and the comfort of shared grief.
If you’re looking for inspiration to honor a loved one this holiday season, we’ve put together a list of heartfelt ideas to help you celebrate their memory.
7 Ways To Honor a Loved One During the Holidays
Everyone grieves in their own way. Maybe you find comfort in your tried-and-true traditions, or perhaps you’d rather create a fresh start. This holiday season, consider exploring these heartfelt ideas to celebrate their memory and keep their spirit close.
1. Continue Traditions
If you’re missing a loved one during the holidays, perhaps one of the best ways is to honor them is by celebrating the way you always have. Your loved one wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun because they’re no longer here. Maybe you and your son always baked cookies on the first night of Hanukkah, or your Dad drove your family around to see the holiday lights every Christmas Eve. Continuing these annual traditions can help you feel closer to them while continuing a tradition they loved.
2. Create New Traditions
You may also find it too difficult to engage in the same traditions you once shared. If that’s the case, it’s time to make some new traditions. Instead of hosting the holidays at your house this year, why not rent a cabin with your friends and family? Or rather than cooking a feast like usual, order it from your favorite restaurant. Creating new traditions can help spark newfound joy this holiday season.
3. Give to Charity
Another special way of remembering someone who passed is to give back in their name. Did your loved one have a favorite cause? Consider collecting money and making a shared donation to their favorite charity. Or round up some friends and spend the holiday volunteering. Both are great traditions to create in honor of someone who cared about charitable giving.
4. Display Photos and Videos
When missing a loved one during the holidays, you might be longing to hear their voice or see their smiling face. To help with your grieving process, gather your loved ones to watch home videos and go through old photos to display around your home. Get others involved by asking them to send you their own video clips and images. Everyone will love laughing and crying along with the images while remembering those cherished memories.
5. Create a Memory Book
Creating a photo album or scrapbook is another way of remembering a loved one on the holidays. You might consider printing photo books filled with images of your uncle and gifting them to all your cousins. Or maybe you’d like to design a scrapbook dedicated to your grandfather and showcase it on the mantelpiece for all your relatives to enjoy during their stay. These living reminders can offer peace and comfort to those missing a loved one during the holidays.
6. Set a Seat at the Table
You don’t have to ignore the fact that your loved one is no longer here. To celebrate their memory, leave their seat open at the dinner table during the holidays. This allows everyone to acknowledge and honor that loss. Your friends and family may be more inclined to reflect or share stories of their time together.
7. Make Memorial Decorations
Making holiday decorations to honor them is an activity that may be especially meaningful to children missing a loved one during the holidays. If your kids just lost someone, maybe they would like to craft a special ornament for the Christmas tree in their memory. Or maybe your little ones would like to decorate a photo to leave next to their menorah. Save these decorations and display them for years to come.
This holiday season may feel different for you, but we hope you find comfort in these suggestions. However you decide to honor your loved one, just remember, they’d want to see you enjoying this special time of year.
