Lately I’ve been reading about great holiday traditions that incorporate many of the things that research shows contribute to our happiness.  They blew my chocolate advent calendar out of the water.  Here are two of my favorites:

Thanksgiving – The Gratitude Tree.  This one is perfect for a home with little kids.  Cut out the shape of a tree and put it up on your wall or patio door.  Cut out lots of leaves and have every family member write down something they’re grateful for each night.  Stick the leaves on the tree.  New, fun countdown to Thanksgiving next year!

An Acts of Kindness Countdown Calendar to your end-of-the-year holiday:  It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else.  Write down acts of kindness on slips of paper and open one each morning with the plan of doing it that day.  That night, talk with your family about how your act of kindness went.  

Do you have any similar holiday traditions?  Feel free to share in the comments!