The holidays are special. Gathering with loved ones and friends, sharing meals, laughs, memories, and traditions. Our holiday traditions may change over time, but they always make the holidays special. You can enjoy all your favorite holiday traditions, and discover new ones you love, when you call a senior living community home.
9 Favorite Holiday Traditions in Senior Living
Holiday traditions are an important part of senior living. Our residents enjoy celebrating the holidays with their favorite traditions, while experiencing the festive magic of senior living. Plus, you can enjoy watching the snow fall, without shoveling it. While there’s a multitude of ways to celebrate the holidays in senior living, these holiday traditions are our favorites every year.
1. Campus decorations
The holiday season is a magical time of year at senior living communities. Community spaces are decked out with decorations. Trees, lights, and other decorations create a magical experience for everyone that calls it home or visits. Lights outside create a festive environment that celebrates holiday traditions for everyone.
2. Festive events
Holiday traditions and celebrations are about more than just decorations. One of the best parts of this time of year is festive events. Social events are a great benefit of senior living and happy hours are a hit all year long. But during the holidays, they’re extra special. Around the holidays, regular happy hours are replaced with holiday-themed ones, including ones with costumes and ugly Christmas sweaters.
3. Outings
Our favorite holiday traditions go beyond the magic of a senior living community. Especially, we love celebrating the holidays with outings to our favorite community events and festivities. Whether it’s drives to see the best Christmas lights around, or attending holiday events at our favorite places, it’s all about making the most of the season.
4. Family Celebrations
Family is what makes the holidays special, and they’re key to many holiday traditions. Senior living communities don’t just welcome your family to enjoy the holidays on their campuses, they often invite your family to celebrate the holidays together at special events. Dinners, open houses, performances, and other special events bring residents together to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones and friends.
5. Silver Songbirds
At The Ohio Masonic Communities, one of our favorite holiday traditions is holiday Christmas performances. Silver Songbirds is our all abilities dementia choir. Our residents, including those with and without Alzheimer’s and dementia, work with a licensed music therapist and practice throughout the year. They sing classic songs that everyone knows and loves, like Jingle Bells. Finally, during the holidays, they gather for a one-of-a-kind performance, singing in front of their loved ones and friends.
6. The Ohio Masonic Communities Resource Center Holiday Outreach
For some, the holidays can be stressful. They can bring back feelings of grief, loneliness, or isolation, and may come with medical or financial challenges. The Ohio Masonic Communities Resource Center is here to help those in need with Hope for the Holidays, a holiday outreach program.
7. Hope for the Holidays
Through Hope for the Holidays, The Ohio Masonic Communities Resource Center offers support for socialization and wellness with phone calls, visits, and care packages. The goal is to spread joy, promote connection and socialization, ease the stress the holidays can bring. If you or someone you know could use a little extra cheer or support during the holidays, call 877-881-1623.
8. Festivals with The Ohio Masonic Communities Foundation
The Ohio Masonic Communities Foundation, together with residents, also contributes to the holiday traditions of our communities. Coupled with residents, members of the community work to raise money that’s used to support resident activities and events throughout the year. Their efforts include fundraisers, complete with Breakfast with Santa, that have become favorite holiday traditions for the entire community.
9. Decadent Holiday Meals
For many of us, our holiday traditions revolve around food. Ultimately, whether it’s favorite family recipes, or just sharing memories and laughter with those we love, gathering around the table is a hallmark of holiday traditions. This is true of our favorite senior living holiday traditions, too. Every year, we host special meals for the holidays. Residents gather to enjoy a decadent menu while celebrating the holidays with neighbors who have become friends. They can even invite their families to enjoy the special meal with them. Our favorite decadent menu items include surf and turf, delicious roasted vegetables and rolls, and all the sweets your heart desires.
Celebrate Your Holiday Traditions with The Ohio Masonic Communities
It’s never too late to celebrate your holiday traditions with The Ohio Masonic Communities. Even more, when you move to our community, you bring your holiday traditions with you. We love experiencing new traditions and want you to be apart of our favorite ones too. The holiday season is the best time of year to experience the magic of senior living.
At The Ohio Masonic Communities, we want you to experience the magic of our communities this holiday season. We have three senior living communities across the state of Ohio – Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio, Springfield Masonic Community in Springfield, Ohio, and Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina, Ohio. If you are interested in learning more about what our communities offer, or would like to connect with our resource center for their Hope for the Holidays program, give us a call at 1 (877) 881-1623 or contact us here.