Festive Fusion: Gen Z’s Approach to Winter Holiday Traditions
Festive Fusion: Gen Z’s Approach to Winter Holiday Traditions
The Winter holidays are among the most beloved holidays of the year. From decorations to family moments and traditions. But does Gen Z still pay attention to all this?
We all already know that young people emphasize online, social media and digitization, but the winter holidays still have the power to create real and physical emotions.
When we talk about Christmas decorations, a large part prefers classic decorations, focused on red, gold, silver and blue, but some teenagers want to go out of the ordinary and prefer modern or even handmade decorations.
The fact that some people make their own decorations and don’t buy them from stores, shows that they love to spend time with their family or friends during this period, listening to carols and creating baubles for the Christmas tree.
But how is generation Z when it comes to gifts for the loved ones?
For many, following a theme doesn’t stop at decor, like their gifts to follow a specific theme and they are willing to spend a lot of money on wrapping materials to make sure gifts stick to an aesthetic.
Young Z prepare ahead of time to buy gifts for friends and family, to make sure they don’t run out and to surprise others. Most of the time, they share these moments with virtual friends and post the gifts they receive on social networks.
I asked 10 friends which gifts they preferred: those from the store or those handmade. Four in 10 believe handmade gifts are the most meaningful to either give or receive during the holidays. Over half plan to DIY their holiday gifts and decor this year or gift homemade baked goods to save money.
The majority will no longer buy unnecessary items for the holidays and will focus on reuse and on really useful items.
What Christmas traditions do Gen Z keep?
Watching favorite holiday movies, cooking and baking. Of all these, I personally love to cook with my mother during this period, but also to spend cozy moments around the tree, watching Christmas movies.
Another highly popular holiday tradition includes putting up a Christmas tree. Many prefer a faux tree over a real tree, because they emphasize sustainability and reuse. They choose a faux Christmas tree because they can reuse it next year and they don’t have to cut down the forests to have a Christmas tree in the house.
However, some traditions are slowly starting to disappear, such as caroling at home. Many young people do not continue this tradition and prefer to listen to carols in the privacy of the house, perhaps enjoying a mulled wine and spending time with friends.
Overall, they follow the same holiday traditions for most of their lives, though meny are open to creating new traditions. Social media is changing the landscape of holiday traditions, as they find new traditions through the social apps they use daily.
What will not be missing from their homes during the winter holidays
“What will you won’t miss at home during the holidays?”|
The answer is: the Christmas tree, gifts for loved ones and the ingredients to prepare a festive meal.
When it comes to decorations, the following styles are prefered:
- Classic, traditional decor (reds and greens or blues and silver)
- Wintery and white (whites and silvers, shiny and metallic pieces)
- Trendy/artistic (unexpected twists on classic holiday décor)
- Modern/monochromatic (everything is decorated to fit a certain colour palette)
- Rustic (natural wood, earthy tones, plaids)
I am delighted that young people still keep their Christmas traditions and love this time of the year as much as I do. This period brings us close to the family and disconnects us for a few moments from the hectic everyday life.
Z- er Antonia Vaideanu
Communications and Public Relations Specialist
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