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There’s a reason it’s called the most wonderful time of the year.

For people who celebrate it, is there anything more magical than the Christmas season? I’m not religious in any way (I’m spiritual – maybe one day I’ll write more about that). Anyhoo, I love Christmas. The traditions, hygge vibes, lights, and generosity are just some of the reasons this is one the most wonderful times of the year for me. People that are giving to others are so much happier, aren’t they?

In our family, we start decorating inside with my husband’s birthday, then on Black Friday head outside to get those lights up. Let’s be real – the neighbors don’t need to know I’m any more crazy than they already suspect. Black Friday evening? Yeah, those lights are lit. That’s a hip word now, right?

Holiday traditions are psychologically important to kids.

Our Black Friday tradition runs strong. 29 years strong. My mom and I started our Black Friday decorating tradition when I was 6. When I moved out of my childhood home, I continued it, altering it to fit my needs as my family changed and grew. This tradition has undergone two main revisions from the OG tradition my mom and I created, but it’s still my favorite day of the year. And it’s become an intrinsic part of who I am.

Holiday traditions aren’t just a nicety – they’re essential in developing a child’s sense of security. The traditions we set in our families are crucial to the mental wellbeing of developing minds by building a sense of identity and unity. Maybe this is why I’m so intentional about the holidays in our home. But you know what might be more important than the tradition itself? The sounds and scents associated with it. And as much shit as I catch for being “extra,” there’s science to back up my neuroses.

Scent triggers powerful memories.

Just this year I stumbled upon this candle by happy accident and was immediately transported to childhood Christmases and the scent of the potpourri my mom used. Shortly thereafter, another memory flooded my brain. A memory of visiting a woman I haven’t seen since I was a small child – the anticipation of snow, the stillness and chill of the air, the smell of the wood stove. It felt like I was reliving this otherwise ordinary day. Sorcery in a jar, if you ask me.

Researchers have discovered that scent triggers a conversation between the olfactory system and the hippocampus – which, among other things, provides support for sorting and storing memories. While manufactured scents change from season to season, the scents we choose to use in our holiday traditions can have a lasting impact on our memories – even when we least expect it!

Candles can transform your space.

There are a few main ways to add scent to your home, but only a handful of ways that aren’t going to raise your cancer risk. If you don’t already have an established scent for your holiday memories, I highly recommend checking out Orchid + Ash. They’re completely non-toxic and bioidentical. You can get a 15% discount using code THEINVISIBLETRENDSETTER, but honestly, some of her discounts online around this time of year are much better than that. Hearth is going to smell like those giant fires at Cracker Barrel. Golden is the other holiday scent. It’s sitting in my living room waiting for the first burn.

Music is another powerful way to enhance memories.

I think we can all agree that music raises the vibrations of the area. You’ve probably hit your stride during a workout just by changing the song. If you’ve been on the planet for exactly three minutes, you almost certainly know how important music is to human culture. There’s some song somewhere that brings you back to a time and place you’d once forgotten about.

It turns out, music is just as powerful as scent when it comes to triggering memories. Music works to trigger the prefrontal cortex and is powerful enough that it can even be used in Alzheimer’s patients. Incredible, right?

Knowing that factoid, we can use a little bit of intentionality in setting the tune for our holiday festivities and etch those beautiful memories for our families to be accessed throughout their lives. And the great thing about music is that once it’s been recorded, it can be accessed whenever we need a little boost.

Of course, I don’t know your listening preferences. I have different music types for different times of the day, different seasons, and even different activities. I can’t tell you what would resonate with you, but I can share with you the different music we listen to during different activities throughout the season. The one great thing about working on building a tradition for the majority of your life is you’ve had a lot of time to figure out what feels good and what doesn’t.

Location	Station
Albany, NY	95.5 WYJB
Worcester, MA	96.1 SRS
Roanoke, VA	99.1 WSLQ

Not in one of those areas? I’m still here to spread holiday cheer. Head on over to this site and find the station nearest you that hosts Delilah in the evening. They’ve likely got something festive going on during the daytime.

A little intentionality goes a long way..

A conversation I often have with my husband is about intentionality. We don’t agree about date night. For example, he is satisfied with plopping on the couch and watching trashy TV and I need to know that he’s thinking about spending time with me throughout the week. Sometimes it’s the smallest, most seemingly insignificant things that make the biggest difference in how we experience life. In the hustle culture world we live in, it sometimes takes a little extra intentionality to set the tone in our home, and let our loved ones know how special they are to us. Just imagine what a beautiful world we’d live in if everyone had happy childhood memories as the foundation to the rest of their lives. That said, I recently heard this beautiful quote “magic doesn’t happen, it’s created.” So, I’ll leave you there. Light a candle, crank the holiday tunes and make some magic for your family.

Happy Holidays!