Festive Frontlines: Military Holiday Traditions That Connect
Written by Maddison Bailey
When you’re part of a military family, the holidays don’t always arrive wrapped in tradition. Some years, the tree goes up early because deployment is around the corner, and you want to experience as much of the season together as possible. In other years, the family photo includes one less smile in front of the tree. For many military families, Christmas — and really any major holiday — tends to look a bit different.
Yet, in those differences, something remarkable happens: we find new ways to celebrate, connect, and carry joy wherever we are.
Creating Military Holiday Traditions
Our first Christmas as a married couple was also our first spent far from our families. There were no childhood ornaments on the tree, no bustling breakfast with cousins and grandparents, no chaotic present-opening in a crowded living room. Instead, it was just the two of us nervously, yet excitedly, figuring out how to make the holiday feel like home in a brand-new place.
So we did what most newlyweds do: we blended the traditions we held the closest. My husband strung popcorn garland for the tree as he did growing up, and I surprised him with matching Christmas pajamas for Christmas Eve. We baked cookies, queued up our favorite holiday movies, and did our best to create something familiar in the midst of so much change.
Since then, we’ve built new military holiday traditions. Every year, we pick out a new Christmas tree ornament that symbolizes our story of that year, from a tiny camper during a PCS move to a gingerbread house representing the first home we purchased together. These small keepsakes help us remember the journey we’ve shared, even when life takes us far from family and friends.
We decorate our home while sipping hot chocolate, whether it’s early in November or halfway through December, depending on Temporary Duty (TDY) and deployment timelines. We FaceTime family as we open the thoughtful gifts they’ve sent across the miles.
And when we can’t make it home, we open our doors to others who can’t either. Our “Friends-mas” gatherings have become some of our favorite memories, with potluck dishes, white elephant gifts, and board games that stretch late into the night. One year, while living in Hawaii, we even built a sand snowman!
With each new duty station, we find opportunities to create holiday memories that are uniquely ours.
Through it all, what we’ve learned is this: home isn’t a single place. It’s the people you love and the memories you make, no matter what city, base, or time zone you find yourselves in.
Keeping Joy Alive Even When Apart
The holidays, especially for military families, are rarely about perfection. They’re about being present with one another, even if “together” means a video call.
As we begin celebrating the holidays, military families across the globe are finding new meaning in this chapter of their lives, discovering comfort in connection and joy in giving, even when the season is different from what we imagined.
Every twinkling light, every small act of kindness, reminds us that holiday resilience runs deep in our community. And with the help of organizations like the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), that spirit of giving continues to shine across bases and homes everywhere.
ASYMCA’s Role During the Holidays
The ASYMCA knows that for military families, celebrating the holidays often requires adaptability, and they’ve made it their mission to support us through those transitions. Programs like Operation Holiday Joy help bring holiday meals, toys, and treasured memories to service members and their families across the country.
For some, that means a warm holiday dinner they didn’t have to stretch the budget to afford. For others, it’s a toy drive that brings the sparkle back into a child’s eyes. I’ll never forget when one of my husband’s friends was able to pick up gifts for his two-year-old through an ASYMCA program. The look of relief on his face as he walked away is something I’ll always remember.
At bases like Camp Pendleton, programs such as Santa’s Workshop turn donated toys into moments of pure joy for military children who might otherwise go without. And for those stationed far from home, the ASYMCA helps bridge the miles in another meaningful way.
Operation Ride Home provides financial assistance to E1-E5 active duty and reserve personnel, helping them travel home for the holidays when doing so would otherwise be out of reach. Because the distance from loved ones can feel especially heavy this time of the year, ASYMCA and partners like Jack Daniel’s have stepped in to ensure more junior enlisted service members can spend the holidays surrounded by the people who matter most.
Bring Joy to a Military Family This Holiday Season
From our first Christmas as a married couple, spent far from both our families, to the “Friends-mas” celebrations we now love to host with our military friends, we’ve learned firsthand how much a little extra support can brighten the holidays. Programs like Operation Holiday Joy make those moments possible for families who sacrifice so much.
Every donation helps provide warm holiday meals, toys for children, and special events that bring comfort, connection, and joy. When you give, you help create memories that last a lifetime — and right now, your gift will go even further.
