A Year of Celebration: How to Celebrate Well All Year Long

Part of cultivating what matters is regularly making time to celebrate. Celebrating goal progress? Absolutely - but also the other occasions, big and small, that make up a memorable life. Celebrating allows us to bring joy to the people we love, helping them feel seen and known. It allows us to express and live out what we value. It slows down the passing of time, giving us things to look forward to and memories to look back on. And it helps us to enjoy the journey, as cheesy as it might sound, instead of always waiting for the next big accomplishment or milestone. 

If you've ever wondered what to write on your "year of celebration" Wildcard, here are some ideas! We rounded up some ways Team Cultivate loves to celebrate occasions big and small, and hope they bring sweetness to your days.

JANUARY:

• A hike outside on New Year's Day
• A winter break trip to somewhere warm

FEBRUARY:

• A tea party for Valentine's Day/Galentine's Day - either with kids or grown-up gals!
• Intentionally caring for a single friend or someone who might appreciate a little extra love on Valentine's Day
• A Valentine's Day lunch date with your significant other

MARCH:

• Pi Day (ask friends to bring a sweet and savory pie for a party, or choose just a favorite type of each to enjoy with a smaller group)
• Lucky Charms for breakfast on St. Patrick's Day
• First day of spring

APRIL:

• A crepe brunch for Easter
• Paying for the car behind in the coffee shop line on Easter weekend

MAY:

• Teacher Appreciation Day/Week
• Kentucky Derby
• A picnic for Mother's Day
• Making crafts or cards for grandmothers for Mother's Day
• Memorial Day

JUNE:

• Giant charcuterie board for Father's Day
• Special dinner or dessert for the last day of school
• First day of summer

JULY:

• Independence Day

AUGUST:

• First day of school pictures
• Back to school supplies shopping dates
• Back to School dinner

SEPTEMBER:

• Labor Day
• First day of fall
• Send care packages to college students you love

OCTOBER:

• Pumpkin patch and pumpkin carving
• Pumpkin chili for Halloween dinner

NOVEMBER:

• Friendsgiving
• Thanksgiving turkey trot
• Decorating for Christmas followed by a chili dinner and Christmas movie marathon

DECEMBER:

• Gingerbread house party or cookie swap
• Gift wrapping party with friends
• Attending the Nutcracker
• First day of winter
• Watching It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve
• New Year's Eve fondue party

A reminder: there's no need to celebrate every single one of these occasions! Pick and choose the ones that feel right for you and the ones you love. And don't forget to add birthdays, anniversaries, and other personal milestones to your Wildcard!

We'd love to hear: common or unique, what celebrations do you look forward to every year? Do you have a special way of celebrating a common holiday? Leave a comment and let us know!