Get in the Holiday Spirit!

It’s December and the Holiday Spirit is in the air!

Time spent with loved ones, experiencing the joy of gift giving, and enjoying lots of good cheer are what Holiday Spirit is all about. Thanks to the season, December offers wonderful opportunities to connect with your grandchild, and demonstrates the importance of connecting with and serving others.

National Volunteer Day

December 5th marks International Volunteer Day. This day offers an opportunity to recognize volunteer organizations and individual volunteers for their commitment and time.

These selfless heroes give freely of their time and talent, and they make an immeasurable impact on countless lives. International Volunteer Day is a day to celebrate their selflessness, and it gives you the perfect opportunity to educate your grandchild about not only the importance of showing appreciation for those who freely give of their time and talent, but to also give freely on one's own time and talent!

Here are some ways you and your grandchild can let the volunteers in your life know how much you truly appreciate their dedication and efforts:

· Bake cookies and deliver them together.

· Write a letter with your grandchild thanking a volunteer.

· Pass on family history by telling stories about a family member who served as a volunteer.

· Pick out the perfect bouquet of flowers that will surely bring a smile.

· Buy them tickets for a local event.

· Send them a gift card to a favorite restaurant or store.

You may have heard of St. Nicholas’ Day. St. Nicholas’ Day celebrates the life of St. Nicholas and takes place in December. St. Nicholas, or St Nick, is another individual remembered for his charity. St. Nick is popularly known the world over as Santa Claus. Besides his image as a reindeer sleigh-wielding, world traveling, Christmas Eve gift giver, St. Nicholas was a real man who charitably gave away large sums of money to people in desperate situations. His generosity and care for those in need left a legacy that continues today. Many places around the world remember this man on December 6, St. Nicholas’ Day, by leaving chocolate coins, tangerines or other small gifts in children’s shoes. Delight your own grandchildren with this fun tradition.

The Gift of Time

While gift giving and celebrations are fun, the most important gift you can offer your grandchild this holiday season is the gift of time, and more specifically, your time and attention. Our very special Grandparent Merit Badges for Volunteers edition, now available at Grandparent Merit Badges, offers many ideas for spending quality volunteer time and one-on-one time with your grandchildren. What better gift can you give than one that gives to the giver, the receiver, and the surrounding community?!

Many different cultural celebrations take place over the course of December. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa are just a few holidays that celebrate the spirit of loving family and encourage community support through selfless giving. The Holiday Spirit of giving clearly crosses nationalities, cultures, and religions. If you’re looking for the perfect gift to encompass the core elements of the holidays this season, consider ordering one of our six Grandparent Merit Badges kits to give to special loved ones and friends during this giving holiday season. Our kits also make great stocking stuffers - for grandparents and grandchildren!

If you happen to live in the Northeast Ohio area, you can stop in the Fair Trade on Main shop in Hudson to check out the Grandparent Merit Badges kit collection in person. And while you’re at it, you will see a wide variety of fun and unique gifts available in the Fair Trade on Main marketplace! Fair Trade on Main supports people from all walks of life through a wide variety of products for sale – including the Grandparent Merit Badges collection of kits! They partner with artisans in 34 countries through fair trade and work over 27 local artisans.

‍

‍

Fair Trade on Main134 N Main S
Hudson, OH 44236
‍https://fairtradeonmain.com/

‍