Why traditions matter to healing
Traditions pass from one generation to the next and tie the past, present, and future together. They connect us to family, friends, and our cultural group, and they tell us we belong and that we matter. Those feelings of connection release oxytocin, a hormone tied to attachment, trust, and social bonding (NIH/NLM). Holiday celebrations are some of the most loaded traditions we have, which is exactly why missing them stings. When a patient feels that loss, it works against their recovery.
Christmas looks different across cultures
Christmas began as a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus and spread from Europe across the world. Today people in most countries mark it, Christian or not, usually as a time when family gathers and gifts change hands. When and how varies widely.
Most people in the US exchange gifts on December 25. Families with roots in Germany, Sweden, or Portugal may celebrate on Christmas Eve instead. Eastern Orthodox Christians who still follow the older Julian calendar, which now runs about thirteen days behind the Gregorian calendar, celebrate Christmas in early January, around January 7. Many regions also folded older non-Christian midwinter customs into the holiday, which is why foods, decorations, and activities differ so much from place to place.
Traditions also keep changing. The first commercial Christmas cards were printed in Britain in 1843, and the custom spread worldwide. Now that most greetings are digital, the row of cards over the fireplace may not survive another generation. The point for nurses: don't assume everyone celebrates the way you do, or attaches the same meaning to the same symbols.
Staying culturally sensitive on the unit
Keep shared decorations neutral. Snowflakes, stars, and candy canes work for everyone; avoid imagery and music tied to one specific faith over the sound system.
Responding to each patient's cultural and religious beliefs is also the core of good care. The HHS National CLAS Standards call for effective, understandable, and respectful care that responds to patients' cultural health beliefs and practices (HHS Office of Minority Health). With individual patients, what you know about a cultural group is a starting point, not a script. People drift from family traditions, adopt a partner's, change faiths, or take on the customs of a new country. So ask. Find out how they usually celebrate, what their favorite part is, and what they'll miss most. Their answers tell you how to brighten the day.
A few things that help, especially when family can't come in:
- Traditions are about being together. Set up a video call so the patient can join their family at the time they'd normally gather. It reinforces that they belong and that they matter, even from a hospital bed.
- Ask family and friends for photos with short Christmas messages you can put up.
- Arrange a gift for the day and time the family usually exchanges them, whether that's Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, or January 7. Family can drop gifts off, and you can have a small one ready for patients with no one nearby.
- If certain holiday foods matter to a patient, ask family to bring some, even just to the entrance. Mind any dietary restrictions, and the staff might get a taste of something new too.
- For devout Christians, the spiritual side of the day matters. If a patient normally attends a Christmas service, help them stream or listen to one, and find their favorite hymns or build them a playlist.
Bring traditions in, in new ways
Traditions sit at the root of why the holidays feel good, and why missing them aches. Nurses working Christmas know that firsthand; it never gets easy. When the usual celebrations aren't possible, the answer is to adapt: find ways for patients to connect with the people and rituals that matter to them. While you're doing that for your patients, don't forget yourself and your own family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does spending the holidays in the hospital affect recovery? Patients miss rituals that signal they belong and that they matter, and that loss can slip into sadness or depression, which works against healing. Connection and tradition release oxytocin, a hormone tied to attachment and trust (NIH/NLM), so bringing the holiday onto the unit is more than a nice gesture.
How can nurses make the holidays feel special for patients? Set up video calls at the time the family normally gathers, post photos and short messages from loved ones, arrange a small gift for the day they usually exchange them, and, with dietary limits in mind, ask family to bring a meaningful food. For devout patients, help them stream a service or build a playlist of favorite hymns.
How do nurses stay culturally sensitive during the holidays? Keep shared decorations neutral, then ask each patient how they actually celebrate rather than assuming. The HHS National CLAS Standards call for care that responds to each patient's cultural and religious beliefs and practices (HHS Office of Minority Health).
Does everyone celebrate Christmas on December 25? No. Many families with German, Swedish, or Portuguese roots celebrate on Christmas Eve, and Eastern Orthodox Christians on the older Julian calendar mark it in early January, around January 7. When and how people celebrate varies widely, so ask before you assume.
How can nurses support themselves while working the holidays? Working Christmas never gets easy, so the same things that help patients help staff: lean on your team, stay connected to your own people, and make space for your traditions even in a shortened form. Caring for yourself protects your ability to care for patients.