Too often, the holidays can feel like a footrace, a blur that makes us wonder: Is it possible to carve out some quiet time together? Yes, say six families featured here. The secret for them lies in creating traditions that shift the focus away from commercialism and onto what they value most--friends and family. Invariably, their homespun rituals, which you'll find by clicking onward, have become gifts their kids treasure more than any under the tree.

Maryellen Kennedy Duckett is a freelance writer who lives with her husband and three daughters in Tennessee.