Holiday Joy in Senior Living: Building Connection, Tradition, and Togetherness

The holiday season brings people of all backgrounds together through shared traditions, laughter, and reflection. For older adults, this time of year can be especially meaningful — but also bittersweet. While holidays often stir fond memories, they can also bring reminders of distance or loss. At Masonic Village at Burlington, the focus is on renewing joy through community, celebrating old traditions while creating new ones that foster connection and belonging.

Creating a Spirit of Togetherness
The magic of the holidays lies in togetherness. In senior living communities, where residents may be far from family, that spirit of unity becomes even more essential. Masonic Village embraces this season by encouraging residents, families, and staff to celebrate in ways that feel familiar and fulfilling. From shared meals to themed gatherings, every event is designed to build friendship, laughter, and purpose.

Meaningful Activities That Spark Joy
Holiday activities offer an opportunity to reconnect with favorite traditions — or discover new ones. At Masonic Village, residents enjoy a wide range of seasonal experiences that blend creativity, nostalgia, and fun:

  • Crafting and Decorating – From handmade wreaths to festive cards, creative workshops let everyone contribute their personal touch to the season.
  • Movie Nights and Caroling – Classic films and sing-alongs fill the community with music and memories.
  • Friendly Competitions – Ugly sweater contests, themed trivia, or holiday bowling games add playfulness and laughter to the celebration.
  • Holiday Baking and Recipe Sharing – Residents swap family recipes and bake cookies or pies together, bringing beloved flavors to life.
  • Cultural and Interfaith Traditions – Residents honor Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and other observances through lighting ceremonies, storytelling, and shared reflection.

Honoring Traditions While Embracing Change
For many seniors, the holidays represent decades of family memories. Masonic Village understands the importance of continuity. Celebrations honor long-held customs — Thanksgiving meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas festivities on Christmas Day — while also inviting staff and families to join in. This approach reminds residents that their traditions matter and that they remain surrounded by care and familiarity.

Embracing Diversity and Shared Celebration
Every resident brings a unique background to the table. Masonic Village celebrates this diversity through inclusive programming that encourages cultural exchange. Residents might share personal holiday stories or teach others about their own customs, whether lighting a menorah or decorating a Christmas tree. These shared experiences highlight what unites everyone — a desire for light, warmth, and togetherness during the winter months.

Building New Traditions for the Future
Beyond honoring the past, senior living offers the chance to start anew. Residents create lasting memories by participating in community traditions like winter concerts, ornament exchanges, or festive dinners that grow more meaningful each year. For some, these moments become the highlight of the season, offering comfort and belonging in a welcoming home.

The Heart of the Holidays at Masonic Village
At Masonic Village, the holidays aren’t just celebrated — they’re experienced as a time to reconnect with purpose, joy, and community. Through shared traditions, inclusive celebrations, and compassionate care, residents and families alike rediscover the magic of the season together. It’s not simply about honoring the holidays, it’s about celebrating the people who make them special.

Step into a place that truly feels like home. We invite you to tour Masonic Village at Burlington, meet the people who make this community so special, and experience the warmth, care, and connection that set us apart.

Schedule your visit today and feel the difference for yourself.

The Inside Scoop on COVID-19

Headlines about the effects of COVID-19 unfortunately don’t tell the whole story about what is happening on our campus at the Masonic Village at Burlington.

They don’t explain our early and consistent precautions to protect our residents and staff from contracting the virus: closing our campus to visitors, suspending non-essential services, postponing non-urgent medical appointments, stopping group activities, discouraging travel, implementing screening for staff, delivering meals to residents’ homes or rooms and making essential groceries available for residents on-campus to reduce their need to go to the grocery store.

They also don’t describe just how very contagious this virus is or the size of our campus compared to other retirement communities that are combatting it.

Here is what I witness every day:

  • An incredibly dedicated staff who care so much about our residents that they have been working around the clock with commitment, compassion and flexibility, going above and beyond to make the best of this challenging situation.
  • A team who has quickly adapted to new policies, procedures and practices to provide the best quality care and services to the residents they love.
  • Creative advocates who are finding unique ways to provide safe recreational and spiritual services and alternate ways for residents to connect with their loved ones, even while they are missing time with their own families.

I am saddened that we have residents and staff who are suffering from this virus, yet I am proud of our combined efforts to defeat it. Dr. Guda, our Medical Director, is currently living on campus and is seeing patients as frequently as needed. Our nursing team monitors our skilled nursing and assisted living residents’ vital signs on every shift and assesses them for symptoms. Any symptoms are reported to the physician or nurse practitioner, and the resident is immediately placed on isolation. Our team members are screened daily prior to entering work for fever other symptoms. We are following all procedures recommended by the CDC and maintain contact with public health officials.

Our staff are motivated knowing their work is appreciated by residents and families.

Claire & Don Simpson
Claire & Don Simpson

“We feel so safe and cared for here,” residents Claire and Don Simpson said. “In a world that is scary and threatening, we feel blessed to be in this wonderful place. We know you are taking extreme steps to keep us safe and to stay connected to us. We feel like we are in the palm of God’s hand.”

Masonic Village at Burlington has been named the Best of Burlington in several categories for many years in a row and was named to the lists of Best Nursing Homes and Best Short-term Rehab by U.S. News & World Report for 2019-2020. I believe our team continues to earn our reputation as a premier service provider during this national healthcare crisis.

Through it all, Masonic Village at Burlington remains a caring and loving place to call “home.”

Carl Tarbell is executive director of Masonic Village at Burlington.

Supporting Young Readers

Did you know that Masonic Village at Burlington has a Dyslexia Center on its campus?

For more than 20 years, the Children’s Dyslexia Centers Inc., a Scottish Rite charity, have been leaders in the effort to help children and their families overcome the painful obstacles of dyslexia, a neurological learning disability that makes it difficult for children and adults to read, write and spell.

There are more than 40 Dyslexia Centers in 13 states and five centers in New Jersey, including the Verdon R. Skipper Children’s Dyslexia Center at Burlington. The center tackles the challenge of dyslexia both by providing tutoring for children with dyslexia and by training a growing number of highly-skilled and dedicated tutors.

The center at Burlington serves children in grades 1-12 from many different educational backgrounds. On average, children admitted to the program attend for two years. The children receive one-on-one instruction twice a week after school.

“We both went through the teacher training program 20 years ago, and it’s truly life-changing, the rippling effect it has on getting the word out about dyslexia,” said Lisa Nappi, co-director of the center alongside Cheri Tartaglione.

Masons decided many years ago they wanted to support philanthropic endeavors, Cheri said. They got involved with training teachers and paired up with the Graduate Center for Dyslexia Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Many of the teachers work in the classroom all day and then come to the center in the evening to tutor the children.

“Masons are making an incredible contribution to the dyslexia community, not just by tutoring children but by educating teachers,” Cheri said.

Masonic Village at Burlington resident Allan Hall volunteers at the center two nights a week, opening the doors for staff and parents.

“Because we have a locked door with a security release, Alan allows access and is there for parents to sign their children in,” Cheri said. “We enjoy seeing his smiling face.”

Dyslexia affects up to one out of every five people, boys and girls equally. Without proper intervention, dyslexia can lead to literacy, academic, social and self-esteem difficulties. While it is a treatable condition, millions of sufferers go without help due to lack of finances or access to services.

“One of the reasons that people seek out this program is because most schools don’t have the staff or the resources to provide the Orton-Gillingham method that teachers receive via Fairleigh Dickinson, Cheri said.

Orton-Gillingham is a teaching approach specifically designed to help struggling readers by explicitly teaching the connections between letters and sounds.

Parent Shannon Tucker had two children in the dyslexia program, a son and a daughter. Her daughter completed the program and her son is currently in his first year. “I think the program is wonderful,” she said. “My son’s teacher totally knew how to get on his level and make learning fun for him. I’ve seen both my son and daughter make a lot of progress and grow.”

On Feb. 23, the Verdon R. Skipper Children’s Dyslexia Center will host its major fundraiser. For more information on how to give or how to volunteer, visit www.skipperlearningcenter.org.