The Holiday Memory Trick That Makes Learning Stick Year-Round

In partnership with

Hi, this is Ray,

And yes, I'm writing this while "Last Christmas" plays for the 47th time today and I still know every single word despite actively trying to forget it for the past decade.

Which got me thinking: Why can I instantly recall the entire plot of Home Alone, remember what my grandma's kitchen smelled like during the holidays 15 years ago, and sing every Mariah Carey run from "All I Want for Christmas Is You"... but I can barely remember what I learned in that course I took three months ago?

The answer isn't that holiday memories are magic. It's that your brain treats them differently. And once you understand why, you can hack the same principles to make anything you learn stick like "Jingle Bells" in July.

So naturally, I went full research mode.

Here's what I found about memory, holidays, and how to make learning actually stick.

Why Holiday Memories Feel Bulletproof

Let's start with a question: What do you remember from December 25th, 2019?

Now, what do you remember from, say, March 12th, 2019?

Unless something dramatic happened on March 12th, you probably drew a blank. But December 25th? You can probably recall details, conversations, what you ate, who said what.

Here's why: Your brain doesn't remember everything equally. It prioritizes memories based on emotional intensity, sensory richness, repetition, and novelty.

And holidays? They hit all four.

Neuroscientists at New York University found that emotionally charged events create stronger and longer-lasting memories because they activate the amygdala, which tags those memories as "important" and signals the hippocampus to encode them more deeply.

Translation: Your brain doesn't forget Christmas morning because Christmas morning feels important. The emotions, the sights, the smells, the music… they all work together to create what researchers call "flashbulb memories."

Now here's the kicker: You can engineer this same effect for anything you want to learn.

The Four Holiday Memory Principles (And How to Steal Them)

Your brain remembers holidays so well because they naturally incorporate four evidence-based memory principles. Let's break them down and apply them to learning.

1. Emotion = Memory Superglue

Ever notice how you remember embarrassing moments from middle school but not the actual lesson from that day? That's emotion doing its job.

Research from the University of California shows that emotional arousal enhances memory consolidation by up to 50%. When you feel something while learning, your brain treats it as worth remembering.

Holidays are packed with emotion: excitement, nostalgia, joy, even stress (thanks, family dynamics). Your brain says "This matters, save this."

How to apply it to learning:

• Create emotional connections to what you're learning. Don't just memorize facts… find the story, the controversy, the "holy shit" moment that makes it interesting.

• Study with others. Social learning creates emotional engagement. Explaining concepts to someone, debating ideas, or even just studying in the presence of others adds emotional texture.

• Celebrate small wins. Literally. Do a little fist pump when you nail a concept. Your brain will tag that moment as emotionally significant.

Before studying something dry, ask yourself: "Why would someone care about this?" or "What's surprising about this?" Emotion follows curiosity.

Looking for unbiased, fact-based news? Join 1440 today.

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Subscribe to 1440 today.

2. Multi-Sensory Experiences Stick Better

Think about your strongest holiday memory. Chances are, it's not just visual… you remember the smell of cookies baking, the texture of wrapping paper, the sound of specific songs, the taste of hot chocolate.

That's because memories encoded through multiple senses create more neural pathways, making them easier to recall later.

A study published in Memory & Cognition found that information learned through multiple sensory channels is recalled significantly better than information learned through a single channel.

How to apply it to learning:

• Engage multiple senses while studying. Don't just read… speak it out loud, write it by hand, draw diagrams, or even create physical models.

• Use location as a sensory cue. Study different subjects in different places. Your brain will associate the environment with the content, making recall easier. (Remember context-dependent learning from the study spots article? Same principle.)

• Add music or scent. Study with a specific playlist or scent (like peppermint oil or coffee). When you need to recall that information, the sensory cue can trigger the memory.

The more weird and multi-sensory you make your learning, the better. Studying anatomy? Draw organs while saying their names out loud in a silly voice. Yes, really.

3. Repetition (But Make It Spaced)

Here's why you know every word to "All I Want for Christmas": You've heard it 10,000 times, but spread out over years.

That's spaced repetition… one of the most powerful memory techniques known to science.

Research from cognitive psychology shows that spacing out learning sessions over time leads to better long-term retention than cramming everything at once. Your brain consolidates memories during the gaps between study sessions, making each subsequent review more effective.

Holidays naturally use spaced repetition. Every year, the same traditions, songs, and rituals come back, reinforcing the memories.

How to apply it to learning:

• Review material at increasing intervals. Study something today, review it tomorrow, then in three days, then a week later, then a month later.

• Use spaced repetition apps like Anki or Quizlet for facts, vocabulary, or formulas. These apps automatically schedule reviews at optimal intervals.

• Teach it multiple times. Explaining the same concept to different people over time reinforces it through spaced retrieval.

Don't try to learn everything in one sitting. Break it into chunks and revisit them. Your brain needs time to move information from short-term to long-term storage.

4. Novelty and Context Make Memories Distinct

Why do you remember this Christmas vividly but the one from five years ago is kind of blurry? Because this one had something different… a new tradition, a surprise guest, a weird gift, an unexpected moment.

Novelty triggers dopamine release, which signals your brain that something important is happening. And when something stands out from the routine, it becomes easier to recall.

Neuroscientists have found that novel experiences activate the hippocampus and enhance memory encoding. Your brain is wired to notice and remember what's different.

How to apply it to learning:

• Change up your study routine regularly. Different locations, different times, different methods. Breaking the pattern makes each session more memorable.

• Create bizarre mental images. Memory champions use this technique: the weirder and more vivid the mental image, the easier it is to recall. Learning about mitochondria? Imagine a tiny power plant inside your cells throwing a rave.

• Link new information to surprising facts. Finding the unusual angle makes content stick.

If you're learning a list or sequence, turn it into the weirdest story possible. The more absurd, the better your recall.

The "Holiday Dinner" Retrieval Practice Method

Here's a memory technique inspired by how holiday gatherings work: forced retrieval through storytelling.

Think about it. At holiday dinners, someone inevitably says "Remember when...?" and suddenly everyone's retrieving memories, adding details, laughing at shared experiences. That act of retrieval (pulling information out of your brain) is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen memory.

Research shows that retrieval practice (testing yourself) is far more effective for long-term retention than passive review.

How to apply it:

Instead of re-reading your notes (passive), force yourself to recall them without looking (active).

• Close your book/notes and write down everything you remember. Don't worry about accuracy at first… just get it out of your head.

• Explain it to an imaginary student. Or a real one. Or your cat. The act of explaining forces retrieval.

• Use the "Feynman Technique." Pretend you're teaching the concept to a 10-year-old. If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough yet.

After each study session, take 5 minutes to write a "brain dump"… everything you just learned, from memory, without looking. Then check your notes to see what you missed. Those gaps show you exactly what needs more review.

The "Christmas Lights" Method: Linking Memories in Chains

Remember untangling Christmas lights and how each bulb connects to the next? That's actually a brilliant memory model.

Your brain remembers things better when they're linked in a narrative or logical sequence rather than isolated facts.

Psychologists call this "chunking" and "elaborative encoding"… grouping information into meaningful patterns and connecting new information to what you already know.

Studies show that chunking dramatically increases memory capacity by organizing information into larger, meaningful units.

How to apply it:

• Create memory chains. Link each new piece of information to the previous one, building a story or logical progression.

• Use the "Memory Palace" technique. Mentally walk through a familiar place (like your childhood home or your holiday gathering spot) and place pieces of information in specific locations. When you need to recall them, mentally walk through the space again.

• Build concept maps. Visually connect ideas with arrows and labels showing how they relate. Your brain loves patterns.

When learning a process or sequence, turn it into a journey. "First we're here, then we move to this room, then we go upstairs..." Physical movement (even imagined) enhances memory.

Why Sleep Is Your Holiday Memory Secret Weapon

Here's something interesting: Why do holiday memories from childhood feel so vivid? Partly because you probably got better sleep back then.

During sleep, your brain replays and consolidates memories from the day, transferring them from short-term to long-term storage. This process, called memory consolidation, is crucial for learning.

Research from Harvard Medical School shows that people who sleep after learning retain information significantly better than those who stay awake.

And guess what? The holidays, for all their chaos, often give people more sleep than regular work/school weeks (or at least different sleep patterns that include naps and rest).

How to apply it:

• Never pull all-nighters before exams. You're literally sabotaging your memory consolidation.

• Review material right before bed. Your brain will process it during sleep, strengthening those neural pathways.

• Take strategic naps after learning sessions. Even a 20-minute nap can enhance memory consolidation.

If you're serious about remembering something, review it before sleep and again first thing in the morning. You're working with your brain's natural consolidation cycle.

The "January Effect": Testing Your Long-Term Recall

Here's the real test of memory: Can you still recall it weeks or months later?

This is where most studying fails. You might remember something for the test, but a month later? Gone.

The holidays give us a natural experiment in long-term memory. You remember events from years ago because they're reinforced annually and connected to strong emotional and sensory cues.

For learning, you need to build in long-term review cycles.

The science-backed approach:

1. Learn it (initial encoding)

2. Review after 1 day (first consolidation)

3. Review after 1 week (spaced repetition)

4. Review after 1 month (long-term storage)

5. Review after 3 months (maintenance)

Research consistently shows that distributed practice over time leads to superior long-term retention compared to massed practice.

Set calendar reminders to review material at increasing intervals. Most people stop after the test… that's why they forget everything. The real learning happens in the long-term review cycles.

Final Thoughts (With Holiday Spirit)

Look, your brain isn't broken. It's actually incredibly good at remembering… when you give it the right conditions.

You don't need a photographic memory. You need to study like your brain is preparing for a holiday: with emotion, multiple senses, spaced repetition, and meaningful connections.

The next time you find yourself singing along to a holiday song you haven't heard in months and remembering every word, don't be annoyed. Be inspired.

Your brain just showed you what it's capable of when the conditions are right.

Now go make your learning unforgettable.

To Recap:

• Emotion = memory superglue = if it makes you feel something, you'll remember it

• Multi-sensory learning = engage more senses, create more neural pathways

• Spaced repetition = review at increasing intervals, not all at once

• Novelty enhances memory = change it up, make it weird, break patterns

• Retrieval practice > passive review = test yourself, explain it, brain dump it

• Memory chains and chunking = link information in meaningful patterns

• Sleep consolidates memories = review before bed, never skip sleep for studying

• Long-term review cycles = 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months

Here's to making 2026 the year your learning actually sticks,

Ray

P.S. If you made it through this whole article and remember the four holiday memory principles without scrolling back up, congrats… you just proved retrieval practice works. (They were: emotion, multi-sensory, repetition, and novelty. How'd you do?)