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Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. I love everything about Christmas! Growing up, we had a few traditions and doing those things year after year really made the Christmas season extra special and always meant a lot, especially now looking back. Now that I have two kids, I want to make Christmas even more special! Today I’m going to give you 25 Christmas traditions that you should start now.
- Yearly Ornament
- Every year you buy or make an ornament that represents a highlight of that year. This tradition I started the year my husband and I moved into our first home. The years my children were born, I bought an ornament and placed their hospital bands and hat inside. We also bought a few more beautiful ornaments to represent their births that year. The year we bought Disney annual passes, we bought a Mickey ornament to represent the many memories we made that year. Now that my son is three, I’d like to include him in making an ornament each year. When my littlest one gets old enough, I’ll do the same with him. You could also do handprints and footprints too!
- Cutting Down a Christmas Tree
- Go to a Christmas tree farm and pick out the perfect Christmas tree as a family. Then everyone in the family has to help cut it down. This helps get the Christmas season started right. It’s also nice to have the house smell like Christmas with a real tree.
- Decorating the Tree Together
- On December 1st, everyone puts the tree up and helps to decorate it together while listening to Christmas music. Putting the tree up alone year after year sucks! So incorporate everyone and make it a family tradition!
- Elf on the Shelf
- I’m sure you already know about this one. Buy an elf and have him appear December 1st. Leave an announcement of his arrival with him reminding the kids that he reports to Santa every night and that they have to be on their best behavior so they don’t end up on the naughty list. Every morning he will be hiding and they must find him. There are tons of fun ideas to do with the elf on Pinterest. You can also check out Etsy where you can find a ton of custom clothes, personalized puzzles, etc to incorporate into your tradition (check them out HERE). I just started this tradition with my three year old and I already love looking forward to each morning so we can find the elf together.
- Bake Cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve
- Make Christmas Eve extra special by making and decorating cookies together as a family for Santa Claus. The kids will love spending time with you but will also be excited about Santa coming.
- Watch a Christmas Movie Every Night of December
- Sit down every night and watch a Christmas movie together as a family. There are tons of movies to watch on all of the subscription services. We like to watch tv while we eat so instead of watching our normal stuff, we find a good Christmas movie we think we will like that will also keep our three year old’s attention.
- Get a Family Picture with Santa Every Year
- We started this tradition the year my oldest was born. Every year we go get a picture with Santa but with all of us in the picture. Our kids wear their matching pajamas and we coordinate colors. Until this year, we have also been able to get our pictures done with the same Santa which has been really cool.
- Sit By The Fire Drinking Cocoa
- If you have a fireplace and it’s cool outside, why not start a fire and sip hot cocoa around the fire as a family. It makes for a warm touch and can become a impactful Christmas tradition.
- Give Experiences Instead of Presents
- If your kids already have everything, try giving them experiences instead of more things. This can be tickets to a theme park, annual zoo passes, a trip to the aquarium, a family vacation, etc. With young kids, you could also do a small experience for each month of the upcoming year: swimming lessons, a trip to the movies, a train ride, ice skating, bowling, etc. Just place an envelop for each month into a box and include the tickets/money with a personalized note detailing what you’re doing. This makes for a year long of fun.
- Advent Calendar
- You can buy pre-made cardboard ones or you buy one you refill every year. Etsy has a ton of personalized advent calendars you can find HERE. They typically come with candy inside but you can also do an experience advent calendar. Then each day, your child gets to open up the box/pocket and see what’s inside.
- Make a Gingerbread House
- This is fun for small kids but can also be fun for older kids. You can even make it a competition. You can buy pre-made kits or you can make it more unique and have the kids pick out their own ingredients at the store.
- Christmas Pajamas
- Every year each kid gets a new set of pajamas. I like to buy matching pajamas for the kids. Some people choose to give them the pajamas on Christmas eve as a present. I prefer to give them to the kids early December so they get more use out of them but also so we can get our Santa pictures done in them.
- Exchange Handmade Gifts
- Skip the standard gift exchange and make each others’ gifts instead. This can be a lot of fun with younger kids especially and can make for gifts you want to keep forever. It’s also a great way to make memories as a family.
- Go look at Christmas Lights
- Get in the car and drive around and look at Christmas lights together. Some places even have Christmas light shows. Growing up, this was always something we did on Christmas Eve while listening to the Santa tracker on the radio. It definitely increased the Christmas spirit and made for memories that will last a lifetime.
- Gift a Needy Family a Toy
- There are so many ways to do this. You could simply have your child pick out a toy and drop it in a donation bin you can find around the holiday season or you can sponsor a family and buy things on their Christmas list. I love this tradition though because it teaches kids to be thankful and to give.
- Go Caroling
- If you’re a singing family (or even if you aren’t), you could go caroling door to door or find a group that does caroling at events during the holiday season. Caroling is a great way to get into the holiday spirit.
- Do Volunteer Work As a Family
- This is another great way to give back. Take the family and go volunteer at a soup kitchen or do some other volunteer work. This is another great way to teach kids to be thankful for what they have and teaches them to give back to the community.
- Let Each Kid Decorate Their Own Tree
- Get each child their own small Christmas tree for their room and let them decorate it with whatever they want. This is great for small children and helps to keep your main tree free of random things they might decide to hang on it.
- Write Letters to Santa Claus
- Many children already do this! It’s a great way to get their holiday spirit up. Depending on your location, there are even ways to get a response from Santa. Try googling your location to find out how.
- Read “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve
- This is a tradition already in many families. Try getting everyone together to sit by the fire and drink hot cocoa in your Pj’s while reading this on Christmas Eve.
- Read a Christmas Story Every Night of December
- If your kids are still young enough, try reading a Christmas story to them every night of December. Not only does it get the Christmas spirit up, but it also helps young children learn communication skills. We bought a $5 Disney Christmas book at Walmart a few years back that includes multiple stories. They are five minute stories making for a quick but memorable tradition.
- Build A Snowman (if you have snow)
- Being in Florida, we aren’t so lucky to have this luxury (although I wouldn’t have it any other way). If you live somewhere there is snow, make sure to go out and play with your kids in the snow. Building a snowman can be a lot of fun. If your children are older, maybe even make it into a family competition.
- Let the Kids Go Shopping For Gifts
- Set a budget and take your kids to a cheap store (think Dollar Tree, if you have young kids). Then let them pick out gifts for their family and friends. This can be a lot of fun for young kids and also teaches them the spirit of giving. If they’re older or if you have a larger budget, take them to a slightly more expensive store and let them pick out a few gifts for those closest to them.
- Make Food Shaped Like Christmas
- Think Santa pancakes and Christmas tree cookies! Try making foods into Christmas shapes. This is a lot of fun for smaller children but can also be something memorable for older children as well. It takes very little time and adds just a bit more joy during the holidays.
- Make Reindeer Food to Leave out on Christmas Eve
- This is a fun tradition for kids. On Christmas Eve, help them make reindeer food. A combination of Chex Mix, M&M’s, and chocolate chips, it’s an easy thing to make with easy clean up. Then before bed, have them go outside and spread it through the yard or have them place it in a pile for easier clean up. After they go to bed, rake or pick up some of it and dispose of it. This helps instill the belief of Christmas magic.
There you have it, 25 Christmas traditions to start this year. Now that I have kids, I want to spread the Christmas magic and make the holiday season a ton of fun, so much so that they look forward to it all year. If you’re a parent, your job is now to make the magic happen. It can be so much fun watching your child’s face light up when they find the elf every morning. Many of these traditions take minimal effort but can bring the whole family together for quality time. Go the extra mile, there’s something beautiful in being a little extra.
