32 Family Christmas Tradition Ideas: Make Memories
Christmas is quickly approaching, and that means it’s time to set your Christmas traditions into motion. This post will offer you 32 family Christmas tradition ideas from which to choose.
Are you looking for some new ones to add to your repertoire? I’ve got you covered! Or perhaps your family already has one or two traditions, but you would like to add a few more? This post is for you!!
Let me begin by saying that if you are reading this and thinking, “I have not done a great job with traditions and I feel like a loser,” don’t stress because it’s never too late to start a tradition.
I am even willing to bet that you already have a tradition or two but haven’t named them “traditions” yet.
In this post, I am offering you a list of 32 family Christmas traditions that will help you make special memories that will last a lifetime.
I recommend re-evaluating your traditions every year. Take some time to review the traditions you have and evaluate what you will keep and what you will let go.
Warning: Don’t let traditions overwhelm you. This takes the fun and specialness out of Christmas. If there is a year when you cannot accomplish one of your traditions, let it go.
Traditions are supposed to be fun and family-centered. It can easily become a weight and a burden if you let it. So if you can’t get to it, LET IT GO. You can always reevaluate if you want to bring it back the following year.
What Are Traditions?
Traditions are the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction. The holidays are filled with traditions; anything from Advent calendars to Christmas caroling to even hiding a pickle.
Traditions play a significant role in the home life you strive for. In my post 6 Steps To Making Home you can read more about how establishing traditions can play a very important role as you endeavor to make your house a home.
Why Have Traditions
Traditions are vital for every family. Family traditions serve several important purposes. Let’s look at 6 reasons why implementing traditions can benefit your family.
- Traditions strengthen family bonds. They provide a sense of connection and unity among family members, encouraging closer relationships.
- Traditions create memories. Traditions help create lasting memories that will give your children warm fuzzies when they reflect and remember their childhood.
- Traditions help pass down values. Traditions are a way to pass down cultural, religious, and moral values from one generation to the next.
- Traditions provide stability in your family. A home that exudes a sense of stability and predictability can make a child less anxious and be comforting and reassuring.
- Traditions give your family an identity and create a sense of belonging. Every child longs to belong!!
- Traditions encourage togetherness.
Wow, aren’t those great reasons to implement traditions into your home and life?!! You won’t regret the time and effort you spend on being intentional with traditions.
In our home, we have been intentional about traditions for many years. Some have come and gone, and some will be around forever. For example, our Christmas morning reading of Luke 2 will forever be a tradition in our home.
Where Do You Find Your Christmas Traditions
While traditions are often passed down from generation to generation, they also come to you through different avenues.
One way to discover new traditions is by asking your friends what their traditions are. If you hear of a tradition you like, add it to your list.
Another way to find traditions is to just happen upon them organically. Your family has been consistently doing something every year, and suddenly you realize is now a tradition. I love this method.
Perhaps you go to church every Christmas Eve together as a family or you make cookies on the second Saturday of December. These are traditions. I am willing to bet you are already doing things during the holidays that you can call traditions right now.
The final way to find new traditions is by reading a blog post like this!! Here you will find 32 family Christmas traditions you can use with your family.
I want to caution you not to go overboard and overwhelm your Christmas season by adding too many traditions. All you need are a few good ones!
Choose traditions that are meaningful as well as fun. Keep them to a minimum. It’s more about the quality of the tradition than the quantity.
Your List of Family Christmas Traditions To Make Memories For A Lifetime
Get ready because here they are!!
- Plan a cookie-baking day.
- Bake a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas Day.
- Have a Christmas movie marathon day with popcorn, hot chocolate, and S’mores if you have a fireplace with real wood or a personal S’more maker.
- Buy matching pajamas for Christmas Eve.
- Open one gift on Christmas Eve.
- Together, create a Christmas song playlist and play it through the season.
- Blast that playlist in the car while you drive around and look at Christmas lights in your pajamas with hot chocolate and cookies.
- Make or buy a gingerbread house and decorate it. Have a gingerbread decorating competition. Put it on your Facebook and have your friends be the judges. This is fun with young and old children.
- Do a service project together. You can do Meals on Wheels, or Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan’s Purse. Help a single mom or senior citizen in need. As a family, buy some groceries or provide a meal for a family in need and deliver it together.
- Bake cookies for your neighbors and deliver them with a Christmas card or invite them over for a cookie exchange.
- Take your family to a Christmas parade. One of my favorite memories was piling in the car and heading to the Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia. Santa was always on the last float and this commenced the Christmas season.
- Go to a live nativity.
- Go to a Christmas play or musical.
- Read the Christmas story in Luke 2 on Christmas morning. Our routine is to eat breakfast, read Luke 2, and then open gifts.
- Do an Advent calendar or read an Advent book together with your family. I highly recommend Jotham’s Journey. It’s part of a four-part series. This book is great for ages 4-14.
- Attend the Christmas Eve service together.
- Take a picture together every year at the same location.
- Make a family favorite food for Christmas morning. Our tradition is homemade cinnamon rolls or monkey bread.
- Make Christmas decorations for your home or tree together.
- Have a family game night. Buy prizes for the winners and put away phones for the night.
- Go to a Christmas tree farm and cut down a real Christmas tree.
- Attend a Christmas tree lighting in your town.
- Take a slice from the trunk of your live Christmas tree, write the date on it, and fill a bowl to bring out every year.
- Find an outdoor ice rink and go ice skating.
- Visit a Christmas market or craft fair and let your children shop for each other and you. You can give them an allowance or have them use their own money.
- Fill your children’s stockings before you go to bed. Anytime after midnight, if your kiddos wake up early or in the middle of the night, they are allowed to dig in.
- Hide a pickle. On Christmas morning, the first child to find the pickle receives an additional gift or the privilege of opening the first present.
- Gather a couple of families and go caroling to your neighbors, a retirement home, or a nursing home.
- Do a Christmas Karaoke night.
- Go out to dinner on Christmas Eve as a family or order in and let mom have the night off.
- Have the whole family build a charcuterie board on Christmas Eve and partake together.
- Make a family video Christmas card. Send it via email or post it on social media.
Get your list here:
Christmas Traditions Conclusion
Now you’ve got 32 Family Christmas Tradition ideas to grab from!! Start making memories that will last a lifetime.
The Pioneer Woman put together this list of 100 family-friendly Christmas movies: 100 Best Family Christmas Movies That Everyone Will Enjoy
It is pretty comprehensive. So check it out if you are looking for a movie for that Christmas family movie night!
Here are some of our family favorites:
- Elf
- The Santa Clause
- White Christmas
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Miracle on 34th St. (The original and the remake)
- The Holiday (This is not for kids, so use your discretion)
- The Knight Before Christmas (one of my faves)
- You’ve Got Mail
- Sleepless In Seattle
- Home Alone
- Holiday In The Wild
- Last Holiday
Well, sweet mamas, there you go!! My Christmas wish is that this list is helpful and inspires you as you build your family Christmas traditions, make memories that last a lifetime, and create a family identity that lives on in the memories of your children forever.
Most of all, have fun together as a family! Together is always better!!
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