21 of The Best Family Christmas Traditions to Start This Year
Christmas is almost here and my excitement is growing every single day!
Do you love the holidays as much as I do? I’m going to assume the answer is yes!
Family Christmas traditions may be one of the things I look forward to most. Most of the traditions on this list are things I have been doing since I was a kid.
Doing them with my husband and daughter brings back so many amazing memories and creates so many new memories. The cold weather that comes during the holidays may not be my favorite. But the time well spent with my family more than makes up for it.
I hope these traditions inspire you to go and create some beautiful memories of your own.
BTW: Come connect with me on Instagram. We can share some real aspects of mom life.
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Here Are 21 Family Christmas Tradition Ideas
1) Drive and See Lights
Some people go all out for the holidays. I love the houses that are entirely covered in lights.
2) Decorating the Tree
Put on some Christmas music, drink some hot cocoa and let the decorating party begin.
3) Bake Cookies
My mom turns into a cookie baking machine during the holidays. She absolutely loves it.
I love eating cookies much more than I like baking them. But we always make time for a couple of cookie baking nights during the holidays.
4) Build a Gingerbread House
In my house, we buy the gingerbread house kit from the store. And then we decorate our little hearts out.
My daughter loves to add an obnoxious amount of gumdrop candy.
5) Advent Calendar
Last year, we got a LEGO advent calendar. It was actually really fun to get to build something every day.
6) Visit Santa
As long as it is not going to traumatize your child.
7) Read all the Books
My daughter and I love books. Be sure to check out our favorites here!
During December, we try to read a Christmas book every night. Have you ever read this one?
8) Crafts
I am not a naturally crafty person. But Pinterest is great for finding some easy and fun crafts to make.
9) Take Photos
We like to take a Christmas Eve picture and a Christmas morning picture.
You can never have too many pictures.
10) Movie Nights
Who doesn’t love Christmas movies?
11) Write out Christmas Lists
Try gathering at the table and writing out your Christmas lists as a family.
12) Matching Pajamas
Grab your family some matching Christmas pajamas and make sure to snap a couple of pictures!
13) Make Christmas Cards
I usually buy a box of cards to send to friends and family. Then we make cards for very close friends and family. In those cards, we make sure to write something about them we are grateful for.
14) Game Nights
Game nights are great at any time of year. Check out these family board games we absolutely love!
There are also so many holiday-themed games you and your family can try. This one looks pretty fun!
15) Christmas Morning Breakfast
My dad has always been the one to make a huge family breakfast. This is one of my favorite traditions.
Don’t forget a family nap afterward!
16) Build a Snowman
Snow is not on my list of things I love. But my husband and daughter like to build a snowman every year. We make it extra fun by naming our snowman something funny and telling stories about him like he is actually alive.
17) Elf on the Shelf
Have you ever seen how creative some people get with their elf on the shelf? It is really impressive!
I may need to up my elf game this year. Pinterest is a great place to look for inspiration.
18) 4 Gift Rule
Last year, we started the tradition of giving four gifts to our daughter. Something she wants, something she needs, something to wear and something to read.
It worked out so amazing that we are sticking with it again this year.
Less money spent on gifts and less stuff in our home is a win win. And this really makes her appreciate the gifts she gets instead of just opening things and throwing them to the side without even really looking at them.
19) Purge
This is not a tradition I grew up with. But it is one that I am very serious about with my little family.
My daughter loves to keep everything. I am trying to teach her that we have to make room for more. And it is also a perfect opportunity to teach her about the importance of donating to others.
20) Local Events
We go to a local Christmas festival every year. They have carriages rides, a tree lighting ceremony and Santa of course!
With a little research, I’m sure you could find something in your area.
21) Share Kindness
Have everyone share a kindness they did or saw. We try to do this daily.
Kindness is something that should be present year-round. The holidays are just a great reminder to put a priority on not only showing kindness but noticing it all around us.
Christmas is magical all by itself. These simple family traditions will only add to that magic.
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