Creating meaningful family Christmas Traditions makes the holiday season a magical time of year. It’s the traditional things we do with our families that hold the greatest meaning and create the memories that last a lifetime.
Start a new Christmas tradition with this list of fun family Christmas traditions!
Family Christmas traditions make the holidays a magical time of year. Christmas is the perfect time of year to enjoy family activities that make the holiday season so special.
You may have heard of a few of these fun ideas, but we’re hoping that you find something new to add to your Christmas family traditions this year.
Related: Fun Easter Traditions to Start with Your Family!
What are Christmas Traditions?
A Christmas tradition is a routine or ritual that is done every year on or before Christmas Day.
Related: 10 Reasons to make Rhythm and Routine a Family Habit
What is a Family Christmas Tradition?
A family Christmas tradition is a Christmas tradition
that is repeated by the family on a yearly basis in order to celebrate Christmas and create meaning.
Two classic examples are hanging stockings
by the fire, and the tradition of holiday gift-giving; giving a gift to friends and relatives on Christmas Day.
Related: Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas and Gift Giving Traditions
Meaningful Christmas Traditions for a Magical Holiday
Look through this list of meaningful and fun family Christmas traditions to find new and classic Christmas traditions to bond with your family and make your holiday more meaningful.
Remember, meaningful traditions are done every year, so please don’t look at this as a must-do list. Our family does not do everything on this list, and your family shouldn’t need to either.
The last thing you need is more holiday stress because of a silly family Christmas tradition that you find impossible to complete. If it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth it.
Related: Winter Bucket List Family Guide to Seasonal Activities and Crafts
Related: Rustic Alphabet Wood Slice Ornaments
30 Fun Family Family Christmas Traditions
If you have a fun family Christmas tradition that you would like to share, add it to the comments below!
1. Bake, Decorate, and Give Christmas Cookies
One of the most classic Christmas traditions is baking and decorating cookies and giving them as gifts. Another idea is gifting them as a kindness or service project or hosting a cookie swap.
Use our easy cake mix sugar cookie recipe and Christmas cookie cutters to make cookies with the kids. Gift them to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and your local Fire Department.
2. Write a Letter to Santa
Here’s a fun family Christmas tradition for kids. Have your child write a letter to Santa and have one sent back with US Postal Service help.
Yes, really!
Follow the directions found HERE.
3. Make Homemade Christmas Cards with Children
Homemade Christmas card making is a classic family tradition. Friends and family love receiving handmade cards from the kids.
Try any of the homemade Christmas card ideas below.
Homemade Christmas Card Ideas
- Watercolor Tree Cards
- Christmas Wreath Fingerprint Art Cards
- Fingerprint Christmas Tree Cards
- Christmas Carolers Handprint Art Cards
- Fingerprint Snowman Christmas Cards
- Christmas Handprint, Footprint, and Fingerprint Art Card Ideas
Related: Homemade gifts kids can make
4. Countdown to Christmas
Counting down to Christmas is another common Christmas tradition in many families. Traditionally a Christmas countdown is started on the first of December and is completed on Christmas day.
There are so many more fun ways to countdown to Christmas available today. Try any of the fun Christmas countdown ideas below!
Make or purchase an Advent Calendar to Countdown to Christmas
Advent is observed in many homes and churches as a time to prepare for the celebration of the nativity and coming (or return) of Jesus at Christmas.
In our family, we use a simple stone advent and a DIY nativity scene made out of popsicle sticks and peg dolls that you can make with the kids. Click on the links for the directions to each project.
Gorgeous advent calendars for purchase can be found HERE.
Countdown to Christmas with a Book Advent Calendar
Another fun family Christmas tradition is to have a book advent Christmas countdown. Read a Christmas book each night through Christmas Eve. Some parents like to wrap each book and have the kids pick one to open each night.
You can read a Christmas book each night for any number of nights leading up to Christmas–it really doesn’t matter. Finding 24 Christmas books at the library during the holidays can be tough–even 3 will do!
We like to make sure we read “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve. It’s magical.
24 Christmas books that you can use for an advent calendar are listed below.
- Pick a Pine Tree
- The Chrismas Miracle of Johnathan Toomey
- Red and Lulu
- The Christmas Wish
- Reindeer Christmas
- The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
- The Polar Express
- Mr. Willoby’s Christmas Tree
- The Crippled Lamb
- Humphrey’s First Christmas
- The Story of Holly and Ivy
- Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
- The Christmas Owl
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- The Wish Tree
- A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree
- The Little Reindeer
- Room for a Little One
- The Carpenters Gift
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- The Shortest Day – We like to read this on the night of the Winter Solstice
- Who is Coming to Our House
- Christmas Farm
- The Night Before Christmas
5. Celebrate the Saint Nicolas Day Tradition
Saint Nicholas is known as the patron saint of children. Where this tradition is still prominent, it is celebrated as the primary gift-giving day instead of Christmas.
The most famous story about St. Nicholas tells how the custom of hanging up stockings to put presents in and how the legend of Santa Clause first started! Learn more about Saint Nicolas and this fun family Christmas tradition HERE!
How do You Celebrate Saint Nicolas Day?
Children set out their wooden clogs, shoes, or stockings on the eve of December 5th, along with a plate of cookies and milk for St. Nick and a carrot for his donkey (or beautiful white horse).
In the morning children wake to find their shoes filled with treats of small gifts, fruit or nuts, and special St. Nicolas candies and cookies.
Ideas to include in your children’s shoes for Saint Nicolas Day are chocolate coins
, a small wooden toy
, new socks
, a tangerine, a walnut, and inexpensive religious items, such as a rosary
, saint bracelet
, or prayer cards
.
Related: Eco-Friendly Stocking Stuffers
6. Visit a Tree Farm
Going to a tree farm to pick out a Christmas tree is a fun family Christmas tradition. Consult your local resource guide, or do an internet search to find a Christmas tree farm near you!
7. Trim the Christmas Tree as a Family
Turn on the Christmas music, light a fire, or pop one with Christmas music into the DVD player and enjoy decorating the Christmas tree. Trimming the tree is a classic Christmas tradition that the whole family can enjoy!
8. Enjoy the Antics of The Elf on the Shelf, or, Encourage Acts of Kindness with The Kindness Elves
The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas tradition,
is a children’s picture book, about an elf that watches over a family at Christmas time, that has evolved into the Elf on the Shelf Christmas Tradition
.
Every night this Scout Elf will return to the North Pole to say whether your family has been naughty or nice. Santa takes that information every night and decides if you’re getting presents or coal this year.
Our family does not celebrate The Elf on the Shelf Tradition, instead, we encourage kindness with The Kindness Elves.
The kindness elves are a refreshing variation to The Elf on the Shelf
. They are magical elves that encourage children to commit acts of kindness or service. Learn more about the kindness elves HERE.
Related: 10 Reasons to Choose the Kindness Elves Over the Elf on the Shelf.
More Meaningful Christmas Traditions for a Magical Holiday
More Meaningful Christmas Traditions for a Magical Holiday9. Gift Everyone with Christmas Coloring and Activity Books
Christmas coloring books are an easy way to help both children and adults relieve stress and practice mindfulness during the holidays.
Keep everyone busy and happy throughout the holidays with this awesome collection of Christmas coloring and activity books for adults and children!
10. Take a Picture with Santa, Visit Santa Land, Take a Ride on the Polar Express, or Enjoy another Christmas Amusement or Event
Most people have a traditional thing they like to do in or near their hometown with their family for the holidays. One of the most common is heading to the local town square, mall, or a Christmas party to take a picture with Santa.
We like to go to the tree lighting in our town square and watch a light show put on by a local nut processing plant that’s out of this world. Brought me to tears the first time I saw it!
Others plan a visit to Santa Land, ride the Polar Express, or attend a Christmas show. A few others make their way to Disneyland or Disneyworld, and some Christmas heroes are crazy enough to do it all!
Check your family resource guide or do a google search to find out about the local Christmas events and attractions going on in your city or town!
11. Wear Matching Pajama Sets
Wearing matching PJ’s with the family is a fun family Christmas tradition. Family photos end up looking great!
Find your favorite matching pajama set HERE, or, select from the matching Christmas pajama sets for families listed below!
12. Plan an Annual Family Outing
Plan a family outing or event to do every year around the holidays. Some fun family favorites can be found below.
- Get outside for some snow play–think sledding, snowball fights, snow angel and snowman making.
- Head up to the mountains for some skiing or snowboarding.
- Hit the bowling alley for some friendly competition.
- Play a game of touch football or rugby.
- Head to the ice rink for some ice skating.
- Get out for a walk or a hike rain, snow or shine.
- Meet up for an annual family vacation on Christmas
13. Make a Homemade Ornament
Making a new ornament for the tree each year is a delightful way to spend time connecting with the kids during the holidays.
Be sure to pop over to have a look at our collection of gorgeous handmade Christmas ornaments kids can make.
14. Hang Stockings
The tradition of hanging stockings for Santa to fill on Christmas Eve is a spin-off of the original Saint Nicolas Day tradition discussed in Christmas Tradition #5 above.
Hanging stockings on the mantle, or wherever else you can find room to put them, has become such a common tradition that we forget it’s a Christmas tradition.
Our family is lucky enough to have a grandma that sews all of our family stockings, but there are LOTS of lovely readymade options available. Don’t forget to have a look at this fun collection of stocking stuffer ideas for the whole family!
15. Start a Gift Giving Tradition
Giving a gift at Christmas is one of the most common Christmas traditions. In larger families with members living great distances having a Christmas gift exchange, or implementing a gift rule can make holiday gift-giving a lot less stressful.
Gift-giving traditions also make it a lot easier for family members with a smaller Christmas budget to participate in holiday gift-giving. Pop over to have a look at this fun collection of 8 Christmas gift exchange ideas and gift-giving traditions and give one a try this year.
16. Give and Recieve Santa Sacks
Give each person in the house a Santa Sack sometime before Christmas. Have them fill it with items they’d like to give to give to those in need and place it under the tree on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas morning have the sacks filled with gifts for each person. Store your Santa Sacks in the Christmas box to use again next year!
Related: Ultimate Family Gift Guide: DIY and Readymade Ideas!
17. Hang Mistletoe
Hang a piece of mistletoe in a high traffic area and kiss, hug or high five anyone you meet underneath it.
18. Watch a Holiday Movie with the Family
My husband watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” every year on Christmas Eve with his family, while I watched “Charlie Brown Christmas” when it aired on TV with my brothers every year.
Today when my family gets together for the holidays, we watch “Love Actually.” Make some popcorn is this awesome air popcorn popper
and watch a holiday movie with your family this year!
What’s your favorite Christmas movie? If you don’t see it below share it in the comments!
19. Give Handmade Gifts
My family loves to give and receive handmade gifts. Some of my favorite gifts that were made by friends and family.
Check out our collection of homemade gifts and Christmas gift ideas kids can make.
More Meaningful Family Christmas Tradition Ideas
20. Make a Gingerbread house
A gingerbread house
does not need to be made out of gingerbread, you don’t even have to use candy to decorate them. You can make gingerbread houses with graham crackers, or cardboard and craft supplies.
Gingerbread House Ideas
- Gingerbread house kit
- Find gingerbread house cookie cutters HERE
- Step-by-step directions to make a traditional gingerbread house by DIY Enthusiasts and Simply Recipes.
- How to make a gingerbread house with gram crackers by Happiness is Homemade.
- Learn how Inner Child Fun made a toy gingerbread house out of cardboard HERE or a life-sized cardboard gingerbread house HERE
21. Go on a Bike Ride, or, Take a Drive to Look at Christmas lights
Spend at least one night looking at all of the beautiful Christmas lights that people put up in your city or town.
Pop some popcorn is this super cool air popcorn popper and give everyone a to-go cup
of hot cocoa and pop on your bikes, or, get in the car for some holiday light seeing!
Related: Gifts for Mom that Will Put You in the Good Book!
22. Family Game Night
Wrap up a new family game and put it under the tree to open and play it with the whole family. I know some families that do this fun family Christmas tradition on Christmas Eve, while others place a note in an advent calendar with a description of the gift to open.
23. Sing Christmas Carols
Grab the Christmas Songbook, some flameless candlesticks and go caroling
, sit down by the piano, or turn on the karaoke machine with the Christmas CD, and sing your heart out.
Don’t forget to sing a few silly Christmas songs with the kids–try this silly CD or this silly Christmas songbook
!
24. Gift Everyone with a New Book on Christmas Eve
In Iceland, it is a tradition to gift everyone with a new book on Christmas Eve, and then spend the night reading. This Christmas tradition is called Jolabokaflod and is translated to mean “Yule book flood.”
Even though this holiday tradition originated in Iceland, it is gaining in popularity across the world. Gift everyone in your family with a new book on Christmas Eve! Learn more about it HERE or HERE.
Jolabokaflod Book Gift Ideas
25. Leave Out Cookies and Reindeer food for Santa and his Reindeer on Christmas Eve
Put out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. To make reindeer food mix oats with any kind of Christmas sprinkles. Sprinkle it in the front yard with the kids before bed. Sweep it up before they wake for even more fun!
26. Hide the Christmas Pickle
I’ve heard of a few different variations on this odd tradition. This is the tradition my family has adapted and uses.
Hide a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree after the kids are in bed. The first person to find it in the morning gets to open the family gift.
Family gifts can be something simple like a box of Christmas chocolates
to share, or something as elaborate as tickets for a family vacation.
The rule at our house is that everyone must be present (pun intended ;), and ready, before the finder of the pickle, can open the family gift.
27. Create a Christmas Breakfast Tradition
Create a Christmas breakfast tradition in your home.
Some families like to have a freshly baked cinnamon roll with hot chocolate and/or coffee as they open presents, while others open their presents on Christmas Eve, and eat Rudolf pancakes after opening the stockings in the morning.
Choose something that works for your family and make it a tradition.
28. Place a Christmas Cracker Popper Next to Each Christmas Dinner Plate
Christmas Crackers
are a Christmas tradition that started in England but is gaining popularity worldwide. They are most often a wrapped and decorated recycled cardboard cylinder or paper tube that resembles a large candy twist.
Learn more about the history of the Christmas Cracker HERE.
29. Take a Family Photo
Take a family photo on or around Christmas with the family every year. Gather the whole family around the Christmas tree, the holiday table, or in the backyard and watch everyone grow and change from year to year.
I never realized the power of a good camera until I became a mother and wanted gorgeous pictures of my baby. Purchasing a good camera was one of the best choices I have ever made for my family. You can find a fantastic deal on the set I use HERE
.
30. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude brings abundance. When we are thankful for what we have, we will be given more of what we are grateful for.
Print out one of the free Gratitude Journal Printables listed below, pass them around the table, and invite children and adults to write (or draw) what they are most thankful for.
Free Gratitude Journal Printables
Make gratitude activities and crafts a family Christmas tradition in your home with these gratitude activities and crafts the whole family can enjoy!
Fun Family Christmas Traditions To Start This Year
Use any of these ideas to start a new Christmas tradition with your family this holiday season.
Creating meaningful family Christmas Traditions makes the holiday season a magical time of year. It’s the old-fashioned traditional things we do with our families that hold the greatest meaning and create the most vivid memories.
Don’t forget to pop over to have a look at our family gift guide with DIY and ready-made gift ideas for the whole family!
You might also enjoy reading about Thanksgiving Traditions and Easter Traditions.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
If You Liked Family Christmas Traditions, You May Also Like
- Winter Bucket List Seasonal Activity Guide
- How to Create a Winter Nature Table
- The Ultimate Eco-Friendly Gift Guide for Kids
- How to Make Beaded Snowflake Ornaments
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Eve Hunt says
at“Hello! I really like your writing… thank you so so much for all of these great ideas! The history of Christmas traditions is really interesting, too!
nell says
atThanks, Eve! I’m so glad you enjoyed learning about Christmas Traditions. 🙂
Muhammad Hamza Zia says
atGreat post about Christmas traditions, thank you! I had no idea there were so many interesting Christmas traditions.
Nell Regan M.A. says
atYou’re welcome, Muhammad. So glad that you found all of the Christmas traditions listed interesting.
Scarlet says
atI love all these excellent suggestions for Christmas traditions. We always love to take a drive and look at the holiday lights. It is fun to try a few new things each year to keep the magic alive!
Nell Regan M.A. says
atThank you, Scarlet! Going Christmas light-seeing is one of our family favorites, too. We love to bring popcorn and travel mugs with hot chocolate in them to make it even more fun! You’re right, trying new Christmas traditions keeps the magic alive. People all over the world have come up with so many fun and unique ways to celebrate Christmas!
Dylan Peterson says
atIt’s cool that Christmas crackers started in England and then gained worldwide popularity. My sister has been telling me about how she wants to start some new Christmas traditions with her growing family. I’ll share this information with her so that she knows a little more about crackers.
Nell Regan M.A. says
atThank you, Dylan! I’m so glad that you found something that you would like to try. 🙂