55 Fun Family Christmas Traditions and Celebration Ideas

Find a new Christmas tradition to start in 2025 with this list of fun family Christmas traditions from around the world!

Creating and sharing meaningful family Christmas traditions makes the holiday season a magical time of year. The traditional things we do with our family, friends, and community to celebrate Christmas bring meaning to our lives and create vivid memories that last a lifetime. Use the festive Christmas celebration ideas included in this post to add joy to your holiday celebrations. Please scroll down for a list of funny (silly), festive, classic, and unique Christmas activities. The family traditions and celebration ideas included below will help you make the holiday season extra special for kids and adults of all ages. You might also enjoy this list of New Year traditions and celebration ideas.

Have you ever asked how I can make Christmas more fun? This informative post is full of Christmastime fun! First published on November 19, 2017, this list of Christmas Traditions is updated and republished to improve the content. At first publication, this list of Christmas Celebration Ideas included twenty-five fun family Christmas traditions. Today, it contains 55 fun Christmas ideas for kids and adults of all ages. It includes fun traditional activities to do before Christmas, on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day. You may have heard of a few of these classic holiday traditions. However, I bet you can find a new and unique Christmas tradition to start with your family this year. You might also enjoy this list of winter solstice traditions and celebration ideas.

Related Post: Fun Easter Traditions to Start with Your Family!

Christmas Traditions and Fun Things To Do for Christmas

Wondering how to celebrate Christmas or what to do with your family for Christmas this year? Christmas is a time to enjoy seasonal family traditions and fun holiday activities that fill your days with meaning. Turn the depths of winter into a magical, festive time of year with these Christmas celebration ideas. Family Christmas ideas like those listed here can help you fill the holiday season with memory-making magic. You might also enjoy these New Year’s Traditions and Celebration Ideas.

Christmas traditions are rituals, customs, and religious practices you do yearly. So please don’t look at this family tradition list as things you must do or should do for Christmas. My family does not do everything on this list of holiday traditions, and your family shouldn’t have to either. The last thing you need is more holiday stress because of a family Christmas tradition you find impossible to complete. If it isn’t easy, and it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth it! Learn more about Christmas traditions with the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below. Or, scroll down to see our list of 54 classic and unique Christmas traditions for families to do on Christmas.

What are Christmas traditions?

A Christmas tradition is an activity or routine associated with customs, religious practices, or rituals that a family observes each year. Christmas traditions are often steeped in folklore and stories about the birth of Jesus. In other words, family Christmas traditions are simple ways we celebrate the holiday in the days leading up to Christmas. It includes how we celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It also consists of the traditional things we do during the winter holiday break. Scroll down to see the new and unique family traditions to make your holiday festivities magical and fun.

What are some popular Christmas traditions?

One of the most popular Christmas traditions is decorating a Christmas tree. Another is giving gifts to friends and relatives. These classic Christmas traditions have become so common around the world that we often forget they are traditions you can choose not to observe.

What is the most popular Christmas tradition?

Putting up and trimming or decorating a Christmas tree is the most popular Christmas tradition. Christmas trees are a traditional symbol of the holiday season. Evergreen trees, originally called Yule trees, have been viewed as eternal symbols of life since the dawn of civilization. People traditionally brought them indoors during the winter days, in hopes the sun would return. Today, whether you bring a real or artificial tree into your home, it’s fun to get out the Christmas tree lights, garlands, and ornaments (and make homemade Christmas crafts) to decorate the tree with all the festive trimmings your family finds special.

How did the tradition of gift-giving begin?

This tradition is believed to have begun when the Three Wise Men offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus. Children of all ages love this traditional Christmas activity. And often can’t wait to open their gifts on Christmas morning. An example of a family gift-giving tradition in the US and other countries worldwide is placing Christmas gifts under the tree and hanging stockings filled with presents for young and old alike.

If you have a large family or a lot of co-workers, you might enjoy this list of Christmas gift exchange ideas, rules, games, and gift-giving traditions. You will find information about becoming a Secret Santa, white elephant gifts, and several more creative ideas to help relieve the stress of holiday gift-giving.

Fun Family Christmas Tradition Ideas

Find a fun new family Christmas tradition to celebrate Christmas this year. You might even find a couple of new and unique Christmas traditions you have never heard of before on the list below. Scroll down to explore several fun ways to celebrate Christmas worldwide. You might also enjoy this list of Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids.

55 Classic and Unique Christmas Traditions to Start in 2025:

Add cheer to your holiday celebrations with this list of fun Christmas traditions and things to do with your family for Christmas. This list of family Christmas ideas includes things to do before Christmas, religious Christmas traditions, Christmas Eve traditions, and fun things to do on Christmas Day. But remember, this is not a Christmas must-do list. It’s a fun-do list. If it isn’t easy, or it isn’t fun, don’t do it!

My family doesn’t do everything on this, nor do we even try. Instead, try the Christmas activities you’d like to enjoy and ditch the rest! If you have family traditions that are not on this list of Christmas tradition ideas, please add them in the comments below. I LOVE hearing about the traditional ways YOU celebrate Christmas with your family and friends!

Enjoy this fantastic list of Christmas art projects and painting ideas. It includes a brief history of how and why common Christmas symbols and characters came to be associated with the Christmas holiday. So, if you have ever wondered, “What does Santa Claus have to do with Christmas?” Click the link above to learn a few interesting theories I discovered!

Related Post: Rustic Alphabet Wood Slice Ornaments

1. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies:

A classic Christmas tradition for young and old alike is baking and decorating cookies and giving them as gifts. Use our easy sugar cookie recipe and Christmas cookie cutters to make traditional Christmas cookies with the kids. Baking cookies is a fun thing to do with the whole family for Christmas.

Another fun Christmas idea is to host a cookie swap. Or give home-baked cookies to others as a kindness service project. Friends and neighbors, extended family, firefighters and police officers, and those in need each enjoy receiving homemade cookies for Christmas. Giving home-baked cookies is a lovely way to celebrate the spirit of the season. First, bake and decorate cookies with your children. Then, give others the sweet magic of Christmas.

2. Write a letter to Santa:

Here’s a fun family Christmas tradition for kids from toddlers up. Invite your children to write a letter to Santa. Next, have a letter from Santa sent back to your children, complete with the North Pole Postmark, with the US Postal Service’s help! Yes, really! Follow the directions: HERE. Writing a letter to Santa is a fun Christmas activity the whole family can do together. A great time to accomplish this task is during fall break or Thanksgiving.

3. Send Christmas cards and holiday greetings to friends and family:

The holiday season is a great time to send Christmas cards. Send holiday greetings, or messages of peace, joy, and good cheer in the New Year to family, friends, loved ones, and extended relatives. You can even make it a tradition to make your own Christmas cards. Just look at all of the gorgeous homemade holiday card ideas below!

4. Make homemade Christmas cards:

Making homemade Christmas cards is another lovely family activity. With these homemade Christmas card ideas, you can create new Christmas memories with the children in your life.

DIY Christmas Card Ideas:

• Watercolor Tree Cards
• Fingerprint Lights Christmas 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 (photo below)

Related Post: Homemade gifts kids can make

5. Put up outdoor holiday or Christmas lights:

Put up the Christmas lights and decorate the outside of the house for the holidays. Decorating with holiday lights is a fun way to share light during the darkest time of the year with your neighbors, family, and friends. Wondering when to put up Christmas lights? My family traditionally puts them out in the late fall. We used to put them up the day after Thanksgiving. However, today we often start putting them out in early to mid-November when the days grow shorter. Basically, you can start putting them up anytime after Halloween, especially if you live somewhere that gets dark early in the wintertime.

Join the fun by decorating the eaves of your home and or setting up a simple Christmas scene. Set up an outdoor nativity scene, a simple light-up reindeer with a sleigh (or a reindeer family), a large outdoor Christmas tree, a cute light-up snowman, this hilarious blow-up Santa, or any other Christmas decorations your family enjoys. You don’t have to get crazy, lighting up the whole world to participate in this merrymaking Christmastide activity. (Unless, of course, that brings you joy!) A simple strand of holiday lights will do.

A few of our neighbors light up the whole street. They string Christmas lights up every light pole and down and across the street. It’s overwhelming when you first stumble upon it, but seeing the entire neighborhood illuminated is so much fun! Best of all, it helps us get the dogs (and ourselves) out on a walk after dinner on a cold, dark winter night. Seeing the light displays in everyone’s yards or on their front porches is lovely. We can’t help but want to go out for a walk to see all the Christmas light displays!

The Outdoor Christmas Decorations on our Home:

You can see the Christmas lights and outdoor decorations we put up in the photograph of our house below. The photo was taken many years ago, but it remains a great example. You can see our house decorated with strands of rainbow lights, a simple driftwood Christmas tree, a homemade holly berry wreath on the front door, and an almost full moon hanging in the sky above our house in the photograph below.

Today, we hang a curtain of twinkling lights between the two columns, along with several more rainbow light strands. These illuminate our eaves, roofs, and balconies. We also traditionally add a few new things to our Christmas decor each year. Now we have a lit rattan reindeer and a few lit Christmas trees in our yard and on our porch. And the driftwood tree hangs on the wall inside the house, with fairy lights wrapped around it, instead of on the porch. Today, our home is also painted a slightly darker tan with a beautiful red door that complements our outdoor Christmas decor.

6. Decorate for Christmas:

You can decorate your home for the holidays in many ways and make your decorations as minimal or as elaborate as you wish. With the enormous number of Christmas decoration ideas available to DIY or purchase today, you can. In ancient times, people brought fresh evergreen boughs and other foliage indoors to decorate their homes. They used evergreen trimmings because they were the only signs of life that remained outdoors. This was done with the hope that the sun would once again return after the winter solstice.

They also decorated their homes with fruits, holly berries, candles, and other items, symbolizing the sun and the stars. Sound familiar? Many people still celebrate the season with decorations made from fresh foliage. They decorate their homes with evergreen boughs, holly berry wreaths, poinsettias, and even entire pine or fir trees — known as Christmas trees. See the suggestions below for more holiday decoration ideas!

7. Visit a Christmas tree farm or get a permit to cut down your own Christmas tree:

Going to a tree farm (or into the woods with the proper permit) to cut down your own Christmas tree is a fun family Christmas tradition for children and adults alike. My family started the process of getting a permit to cut down our own tree several years ago. Today, it’s a family Christmas tradition we refuse to miss!

Not only is it a fun outdoor adventure that helps us get outside as a family. It’s also a great way to help thin the forest in the prescribed areas and prevent the spread of wildfires. Wildfires have been rampant in our county since the Paradise Fire (#CampFire) that burned my mother and brother’s homes in 2018, so we also see this Christmas tradition as a service to the wildlife around us.

Consult your local resource guide to find a Christmas Tree farm near you. Or, do an internet search to get a permit to visit an area of forest that allows tree cutting. If neither of these options exists, visit your local Boy Scout Christmas Tree Lot to support your local troops!

8. Gather the family together to trim the Christmas tree:

Trimming the tree is a classic Christmas tradition for the whole family. Put on traditional Christmas music (scroll down for suggestions), pop some popcorn, make hot chocolate, light a fire (or put a Yule log fireplace video into the DVD player), and enjoy decorating the Christmas tree.

My family loves to decorate our Christmas tree sometime around Thanksgiving during the fall break. Our family’s favorite decorations for the Christmas tree are a star tree topper, an angel, tree lights, glass baubles, candy canes, orange slices, and other homemade Christmas ornaments. Decorate the tree every year to make new memories with your family!

9. Host or attend an ugly Christmas sweater party or contest:

Hosting or attending an ugly Christmas sweater party or entering an ugly Christmas sweater contest is fun and a modern Christmas tradition for adults. However, this funny Christmas tradition can also be enjoyed by children, especially if the party or event is at a school or a family affair. Invite friends and family to enjoy the fun, or enter a contest at your school, workplace, city, or town!

10. Set up a Christmas train or village to add to your festive holiday decor:

Put a Christmas train under the tree for children (and the young at heart) this Christmas. Setting up a Christmas Village, putting a train under the Christmas tree, on a table, counter, or around the whole living room, is a classic family Christmas tradition that both young and old can enjoy. As a child, I remember the Christmas train and village my neighbor set up for his children, and I always wanted one of my own. Today, my family enjoys setting up our real metal Christmas Train (with lights, sounds, and smoke) every year. Please scroll down to see a picture of it under our Christmas tree.

11. Listen to Christmas music:

Put on some traditional Christmas music to make the holiday season more festive. Our family loves to listen to traditional Christmas music while we enjoy the traditional Christmas activities on the list below:

• Making homemade Christmas cards.
• Wrapping Christmas presents.
• Baking Christmas cookies.
• Trimming or decorating the Christmas tree.
• Creating Christmas Art.
• For our holiday listening pleasure on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
• While cooking and eating family dinners in the days leading up to Christmas. And, of course, while our family enjoys a traditional Christmas dinner.

Listening to classic Christmas songs can bring joy and meaning to your family at Christmastime, making the holidays even more fun. Enjoy the musical sounds of the holiday season to create enjoyable Christmas memories with your family!

12. Celebrate Advent:

Celebrating the season of Advent is a religious Christmas tradition for many families during the Christmas season. Advent is a period of spiritual preparation when many Christians prepare themselves for the coming, birth, and eventual return of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The word “Advent” means “coming” in Latin, and for many Christians, Advent is a time to celebrate the coming of Christ. “Celebrating Advent typically involves a season of prayer, fasting, and repentance, followed by anticipation, joy, and hope.” (source)

The following sections share a few common ways people celebrate Advent: light Advent candles on the four Sundays before Christmas, set up a Nativity Scene, attend religious services, pray, and engage in fasting and other forms of repentance. Learn more about the tradition of Advent–> HERE.

13. Make or buy an Advent wreath:

An Advent Wreath is a traditional Christmas centerpiece with evergreen plants placed in a circle with four candle settings. Because the circle has no beginning and end, an Advent Wreath symbolizes life’s continuity, the soul’s immortality, and God’s eternal love. Lighting an Advent wreath or Advent crown is a religious Christmas tradition that marks the four weeks of Advent. Make or purchase the Advent Wreath of your choice to share this sacred family tradition for Christmas.

14. Light Advent candles:

As mentioned above, Advent candles are traditionally set in an Advent ring, wreath, or crown. In some religious traditions, the candles are usually three purple and one pink, with white in the middle on Christmas Day. While others traditionally use red Advent candles.

The tradition of lighting Advent candles is as follows: Light one candle on the first Sunday, two on the second Sunday, three on the third Sunday, four on the fourth Sunday, and finally, four candles, with one in the middle, on Christmas Day. Learn more about the meanings and traditions of lighting Advent candles HERE–> Love to Know.

15. Set up a Christmas Nativity Scene:

Here’s a family Christmas idea that children and adults of all ages can enjoy. Advent is traditionally observed in many homes and churches during the Christmas season. Setting up a Christmas Nativity Scene is a lovely way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. First, make a DIY Nativity Stable with popsicle sticks. Then, set up a simple Nativity Scene with peg doll Holy Family Christmas figurines and a Baby Jesus craft. Or buy an indoor or outdoor nativity scene–>HERE.

16. Countdown to Christmas:

Counting down to Christmas is another fun family tradition that children from toddlers to teens enjoy. Traditionally, a Christmas countdown starts on December 1 and concludes on Christmas Day (December 25). However, you can count down to any winter holiday you wish and celebrate this common tradition any way you like.

My daughter and I make a simple Stone Advent Calendar (shown in the photograph in the next section) or an easy Advent spiral (photo below), depending on our mood that year. Sometimes, we combine both. However, many other fun ways to count down to Christmas are available today. For more traditional Christmas countdown ideas, see the following two.

17. Purchase or make an Advent calendar:

Make or purchase your own Christmas Advent Calendar. An Advent Calendar is a fun Christmas tradition that the whole family can use to count down to Christmas. As mentioned above, my daughter and I made a Stone Advent Calendar. However, several other Advent calendars are available for purchase. Alternatively, you can design an Advent Spiral similar to the one in the photo above. Or try the fun Christmas book countdown ideas below. You can find gorgeous Advent calendars for purchase: HERE.

18. Share a Christmas story or read a book each night until Christmas:

Here’s a fun family tradition and a unique way to do a Christmas countdown with the kids. Countdown to Christmas with a Christmas book Advent calendar. All you need to do is share a Christmas story with your children each night in the days leading up to Christmas until the final children’s Christmas book is read on Christmas Eve.

There is a story you can share each night in this book, The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits. Or read a different book each night to count down to Christmas. Twenty-four ideas you can read each night in December through Christmas Eve are listed below, but feel free to select your family’s favorites. I like to read “The Night Before Christmas” as a part of our Christmas Eve tradition in our house. It’s positively magical. You can even purchase a personalized version on Shutterfly.

Getting 24 Christmas books at the library during the holidays can be tricky, so it does not matter how many days you spend counting down. Even three will do! Some parents like to wrap each book individually and have the kids pick one to open each night, or place a note in a DIY Advent Calendar about which book to read, while others offer a new Christmas story to read — or share one they make up on the spot. The good news is that if you choose to add this to your family Christmas traditions, you can do a Christmas book advent countdown any way you like!

Christmas Book Advent Calendar Recommendations:

1. Pick a Pine Tree
2. The Christmas Miracle of Johnathan Toomey
3. Red and Lulu
4. The Christmas Wish (Make elf ornaments after reading this book)
5. Reindeer Christmas
6. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
7. The Polar Express
8. Mr. Willoby’s Christmas Tree
9. The Crippled Lamb
10. The Story of Holly and Ivy
11. Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
12. The Christmas Owl
13. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
14. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree
15. The Little Reindeer
16. Room for a Little One
17. The Carpenters Gift
18. A Charlie Brown Christmas
19. The Shortest Day – I like to read this book on the night of the Winter Solstice.
20. Who is Coming to Our House
21. The Little Red Sleigh
22. Christmas Farm
23. Night Tree
24. The Night Before Christmas

19. Celebrate the Saint Nicolas Day tradition:

Saint Nicholas is known as the patron saint of children. In Germany and other countries where this tradition is prominent, it is a gift-giving day, similar to Christmas. However, the story of St. Nicholas originated long before his modern-day counterpart, Santa Claus. The custom of hanging stockings began as a result of the joyful giving nature of Saint Nicholas, and sharing tales of his gifts to children in need is how the legend of Santa Claus first started!

How to Celebrate Saint Nicolas Day:

Children set out their wooden clogs, shoes, or stockings on the evening before December 6, along with a small gift or a plate of cookies and milk for St. Nick and a carrot for his donkey (or beautiful white horse). On the morning of December 6, children wake to find their shoes filled with treats of small gifts, fruit or nuts, and special St. Nicolas candies and cookies. Traditional ideas you can include in your children’s shoes or stockings 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, a saint bracelet, or prayer cards. Learn more about Saint Nicolas and the myth of Father Christmas HERE, and try this fun holiday tradition for Christmas this year! You might also enjoy these eco-friendly Stocking Stuffer ideas.

20. Enjoy the Elf on the Shelf, or 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, which has evolved into the Elf on the Shelf Christmas Tradition. It’s a funny family Christmas tradition for kids that many people enjoy during the holiday season. The kindness elves are a much kinder version of the Elf on the Shelf tradition. They are magical elves that encourage children to do good deeds and commit small acts of kindness in service to others or the environment. Discover ten reasons we choose the Kindness Elves over the Elf on the Shelf in our home.  

21. Volunteer or donate to serve those in need:

There are several lovely ways to gift those in need as part of a family Christmas tradition during the holiday season. Ask the Kindness Elves for help getting the kids involved. Volunteer or give to your local food bank, homeless shelter, church, charity, or soup kitchen. Some charities and churches publish a wish list of items for children and families who cannot afford to buy Christmas gifts, such as the Angel Tree program. “Every child deserves to experience the joy of Christmas morning. Thanks to supporters of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, thousands of American children will find this waiting under their Christmas trees this year.” The Salvation Army.

Help The Salvation Army give this Christmas season by supporting the Angel Tree program. Sponsor an Angel Tree with your family or co-workers for Christmas this year. The Walmart Angel Tree program helps provide new clothing or toys for children of needy families through the support of generous donors like you! Angel Trees are decorated with numbered paper angel tags that list the child who needs Christmas presents, their first name, age, and gender. Check your local resource guide or do a Google search to find your family’s best choice, and make it a tradition to donate to your local charity during the Christmas season.

22. Gift everyone with Christmas coloring and activity books:

Christmas coloring books give children and adults an easy way to relieve stress and practice mindfulness during the holidays. Keep everyone busy and happy throughout the holidays with this fantastic collection of Christmas coloring and activity books for children and adults! Alternatively, create Christmas arts and crafts, or try these winter art projects and painting ideas.

23. Take a picture with Santa Claus (or Mrs. Claus):

Taking a picture with Santa is a classic family Christmas tradition. Many families head to the local mall, town square, or a Christmas party to take a picture with Santa Claus. Taking a photo with Santa Claus is a Christmas tradition that some children love–while others run screaming away! The good news is that you get to decide if you will be hitting the trenches or running for cover when Santa comes to town–lol!

Believe it or not (see what I did there), my father-in-law is one of those Santas you can share what you want for Christmas with and take a picture with every year in Prescott Valley, AZ — lol! A few years after he began this tradition, his girlfriend joined the fun as Mrs. Claus. You can see them all dressed up in the photo below. Have you taken a photo with them yet? Check your local family resource guide or do a Google search for “Santa Claus pictures near me” to find where your local Santa will be available for pictures in 2025.

24. Wear matching Christmas pajamas:

Wearing matching pajamas with the family is a fun family Christmas tradition. Family photos end up looking great! Find your favorite matching pajama set at Target or visit Old Navy for an excellent selection of affordable mix-and-match pajamas for the whole family!

25. Enjoy a local Christmas show, concert, amusement, or event:

Here are a few local family Christmas tradition ideas for 2025. Many people have a traditional thing they like to do for Christmas in their hometown. For example, we typically attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in our town square. We also enjoy a few Christmas light walks in our community. Walking through a beautiful garden of gorgeous Christmas lights in urban parks and other community settings is becoming a common feature in cities and towns everywhere.

My family also enjoys attending Christmas concerts, shows, and fairs at local schools and community event centers in our town. We also love attending a few of the other craft fairs and regional events held during the holidays, and we love sharing the joy these memory-making community events bring! While some families plan to attend one meaningful Christmas event each year, other Christmas heroes are crazy enough to do it all! If you’re one of those people, make a plan to do all of the above and visit Santa Land, ride the Polar Express, and go to Disneyland (or Disney World) with the tips below!

26. Visit Santa Land:

Santa Land is an amusement park for children and families. As a child, I thought there was only one Santa Land, but as an adult, I have learned that there are Santa Lands worldwide! Look for one in your area and make it a family tradition for Christmas.

27. Take a ride on the Polar Express:

The Polar Express is not just a Christmas book and movie- it’s a train ride you can take the whole family on! For Christmas this year, get tickets to ride the Polar Express with your family. Google “Polar Express near me” to find this spirited Christmas train ride in a city near you.

28. Attend a Christmas parade:

Going to a Christmas light parade is a fun way to enjoy the magic of the season, and what better place to do that than Disneyland, Disney World, your town square, or city street? Make plans to visit one of Disney’s impressive light parades (an event for every family’s Christmas bucket list), or check your local listings to find a Christmas parade near you.

29. Plan an annual family outing or fun winter event:

Plan a family outing or event to do every year around the holidays. You can find a few fun family favorites below:

• Get outside for some snow (or sand) play. Think sledding, snowball fights, (sand or) snow angels, and snowman building and making. It can also be fun to have sled races and a snowman building contest.
• Get a permit to cut down your own Christmas tree, and go on a family adventure in search of the perfect tree. (See #7 for more information.)
• Head up to the mountains for some skiing or snowboarding.
• Hit the bowling alley for some friendly competition.
• Play a game of touch football, rugby, soccer, dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, or softball.
• Head to the ice rink for some ice skating.
• Get out for a walk (or hike), rain, snow, or shine.
• Meet up for an annual family vacation on Christmas.

30. Make (or buy) a new Christmas ornament every year:

Making a new ornament for the tree each year is a delightful way to connect with the kids during the holidays. Please look at our collection of gorgeous handmade Christmas ornaments that kids and adults can make. And don’t forget to use a paint pen to add the date you made the ornament each year. Then, when your kids are grown up, you will have a tree full of Christmas memories to enjoy.

31. Hang Christmas stockings:

Hanging stockings on the fireplace mantle, or wherever else you can find room to put them, has become so familiar that many of us forget it’s a Christmas Eve tradition! Many believe this family Christmas tradition originated as a spin-off of the original Saint Nicolas Day tradition discussed above.

First, it was shoes, then socks on the mantle (because people hung them there to dry), and today–it’s the modern-day Christmas stocking with a candy cane inside! Our family is lucky enough to have a grandma who sews all our family stockings, but many lovely, ready-made options are also available.

Traditional Stocking Stuffer Ideas:

The traditions of Saint Nicolas Day and the winter solstice have influenced many of the items found in Christmas stockings today. For example, I remember it was a tradition to get chocolate coins, real maple candy, and an orange in the toe of my Christmas stocking when I was a young child. Every year, I looked forward to each of those traditional stocking stuffers and to the remaining surprises waiting for me inside the personalized Christmas stocking with my name on it.

I can also remember seeing a striped candy cane and a new plush stuffed animal or another exciting toy peeking out of the top of my Christmas stocking each year. And it is these Christmas traditions — passed down from generation to generation — that I continue to share with my own family today. For more great stocking-stuffers, please visit this fun collection of ideas for the whole family!

32. Create a gift-giving tradition:

In modern times, giving gifts at Christmas is one of the most common Christmas traditions. However, in larger families with members living far apart, establishing a Christmas gift exchange or a gift rule can make holiday gift-giving much less stressful. Gift-giving traditions make it easier for family members with smaller Christmas budgets to participate in the holiday season. So look at this fun collection of Christmas gift exchange ideas and gift-giving traditions and give one a try this year.

33. Try the Santa Sack Christmas Eve tradition:

Here’s a fun family Christmas tradition my family came up with. If you would like to give this fun Christmas tradition a try, follow these steps:

• First, invite everyone in the family to fill a Santa Sack with items they would like to donate to a local charity sometime before Christmas.
• Next, encourage the whole family to fill their Santa Sacks with items they no longer use and would like to give to those in need. Feel free to remind children that the more they give to others, the more they are likely to receive in return.
• Then, invite everyone to place their Santa Sack filled with items to donate to charity under the Christmas tree before Christmas Eve.
• After the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve, collect the Santa Sacks and empty each into a secret donation bin.
• Next, fill the sacks with gifts for each person to open on Christmas morning — think of it as a giant Christmas stocking.
• And finally, store your Santa Sacks in the Christmas box to use again next year!

Related: Ultimate Family Gift Guide: DIY and Readymade Ideas!

34. Hang mistletoe:

Hang a piece of mistletoe in a high-traffic area and kiss, hug, or high-five anyone you meet underneath it. This is a classic family Christmas tradition not to be missed!

35. Watch Christmas movies, or enjoy a Christmas movie marathon solo or with family and friends:

Make some popcorn in this vintage air popcorn popper and watch your favorite holiday movie with your family this year! When my husband and I were kids, he watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve with his family. In contrast, I religiously watched “Charlie Brown Christmas” with my brothers over the holiday break. Another classic family holiday movie favorite is any one of the movies made about Scrooge, such as “A Christmas Carol.” Bah, Humbug!

Later, when my family would get together for Christmas, we’d watch “Love Actually.” Today, my husband and I love watching “Christmas with the Kranks” with our daughter. Once you become parents and start doing all these crazy Christmas traditions with your family, you will probably be able to relate and think it’s as funny and heartwarming as we do. However, we are not ready to opt out of Christmas yet — lol!

Our daughter’s current favorite Christmas movie is “The Christmas Chronicles,” which now has a sequel just as entertaining as the first. They are great new additions to our favorite holiday movie list. Fortunately, in the sequel, they correct a mistake from the first movie when the characters refer to the reindeer as “he” — whoops! The creators were likely unaware of the legend of the “Deer Mother.” And probably didn’t know that reindeer with antlers are female! Thankfully, this small mistake was corrected in the sequel.

36. Make and give handmade gifts:

My family loves to give and receive handmade gifts. Friends and family have made some of my all-time favorite gifts. Check out this incredible collection of homemade gifts kids can make for several gorgeous DIY gift ideas you can try.

37. Make a gingerbread house:

A gingerbread house does not need gingerbread in the ingredients or even on the craft supply list. You don’t need a gingerbread house kit or have to use candy to decorate them. You can also make DIY gingerbread houses using large and small graham crackers or with cardboard and craft supplies. Have a look at the gingerbread house-building ideas below to choose your favorite gingerbread Christmas activity:

Gingerbread House Craft 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.
• Learn how to make a gingerbread house with graham crackers with the step-by-step tutorial 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.

38. Take a drive (or walk) to look at Christmas lights:

Who doesn’t love going Christmas light-seeing for the holidays? Spend at least one night driving or walking around your neighborhood, city, or town to look at the beautiful Christmas lights people put up to celebrate the return of the light during the darkest time of the year. Grab a warm cup of hot cocoa to go and head out to see the beautiful light displays put up by the city and your neighbors.

The neighborhood we live in has a lot of homes with holiday lights, so we like to bundle up and go on winter light walks around our neighborhood in the days leading up to Christmas. Before going for a drive or walk to look at holiday light displays, make some popcorn, cruise by the hot chocolate bar to fill a to-go cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows for the whole family, and then pop in the car, or take a walk around your neighborhood, for some holiday light-seeing fun!

Related: Gifts for Mom That Will Put You in the Good Book

39. Host a family game night:

Wrap up a new family game and put it under the tree for everyone to open and play with on Christmas. Some families observe this fun Christmas tradition by playing a new game on Christmas Eve, while others place a note in an Advent calendar describing the gift to open for a family game night in the days leading up to Christmas. Choose your favorite way to ring in this tradition and declare, “Game on!”

40. Sing Christmas carols and songs:

Grab the Christmas Songbook, some flameless candlesticks to go caroling, turn on the karaoke machine, or sit by the piano with some Christmas music and sing your heart out this Christmas season! Don’t forget to sing a few funny Christmas songs with the kids. Oh, come on, you know you enjoyed those silly songs when you were a kid, too!

My brothers and I always loved singing “Grandma got run over by a reindeer,” although Grandma never liked it much — lol — we always got a giggle out of Grandpa! Just hug her and tell her it’s not Christmas without Grandma, and she’ll get over it, too. Or, try this silly Christmas songbook!

41. Gift everyone with a new book on Christmas Eve:

In Iceland, it is a tradition to gift everyone a new book on Christmas Eve and then spend the night snuggled up reading. This Christmas Eve tradition is called Jolabokaflod, which translates to “Yule book flood.” Though this holiday tradition originated in Iceland, it is gaining popularity worldwide. Make it a family tradition to gift everyone in your family with a new book on Christmas Eve! Learn more about this Icelandic Christmas tradition HERE.

Jolabokaflod Book Gift Ideas:

• Something to Read: Book Gift Ideas for Kids
• Best Parenting Books

42. Leave out cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.

Another common family Christmas Eve tradition is to put out a plate of cookies for Santa (December 24). First, bake your family’s favorite Christmas cookies, or use this easy sugar cookie recipe to make cookies for Santa. Next, put them on a plate with a glass of milk near the stockings or the Christmas tree for Santa to enjoy. Once the kids are in bed, eat a few of the cookies, leave one with a bite or two, or hide them away to make it look like Santa stopped by for a snack on his journey when they wake in the morning.

43. Sprinkle reindeer food:

Leave out reindeer food for Santa’s reindeer on December 24. Invite the kids to sprinkle reindeer food on your doorstep, front porch, or in the front yard before bed on Christmas Eve. There is an easy reindeer food recipe you can use below. Sweep it up before the kids wake on Christmas Morning to make it seem like the reindeer ate it for even more fun!

How to Make Reindeer Food:

• Use a single hole, star, or heart punch to make confetti from fall leaves.
• Or, mix oats with any Christmas sprinkles.

44. Track Santa’s flight on Christmas Eve:

Here’s a funny Christmas Eve tradition for families with kids. Have you or your children ever wondered where Santa is on Christmas Eve? Well, today, there is a fun way to find out. Track Santa Claus’s flight around the world on Christmas Eve–> HERE.

45. Go to Midnight Mass:

Get out your bible and gather for a service on Christmas Eve at your local place of worship. Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide, celebrated on Christmas Eve. The service traditionally begins just before or at midnight, when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day, and is therefore called Midnight Mass.

46. Hide the Christmas pickle:

I’ve heard of a few variations on this odd, funny, yet unique family Christmas tradition. Family Christmas presents can be as simple as sharing a box of Christmas chocolates or as elaborate as tickets for a family vacation or a significant gift that everyone gets to share and enjoy, such as a ping-pong or an air hockey table! Following is the Christmas pickle tradition that my family has adopted:

1. Hide a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree after the kids are in bed on Christmas Eve.
2. The first person to find the pickle ornament on Christmas morning gets to open the family gift!
3. Everyone must be present (pun intended) and ready before the pickle finder can open the family gift.

47. Create a Christmas morning or breakfast tradition in your home:

Create a Christmas morning tradition in your home. Some families like having freshly baked cinnamon rolls with marshmallows and hot chocolate or coffee as they open presents. Others open their presents on Christmas Eve and eat Rudolf pancakes after emptying their stockings in the morning. Choose a breakfast tradition that brings happiness and make it a Christmas morning family tradition.

48. Empty stockings on Christmas morning:

One of my family’s favorite Christmas traditions is opening or emptying our Christmas stockings on Christmas morning. Some families let the kids open their Christmas stockings before the parents get out of bed, while others wait until everyone is present to share their gifts. Other families go to church services or make sure everyone has a healthy breakfast before anyone can empty their stockings. Use these ideas, or create your own Christmas stocking family holiday tradition.

49. Open Christmas presents:

Opening presents on Christmas morning is a classic family tradition enjoyed by children and adults alike. Many families wait until everyone is fed and happy before opening Christmas presents, while others allow the kids to open them as soon as they wake up. I know a few parents who let their kids open presents on their own so they can sleep in on Christmas morning, and to them, it’s their favorite gift. Their kids allow them to sleep all day while they play with their new things. I also know a few families that open their presents on Christmas Eve for the same reason. The good news is that you and your family can create your own rules and traditions by deciding when to open Christmas presents with your children.

50. Prepare a traditional Christmas dinner and desserts:

A traditional Christmas dinner is very similar to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It usually features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a seasonal vegetable side dish, such as turnips or carrots. You can substitute other main dishes to include different types of poultry, such as wild goose or duck, or another type of meat, like roast beef, ham, deer (venison), or a vegetarian alternative. Look through this list of traditional Christmas dinner recipes HERE.

Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, fruitcake, and Christmas pudding are typical traditional Christmas desserts. And, of course, children love it when a hot chocolate bar with marshmallows is available at Christmas. You might also enjoy our Homemade Pumpkin Cranberry Bread Recipe! It’s a long-time family favorite at our house for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

51. Place a Christmas cracker or popper next to each dinner plate:

Christmas Crackers are a Christmas tradition that started in England but has gained worldwide popularity. They are often made to look like an extra-large candy twist, snowman, or Nutcracker. They are usually constructed with recycled cardboard cylinders or toilet tubes wrapped and decorated with ribbons and colored paper. Learn more about the history of the Christmas Cracker–> HERE, and how to make a Christmas cracker–> HERE.

52. Take a family photo on Christmas Day:

Gather the family around the Christmas tree, the holiday table, or the backyard to take a family Christmas photo. Taking a family photo on or around Christmas every year is an easy way to watch everyone grow and change. I never realized the power of a good camera until I became a mother. Purchasing a good camera was one of the best choices I have ever made for my family. However, many cell phones have cameras and lens attachments that work just as well. You can find a fantastic deal on an updated DSLR camera set I use HERE.

53. Set up a hot chocolate bar:

Create a hot chocolate bar with all the fixings for everyone to enjoy. Hot cocoa is fun for children and adults alike to enjoy during the holidays. Be sure to include marshmallows, peppermint sticks, white chocolate chips, whipped cream, and anything else your family and friends like to mix with hot cocoa, such as adult beverages for those over age.

54. Practice gratitude:

The holidays are a great time to teach children about gratitude and thankfulness. Gratitude brings abundance. When we are thankful for what we have, we are given more of what we are grateful for and can find greater happiness. Practice gratitude as a Christmas tradition in your home. Try the ideas here: fun gratitude activities and crafts, or print out one of the Gratitude Journal Printables listed below.

Gratitude Activity Printables:

First, pass either one of these gratitude activity printables around the Christmas table. Next, invite kids and adults to write (or draw) what they are most thankful for in the corresponding boxes!

• I Am Grateful: Gratitude Journal Printable
• Gratitude Journal Prompts Printable
• Gratitude Tree

55. Be the light; shine brightly:

Christmas is a celebration of light. The common theme of winter holidays and celebrations worldwide is the sharing and celebrating of light. The light of awareness, the light of love, the light of Jesus, God, and the light we share as One with all that is. Dream of the light, welcome the light, be the light. “Keep your light shining bright through the longest and darkest nights.” ~Nell Regan Kartychok

Fun Family Christmas Traditions To Start This Year

We hope you enjoyed looking through this list of fun family Christmas traditions to start in 2025. In it, we share modern, classic, religious, and unique Christmas traditions from around the world to choose from. Use this list of family Christmas ideas to start a new Christmas tradition this holiday season.

Creating meaningful family Christmas Traditions makes the holiday season a magical time of year — it’s the traditional things we do that give us meaning and create memories that last a lifetime. Don’t forget to check out this family gift guide with DIY and ready-made gift ideas for the whole family!

You may also enjoy this fantastic round-up of Christmas art projects. It includes a brief history of how and why other common Christmas symbols and characters came to be associated with the Christmas holiday.

Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author of Christmas traditions and celebration ideas HERE, and Rhythms of Play HERE!

Holiday Family Traditions And Celebration Ideas:

• New Year’s Traditions Celebration Ideas
• Easter Tradition and Fun Things to Do on Easter
• Thanksgiving Tradition and Fun Ways to Give Thanks

Seasonal Traditions and Celebration Ideas:

• Winter Solstice Traditions and Celebration Ideas
• Spring Equinox Traditions and Celebration Ideas
• Summer Solstice Traditions and Celebration Ideas
• Fall Autumnal Equinox Celebration Ideas

Christmas Family Ideas:

• Gifts for Mom That Will Put You in the Good Book
• The Ultimate Eco-Friendly Gift Guide for Kids
• Homemade Gifts Kids Can Make
• DIY Christmas Ornaments
• Something to Read: Book Gift Ideas for Kids

Winter Ideas:

• Rainy Day Activities for Kids
• Winter Bucket List Seasonal Activity Guide
• How to Create a Winter Nature Table
• How to Make Beaded Snowflake Ornaments