Memorable Christmas Family Traditions

Traditions to start with your family this year.

Christmas is a magical time for little kids. The chance to be with family is such a precious thing this time of year. Creating Christmas family traditions together is something your kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

No matter how simple, having traditions you do each year together will bring your family closer together.

When your children are grown, they will look back fondly at the memories they have of these wonderful Christmases you spent together.

Enjoy this time of year and create new and exciting Christmas family traditions!

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The Importance of Christmas Traditions

-Christmas family traditions help children and adults develop a sense of belonging and importance in the family unit.

-The family develops a shared set of values through traditions because the tradition often represents what’s most important to the family.

-Gathering together each year helps families reconnect and spend quality time together when they may otherwise not be together.

-Traditions can help those with anxiety feel more secure because they are often predictable events.

-Christmas family traditions can help kids feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.

My Christmas Family Traditions

Now that we have little ones of our own, my husband and I are being intentional in creating Christmas family traditions that we will love and cherish for years to come.

My toddler is two for Christmas this year. This age is so much fun because he is old enough to participate in all of the festivities now.

My baby is 6 months old, which means that everything is new and exciting to him. He loves to stare at the decorations and watch all the excitement of those around him.

These are the Christmas family traditions we will continue with our little family as the kids grow up.

Decorating for Christmas

We love to decorate for Christmas as a family the day after Thanksgiving. My husband gets all the boxes of decorations out of the garage. Then my son and I get everything out and start decorating the house and the tree together.

This year, my toddler’s favorite part of decorating was putting ornaments and lights on the Christmas tree. He kept putting the ornaments on and taking them off again just so he could put them back on.

I put lights and greenery on our piano and he was in love! Each new decoration he noticed brought on a whole new set of excitement.

I’m so glad we got to include our two year old in decorating this year.

When my 6 month old woke up from his nap, we brought him downstairs and his eyes got huge when he saw the lights on the Christmas tree. He got a big smile when we brought him up close to the tree so he could feel the branches. He then laid on his blanket by the tree and stared up at it in awe.

Decorating for Christmas with the kids is a wonderful Christmas family tradition that we will carry on each year.

Putting Out Shoes for Saint Nicholas

On December 6th, the kids wake up to find Saint Nicholas has left them chocolate gold coins and oranges in their shoes.

We line up our shoes together the night before and tell our toddler the story of St. Nicholas. I ordered this book to read together about St. Nicholas.

In true toddler fashion, when he found gifts in his shoes, he only cared about the orange. He was excited to find something in his shoes though!

This is an Orthodox Christmas family tradition based on the story of Saint Nicholas leaving gold for families in need. He left the gold in secret so they wouldn’t know it was him. His only goal was to help the family, not to be known for his good deeds. Read more about St. Nicholas day traditions here.

Elf Date Night

When my husband and I started dating, we had a date inspired by the date in the movie, Elf. We loved it so much that we continue the tradition and recreate the date each year.

We go to a coffee shop and enjoy “the world’s best cup of coffee” together.

We look at Christmas trees around town and admire all the decorations.

We go ice skating and hold hands.

Finally, we end the day by watching the movie, Elf.

It’s simple, but this is one of my favorite Christmas family traditions that we have.

Christmas Morning Breakfast

Each Christmas I make homemade cinnamon rolls, bacon, and eggs for breakfast. The whole family enjoys this combination of food for breakfast and the homemade cinnamon rolls make it extra special.

We love to sit and drink coffee and slowly enjoy breakfast together after we open presents.

This is my favorite cinnamon roll recipe.

Christmas Movie Nights

Leading up to Christmas, we watch all of our favorite Christmas movies.

It’s so fun to get everyone in their pajamas and watch Christmas movies together while we drink hot chocolate.

I made a hot chocolate bar in our kitchen and it does not disappoint.

Because our children are so young, there are some movies that we are waiting to watch with them when they get older. These movies my husband and I cuddle up on the couch and watch in the evenings once the kids go to bed. These make great date nights!

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Opening Presents Together

Each year, we have our own family Christmas in the morning of Christmas day. We wake up together with the kids and run downstairs to open presents.

We love this intimate time together as a family before the day becomes hectic.

In the evening of Christmas day we spend time with extended family and open presents with them at that time. This time concludes our day of festivities.

Everyone gets to play with their toys as the adults sit by the Christmas tree and tell stories of Christmases past.

Making Gifts for The Neighbors

This is a new Christmas family tradition we are starting this year! I am excited about this one because it gives us a chance to meet many of the new neighbors that have moved in on our street this year.

Creating a gift for the neighbors just to say “Merry Christmas” is something everyone involved will enjoy.

It’s simply the thought that counts, so do something that fits your budget and schedule. Our budget is small this year so I will be making cookies for everyone.

My toddler and I will leave the bags of cookies on each doorstep along with a note that says “Merry Christmas.”

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Attending Christmas Eve Church Service

We are really looking forward to attending church on Christmas eve this year.

Coming together as a family to celebrate the birth of Jesus is a beautiful thing and should not be forgotten in the Christmas season.

Having little ones to bring to church on Christmas eve is inspiring. As I look down at my own baby, I can’t help but be reminded of what a miracle it was that Jesus chose to come to earth as a tiny baby.

The biggest miracle and blessing is Jesus being born. Let us celebrate together each year.

This is the most important tradition of all.

RELATED: How to Take a Toddler and Baby to Church

Christmas Family Tradition Inspiration

1. Decorate the Christmas tree together

2. Take a Christmas light stroll while you drink hot chocolate

3. Make a special Christmas morning breakfast

4. Make gingerbread cookies

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5. Go ice skating

6. Chop down your Christmas tree in the woods

7. Go snowshoeing

8. Make a snowman

9. Go hiking

10. Decorate sugar cookies

11. Bake together

12. Watch Christmas movies in your pajamas

13. Go to a local Christmas market

14. Host a Christmas party

15. Serve food at your local homeless shelter

16. Attend a Christmas church service

17. Have a gingerbread house building competition

18. Wear matching Christmas pajamas and take a picture together each year in the same pose

19. Do a Christmas craft

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20. Pick a decoration for the Christmas tree together every year

21. Read the Nativity story

22. Add a St. Nicholas day tradition on December 6th

23. Give gifts to your neighbors

24. Make homemade wrapping paper

25. Create homemade gifts for friends and family

26. Go on a drive to see Christmas lights

27. Have a family game night

28. Make hot chocolate and sit around the Christmas tree

29. Do an advent calendar

30. Write Christmas cards

31. Open new pajamas on Christmas eve

32. Do a Secret Santa gift exchange

33. Make salt dough ornaments (I always do a footprint for each of my baby’s first Christmases)

34. Get a new book to read together

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35. Donate toys to those in need

36. Create blessing bags and hand them out together

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37. Attend a local tree lighting in your town

38. Sleep around the Christmas tree on Christmas eve

38. Make and deliver cookies to your neighbors

39. Unwrap a new book on Christmas eve

40. Go sledding

41. Have breakfast for dinner

42. Gift experiences instead of traditional presents

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43. Try one of these out of the box traditions

44. Make a Christmas ornament

45. Go Christmas shopping together

46. Set up a nativity scene

47. Participate in your city’s Christmas festivities

48. Make a signature dish for Christmas dinner

49. Do a cookie exchange

50. Write your children Christmas letters (either save them all for when your kids get older or let them read it right away)

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Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful season full of new and old Christmas family traditions.

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