With Christmas only a few short days away, we can’t help but think about what makes this holiday so special. Although gifts play a huge role in making Christmas unique, we believe the memories you make are far more important.
Your kids probably won’t remember every single gift you ever gave them, but they will remember the traditions you created and the time you spent with one another. In this post, we’re sharing 11 Christmas traditions you can start this year to make your holiday a little more special!
Christmas Eve Box
A Christmas Eve Box is a present you give the night before Christmas. It’s usually filled with small, simple gifts such as jammies, socks, books, movies, sweets, etc. You can also fill your boxes with things to do as a family to make Christmas Eve even more memorable. This tradition is especially great for little ones who can’t wait until Christmas morning to open a present!
Movie Marathon
There’s nothing quite like a holiday movie to spread Christmas cheer! Have every member of your family pick their favorite movie and binge-watch them all before Christmas day. You can take a few days to do this, or try to squeeze them all in on one night depending on the size of your family.
Decorate Sugar Cookies
Leaving cookies out for Santa is definitely a time-honored tradition. Make it a little more fun by decorating them as a family! Grab some Christmas cookie cutters, get festive toppings, and have at it. If you need a great cookie recipe, click the image above!
Look at Lights
Christmas lights and decorations really make this holiday one-of-a-kind! You can drive around looking for spectacularly decorated homes, or drive through a Christmas light park for some holiday fun.
Serve Others
This is a tradition your family will always remember. Not only is it something special you can do together, you’re also impacting someone else’s life. As a family, you can decide what to do to serve those around you. Give an anonymous gift, do a sub for santa, or pick a charity to donate to.
Homemade Ornaments
Making ornaments is a wonderful tradition because you get a keepsake at the end of it! Every year when you hang your ornaments on the tree, you’ll be reminded of the previous years together. Get the tutorial for these cute salt dough ornaments by clicking on the image above!
Christmas Tree Sleepover
On one of the nights leading up to Christmas, have a family sleepover next to the Christmas tree. Build a fort using pillows and blankets, then spend the night telling stories, playing games, or simply hanging out together.
Handprint Tree Skirt
Get a white tree skirt and every Christmas have your kids put their hand prints on it. Each year when you set up the tree, you’ll be able to see just how much everyone has grown. If you need a tutorial, click on the image above!
Christmas Books
Each year, buy at least one new Christmas book to read as a family. Once you build up a small collection, you can let your kids take turns picking a book to read on the nights or weeks leading up to Christmas. As an added bonus, wrap the books so your kids have something to open before Christmas.
Christmas Around the World
Learn about other cultures by trying different Christmas traditions from around the world! Decide as a family which country you want to learn more about, research their traditions, and pick some to try. You can pick a new country every year, or try a few different ones each Christmas.
Game Night
Game nights are a great way to make your holiday merry! Set aside one night each year to play Christmas-themed games as a family. Need some ideas to get you started? Click the image above!
