25 Christmas Traditions For A Wonderful Holiday Season

If you are looking to start some new holiday traditions with your family, you are in the right place, my friend! I’ve scoured the internet, asked around, and tossed in some of our personal favorites to bring you 25 of the best Christmas traditions for families so you can work on creating some memories that last.

Whether you are looking to start some new traditions, replace some old ones, or simply looking curious about what options are available for the holiday season, there is sure to be something for you.

Make lasting memories with your family this holiday season with any or all of these 25 Christmas traditions perfect for the holiday season.

Plus, learn how you can enter the Christmas Blessings Giveaway November 14 – 23, 2022!

25 Christmas Traditions For Your Family

From heading out on the town to staying home with the family, plus everything in between, you are sure to find holiday traditions that your family can start this year!

Take In The Holiday Lights

Look online for details on holiday light shows near you, load up the kids, and head out for an evening of fun! Whether it’s a local light parade, a walk-through experience, or a driving tour of decorated homes, light shows are one of the best parts of the holiday season.

Family Christmas Pajamas

Yup, you know you’ve been waiting all year to try this one out – matching Christmas pajamas! Perfect for sending out Christmas cards and to use on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, this is a great tradition to start.

Make Holiday Decorations

Dig out those glue guns and, dare I say glitter, and prepare to get crafty as you make holiday decorations together. This can be done with a quick Google search and a trip to your local craft supply store or by attending an event near you. Plus, homemade decorations make great mementos for years to come.

Watch Christmas Movies

Grab the classics or try something new, the Christmas season is the perfect time to Look for a good Christmas movie to watch with the family. You can set things up while offering assorted snacks, including popcorn and chocolate.

Open One Gift on Christmas Eve

Whether you let the kids pick something out on their own or opt for a traditional gift like movies or pajamas, letting each person in the house open one gift on Christmas Eve can be a fun way to get a peak at the excitement to come.

Participate in a Cookie Exchange

Keep it simple and swap with neighbors or coordinate a party, either way, a cookie exchange can be a fantastic way to get your fill of a wide variety of holiday cookies without spending days in the kitchen. So much fun, and oh so tasty!

Decorate Together

In our home, the traditions start as soon as we dig out the tree! Everything from setting the tree up to decorating the house is part of the experience, We add in Christmas music as well as a large batch of homemade hot cocoa with candy canes and fresh whipped cream. From there, we begin the process of decorating our tree, plus both the inside and the outside of our home while sharing in the memories that many of our decorations have connected to them.

Go Caroling

An often long-forgotten pastime, caroling can be a fun tradition for your family that is also beloved by your community! Bring the tradition back to life while caroling with your family (or even coordinate with your neighbors to join!). Another option would be to carol at a local hospital or nursing home.

Have Christmas Eve Dinner

If you’d prefer to relax with your family on Christmas Day, consider moving the big dinner to Christmas Eve, making plenty of extras that you can warm up on Christmas Day.

Make Homemade Hot Chocolate

I mentioned this one earlier, but our family always enjoys homemade hot cocoa while we trim the tree. A basic recipe needs just a few kitchen staples, or you can get creative by adding sprinkles, candy canes, marshmallows, or coffee.

Try Christmas-Themed Cinnamon Rolls

A quick and easy breakfast option, make your favorite cinnamon rolls festive! Simply add red or green food coloring to the glaze before you drizzle it on your cooked rolls.

Decorate Mini Stockings for the Tree

Decorate mini stockings to hang on the tree! These can be just for fun, for your pets, or a fun momento year after year. You can generally find black mini stockings where you find Christmas decorations and decorate them with glitter, paint, and sequins.

Play a Game the Night Before Christmas

Whether you purchase a new board game as part of the tradition or play a family favorite, game nights are always a great activity!

Make a Gingerbread House

Grab a kit to put together as a family or buy one for each member and make a whole village… either way, decorating a gingerbread house is a fun part of the Christmas season.

Visit an Ice Skating Rink

Part of nearly every Christmas movie, ice skating is a seasonal activity that is somehow more magical during the holidays. Whether you have an indoor or outdoor rink, your family will love the feel of the ice under their skates.

Attend a Christmas Eve Service

There is nothing like a Christmas Even service to get you thinking about the true reason for the season.

Visit a Christmas Tree Farm

If you love selecting just the right tree for your home, then a local Christmas tree farm just might be the Christmas tradition for you!

Help Others

Do something for a child (or family) in your area by selecting a child from a local angel tree, donating to Operation Christmas Child, or helping your church find local families in need to support this holiday season.

Bake Christmas Treats together

One of my favorite traditions – baking with the kids!! Last year I asked the kids to each select a type of cookie or treat so we could make it together.

Play Holiday Trivia Games

A quick Google search will give you plenty of options to choose from! Host a family party with games, snacks, and plenty of fun when you find or create trivia games around holiday history, facts, movies, traditions, and even gifts.

Secret Santa

Consider a family Secret Santa, especially good for larger families! It’s a fun way to spread some holiday cheer!

Ugly Christmas Sweaters, Anyone?

Buy a pre-made sweater or make an evening out of decorating your own, everyone seems to love ugly Christmas sweaters.

Decorate the Windows

Use holiday clings, make stained glass to hang, or even grab some indoor ‘snow’ and get festive around your home.

Send Christmas Cards

A tradition that is fading, sending Christmas cards is a great way to connect with family and friends. We love to send photo cards every year, and it’s a great keepsake for our family as well.

Attend A Show

Whether it’s going to the movies, the theater, or the ballet, attending a show it a fun tradition. My daughters and I look forward to our annual trek to see The Nutcracker every year, a tradition that started many years ago, that has led to a growing collection for them both.

BONUS – Read The Gospel of Luke

Tradition #26, which probably should be #1, is to read from the Gospel of Luke, starting on December 1st. Reading one chapter per day will have you finishing Luke on Christmas Eve, leaving your family’s hearts and minds focused on the birth of Christ.

Christmas Traditions Make Great Holiday Memories

The season is short, my friend, but there are so many opportunities to make lasting memories this holiday season… I mean, I didn’t even mention Advent Calendars or advent calendar for teens, sledding, family trips… goodness I could go on and on!

But the point isn’t to give you a set checklist of holiday memory activities, rather it’s to inspire you to plan some holiday fun and create amazing traditions for your family.

What holiday traditions does your family already have, and what would you like to add this year? Comment below!

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And now… about that giveaway!

Another year, another Christmas! The most wonderful time of the year is upon us. And some of the best things about this time of year is that it’s a time of gratitude, togetherness, and celebration.

I have teamed up with some pretty generous bloggers for the 9th annual Christmas Blessings Giveaway to bless FIVE families this year. In the past we have had two winners for this giveaway, but this year we wanted to give to even more families – we are giving away $200 gift cards to 5 families! Each winner will get a $200 gift card to wherever they choose – a restaurant, clothing store, grocery store, online retailer – any place that offers gift cards!

There are lots of entry options in the Rafflecopter form below – the more you enter, the better your chance of winning!  I know it can seem tedious and time consuming to go through all the entries, but isn’t a chance at $200 worth it? I think it is!  Plus, all of these amazing bloggers donated their own money towards the prizes, so this giveaway wouldn’t be possible without them.  I hope you’ll take the time to check out each one. Who knows, maybe you will find some new blogs to follow.

The giveaway will run from Monday, November 14th through Wednesday, November 23rd (ends at 11:59pm EST). Winner will be notified by email shortly after the giveaway ends and will have 48 hours to respond to claim the prize or another winner will be drawn. By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers.  Please be sure to read the Rafflecopter terms and conditions upon entering.

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