Every home should enjoy family traditions for Christmas-it’s only natural for everyone to get in on the holiday fun!
Collect Holiday Ornaments
Making or buying an ornament to commemorate each holiday season is a heartwarming way to reflect on the years that have passed- a genuinely lovely pick for family traditions for Christmas. Whether you’ve just finished packing up and moving or dropped off your firstborn child at kindergarten, you’ll be overcome with emotion as you hang that keepsake proudly on the wall.
Create Holiday-Inspired Crafts and Artwork
One of the most enjoyable family traditions for Christmas is to host a family crafternoon, where everyone can participate in making handmade gifts, cards, garlands, stockings, and even a miniature Christmas village. Then, play traditional Christmas tunes, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and get to work. Hand-delivering your creations to your elderly neighbors is a great way to brighten their holiday.
PS. If you’re up for holiday-inspired jewelry, don’t forget to check out Xinar’s Christmas and Thanksgiving charms collections(!)
Play Trivia Games About the Holidays
Holiday movie-themed trivia questions are a great way to spin game night positively. The victor can take home the bragging rights or a prize to spice up the competition (extra milk and cookies, perhaps).
Prepare a Homemade Photo Booth
You might only see them at weddings and other formal events, but a photo booth is a fun and easy way to make and share memorable photographs while practicing one of the best family traditions for Christmas. A digital camera or iPad on a tripod, a wall backdrop (a wildly patterned blanket or finger-painted paper both work), bright lights to flatter all your angles, and some floor space are all you need to take great selfies. You can bring out everyone’s goofy side at a family party by having everyone wear cheap funny hats and fake mustaches.
Indulge in Seasonal Tales
Make it a goal to spend quality time together by putting down your phones and laptops and listening to a Christmas story while baking cookies or working on a craft.
Use an Advent Calendar to Mark the Days
Count the days until the big event to capitalize on the holiday excitement. This is a great way to give more energy to family traditions for Christmas.
Traditional Christmas advent calendars are popular among children, but adult consumers are interested in wine and beauty-themed calendars. We promise not to tell Santa if you eat an entire week’s worth of foil-wrapped chocolate in one sitting because you missed the first few days and now need to catch up.
It’s A Good Idea to Get Matching Christmas Pajamas
Put on matching pajamas the night before Christmas and take a cute family photo together.
Enjoy a Unique Brunch
After the wrapping paper has been torn off the last gift, have a celebratory brunch as a family. French toast, lox and bagels, and egg casseroles are just a few examples of endless breakfast options. Shrimp, a nod to Australia’s family traditions for Christmas, or ruby red pomegranate, a symbol of plenty and long life, are two options for expanding your holiday menu. Do not forget to serve a delicious Christmas cocktail, such as a cranberry prosecco punch or a spiked hot chocolate.
Select a Tree
Whether you visit a tree farm, a busy intersection, or a local nursery, there are many exciting things to do and see. Are you hesitant to invest in a real tree? Try substituting a pine wreath for the typical one. Make a wall-mounted washi tape tree to indulge your inner crafter.
Decorate Your Tree
Pick out the perfect fit, and then set aside an afternoon to decorate together as a family. The custom of decorating Christmas trees with various edible items dates back to Germany, where revelers first strung red apples and then popcorn, candles, white candy canes, cookies, and dolls. To add a touch of individuality to this pick for family traditions for Christmas, have everyone in the family decorate a small Christmas tree for their bedroom.
Challenge Your Friends to Find the Pickle Ornament
This odd tradition is sometimes referred to as Weihnachtsgurke. While its origins are often attributed to Germany, The New York Times suggests that it originated in the American Midwest. So what does this ornament symbolize precisely? If you believe the old wives’ tales, the lucky kid who unearths the pickle Christmas ornament will be the recipient of many benefits in the coming year.
Express Yourself Through Elf on the Shelf
This new holiday custom continues to be highly well-liked among children, much to the chagrin of their responsible guardians. While the kids will love it, the parents will have to put in some effort to devise creative ways to set the stage for the family elf each night. In a positive light, your elf keeps tabs on the kid’s actions and relays them to Santa so he can make his nice and naughty lists.
Become A Part of A Toy Drive
Another way to add a charitable element to the celebration is by “adopting” a child through a local nonprofit organization like Toys for Tots. Typically, they will provide a short wish list, and you will go shopping and deliver the wrapped gifts to a specified location.
Send Your Letters to Santa!
According to TIME, this lovely custom didn’t begin until the late 19th century. So when did kids first begin writing letters and making lists for Santa? Thomas Nast drew some of the earliest depictions of Santa Claus, including one from 1871 that appeared in Harper’s Weekly, and depicted the man in red organizing his mail.
See the Lights in Your Neighbor’s Neighborhood
After WWII, increased production made outdoor light displays more affordable and accessible to the masses, marking the beginning of their meteoric rise in popularity. Lighted Christmas displays appeared overnight, inside and out, and included ornaments, bubble lights, and even Santas. These kinds of holiday displays have increased in some areas. See if a place in your area has timed its lights to popular Christmas carols for a truly one-of-a-kind holiday experience.
Place Poinsettias Around the House
Poinsettias are one of the few North American Christmas traditions with Mexican roots. For Christians, the red flowers represent Christ’s blood, and the green leaves represent everlasting life, but for many, the flower is simply a beautiful symbol of the holiday season. So put it to use anywhere, from the front porch to the mantle, to inject some life and color into your space. (If you purchase a real one, however, you should keep it locked up because it is toxic if ingested.)
Watch A Bunch Of Holiday Films In A Row
You didn’t need a reason to start a marathon session on your preferred streaming service. Netflix has many holiday films this year, and there’s always something heartwarming on Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel.
Visit A Neighborhood Holiday Market
People follow the lead of their counterparts in France and Germany all over the world by strolling through Christmas markets and villages in search of the best Christmas gifts while sipping hot chocolate or mulled wine.
