Every family has their own holiday traditions, and no two families are the same. As a child, we embrace our parents’ traditions. But when you get married and start a family, you might want to start some new ones of your own. Here are seven holiday traditions to try this Christmas.
Why holiday traditions are important
I don’t know about you, but I look forward to Christmas so much throughout the year. Growing up, my family had many little holiday traditions, and that’s really what made it special. Of course, as a kid I definitely anticipated the presents (what kid doesn’t?), but as I got older, it was those special things we did every year that I really looked forward to.
Holiday traditions bring family together
Regardless of whether your entire family lives in town or is scattered around the world, holiday traditions are guaranteed to bring you together. We all have those little things that our family does every year. By starting traditions with your family when your kids are little, you can ensure they will remember them when they are grown and living on their own.
Holiday traditions provide consistency
We all have that one tradition we look forward to every year. When I was a kid, the entire side of my mom’s family got together on Christmas Eve for a huge Mexican food dinner. And since we’re Hispanic, you can bet that food was ah-mazing!
That little tradition gave me consistency as a child. We never wondered what was going to happen on Christmas Eve; it was just understood that we would stuff our faces with tacos, enchiladas, tortillas, chile, beans, posole, and chicharonnes. Who wouldn’t look forward to that?
Holiday traditions provide kids with something to look forward to (that’s not gifts!)
My grandfather was an amazing man, and he started a fantastic tradition for the grandkids. Every year, he created a scavenger hunt for us. He and my grandma always gave us stocking filled with little gifts, and we had to solve the riddles to find them. The gifts were neat, but I think we all looked forward to the scavenger hunt the most.
The level of detail my grandpa put into these scavenger hunts was amazing, and you could always tell how much he cared about each of his grandchildren. Even though he passed away many years ago, each one of us cherishes those memories to this day.
Seven of our favorite holiday traditions
Since holiday traditions are so important to me, my husband and I decided to establish a few when we got married and started our own family.
1. Christmas Eve pajama tradition
I wrote an entire post about how to start a Christmas Eve pajama tradition, so check it out if this is something you’re interested in. We started this tradition because we wanted some quality family time in the midst of the hustle and bustle of trying to make sure we see all of our extended families during the holidays.
2. Themed Christmas tree tradition
This holiday tradition is a carry-over from my childhood. My grandmother was a huge collector, and absolutely loved Christmas. She had nineteen Christmas trees in her house (nineteen!), and each one had a theme.
When we were kids, she gave each of us our very own themed tree. Mine was teddy bears, and my brothers shared a rocking horse tree. All the ornaments follow the theme, and I treasure mine to this day. We got to set up our trees in our bedrooms, and it was very special.
In fact, I decided to pass my tree on to Little Man when he was born, so his tree has all my teddy bear decorations. Some other themed tree ideas are nutcrackers, Disney, snowmen, snow globes, etc.
3. Christmas ornament tradition
Going along with the themes tree tradition is our ornament tradition. In addition to our trees, my grandmother gave us a special Hallmark ornament every year. Many of them are numbered (first Christmas, second Christmas, etc.), and all of them have the date.
We decided to carry on this tradition with Little Man. He was two weeks old for his first Christmas, but we still got his little teddy bear ornament from the Hallmark store. It’s perfect because it also goes with the theme of his tree. When we have more kids, we plan to continue this tradition so they have a collection of ornaments to take with them when they leave home.
4. Christmas lights tradition
This is one tradition that we sadly have not been as diligent about keeping. As a kid, there were several years when we drove around looking at lights, but things get so crazy around this time of year that it’s hard to make the time.
I do want to get better about doing this holiday tradition, because it’s so much fun. There are several neighborhoods in our town that really go all-out for Christmas, and it’s fun to either drive through them, or even get out and walk around. Bundle up and bring along some hot cocoa in a thermos or YETI mug, and admire those lights.
Some cities even have brilliant displays you can pay to visit. Our biopark has an incredible display, and every year we tell ourselves we have to go. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to make it happen, but it’s on the list!
5. Advent calendar tradition
This is one of those holiday traditions that is fairly obvious, but still lots of fun and can be inexpensive as well. There are so many advent calendars on the market that have little toys or treats on the inside, but they can get pricey.
We have a simple advent calendar that has Bible verses related to the Christmas story on the back. As Little Man gets older, I know he will enjoy hearing the progression of the story every day leading up to Christmas. I also found this cute Melissa and Doug advent calendar that I think I’m going to get for next year, too.
6. Christmas Eve church service tradition
Many churches offer one (or more) Christmas Eve services, and attending is one of the holiday traditions we look forward to the most. It’s so important to remember the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place.
Our church plays amazing worship and Christmas songs reminding us of the birth of our Savior. This is also accompanied by an amazing gospel message by our pastor and a theatrical performance of some kind.
But regardless of how your church does Christmas Eve services, it’s important to attend. I know there are so many last-minute things to get done on Christmas Eve, but I want to challenge you to take the time to go. It’s such a great reminder of Jesus’ birth and sacrifice for us.
7. Nativity story tradition
This leads me to the most important Christmas tradition of all. I can’t think of a more meaningful holiday tradition than reading the Christmas story as a family. Gather your family and snuggle by the fire as you read Luke 2:1-21. If your little ones have their own Bibles, help them follow along.
As your children get older, have them act out the roles of Mary, Joseph, the angels, shepherds, etc. It’s so important that we all remember that the meaning of Christmas is Jesus’ birth.
Now, start your own!
There you go, mama! I hope you like these family holiday traditions and try them out with your own family. Remember, Jesus is always the reason for the season, and spending time with your family is the best way to celebrate His birth.
Do you have holiday traditions you love? Tell us about them in the comments!
