Many countries all over the world celebrate Christmas in some way, each with their own unique traditions. Even here in the US, holiday traditions can vary by state, city, or even your own neighborhood! I love hearing about what others do for the holiday, so I wanted to share my own family Christmas traditions with you.
While a lot of Christmas traditions for kids are common in many households, there may be something significant that only your family does! It could be something big or small. Or it may not even be all that “Christmasy.” What makes a Christmas tradition feel special is the people you’re with and the memories you create.
Before we get into my own family Christmas traditions, let’s chat about why they’re so important for all of us.
Why Christmas Traditions Matter
There’s no denying that holiday traditions are fun, but there’s so much more to them than that! Whenever I start to feel the demands of the holiday — or the stress that can come along with it — I try to slow down and remember what’s really important.
At the end of the day, it’s all about family and how we can make our time together feel meaningful. Here are a few ways that family Christmas traditions can help.
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They make us feel safe. Kids (and adults!) thrive on routine and predictability. This could be why we love watching the same Christmas movies over and over again. Knowing what’s coming — especially when it’s enjoyable — makes us feel more calm, happy, and in control. This can be especially important if things in our lives feel uncertain or chaotic.
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They encourage us to be present. Christmas can feel really busy. But it doesn’t have to be a flurry of non-stop activity! Having certain traditions or rituals can help us to slow down, focus on one activity at a time, and have fun together. Remember, it’s not about making things look perfect — it’s about connecting, creating memories, and celebrating what matters most.
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They connect us as a family. My favorite Christmas activities are the ones I share with my family. Whether you’re thinking of new Christmas traditions to start or continuing family Christmas traditions from long ago, these special, once-a-year activities can make you feel closer as a family.
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They encourage imagination and creativity. Certain Christmas traditions for kids, like decorating the tree or baking cookies, give them the freedom to try something new, express themselves, and build confidence. For younger kids, especially, you may see certain activities spark a lot of magical thinking, storytelling, and role playing.
- They help us share family values. What does Christmas mean to you and your family? For some, it’s a religious or cultural holiday. For others, it may be all about decorating the house and watching Christmas movies. There may also be certain messages you want to focus on, like how it’s a season for thinking of others and being grateful for what we have.
Christmas Traditions for Kids
My girls and I love to bake Christmas cookies, watch Christmas movies, and decorate our house while listening to Christmas music. But there are certain Christmas traditions that are special to our family for specific reasons.
Whether you’re looking for Christmas traditions to start — or just like reading about what other families do — here are some Christmas tradition ideas to inspire you.
Food & Family Gatherings at the Table
A lot of our favorite Christmas traditions revolve around food. When I think about my childhood, my favorite Christmas memories are not the gifts that I received — they were the times sitting around the dinner table, eating and laughing.
For Christmas breakfast, we always make sticky buns. Don’t worry, I’m not getting up at the crack of dawn on Christmas! I make these weeks in advance, freeze them, and thaw them the night before. These accompany a huge portion of scrambled eggs, bacon, and of course, grapefruit (my favorite food!).
Making a delicious breakfast for Christmas is something anyone can do. What makes this tradition extra special for me is that it’s been passed down from my grandma, to my mom, to me, and now to my own daughters. I love that this tradition roots me to my past and continues to create lasting memories. I’m sure it’s something that my girls will make for their children one day, too!
We also use my grandmother's sticky bun recipe for breakfast on birthdays, the first day of school, and Easter. Keeping it reserved for special occasions makes it feel more meaningful and gives us something to look forward to.
Ali’s Pro Tip: Think about what your family’s favorite breakfast food is and make it every year. Make a big deal out of it and make it special.
For Christmas Day dinner we always have Yorkshire puddings, or popovers as they’re often called here in the States. I always laugh because sometimes the recipe works and sometimes they are absolutely disgusting. 🤣 My mom always laughs that whenever her mother made them, her siblings would always race to the bottom of the bowl to eat them. I love my Yorkshire pudding with extra butter; my dad always fills his with mashed potatoes.
This shows you that it’s not just about making or eating the food, but about the people you’re with and the meaningful moments that come along with it! It’s also one of those recipes that we only have on Christmas and Easter, so it’s extra special when we whip it out.
Along with being delicious, there is another reason we make Yorkshire pudding. One fun fact about me is that we lived just outside of London for five years when I was growing up. We adopted several British traditions from our time as a family there, like adding Christmas crackers to the dinner place settings on Christmas Day.
It is believed that Christmas crackers were invented in London in the mid 1800s by a confectioner who got the idea after seeing sugar wrapped almonds in Paris. He filled the Christmas crackers with small gifts and jokes, and the crackle element was inspired by the crackling of logs burning on a fire. Over time, these crackers have become a classic part of Christmas dinner across the UK.
This is a silly, fun tradition that we love. Each cracker comes filled with a paper crown that you are required to wear during dinner and dessert, and we all take turns telling our jokes and trying to stump people with fun facts that are included inside the cracker.
Game Night
After Christmas dinner and dessert, we always have an epic family game night. In the past couple years, we’ve invited friends over for several wild rounds of left right center.
Left center is a dice game in which every person starts with three chips (these are included with the game). When you roll the dice, you follow instructions to either give your chip to the player on your left, the player on right, the center pot, or to simply hold onto the chips. The last person to still have chips wins the game.
Our prizes are also epic… usually a box of Cape Cod salt & vinegar potato chips or Cheez-Its. If you’ve never played left right center, it is a great way to get everyone of all ages involved, excited and laughing hysterically.
Advent Calendar
The Christmas season would not be complete without an advent calendar!
Each of my kids get a chocolate advent calendar from Trader Joe’s (you can’t beat the price) along with a giant advent calendar that I plan a simple activity out for each day leading up to Christmas. Activities include reading our favorite Christmas books, making sticky buns and Christmas cookies, wrapping presents, and other fun seasonal activities.
Christmas Tree
Everyone is different when it comes to the “right” time to get a Christmas tree.2 I love to get Christmas started early.
So first thing on Black Friday, we go out as a family and pick out our tree. Usually that same day we put the lights on the tree. And then the following day, we put on a Christmas movie and decorate the tree together. There is nothing like having a Christmas tree twinkling in the family room!
When my kids were little, we hung up a felt Christmas tree on a wall for them to decorate and play with themselves all season long!
Gingerbread House
I tried making a gingerbread house from scratch one year, and it was an epic fail. Nowadays, I buy the prebuilt and assembled gingerbread houses (this is key) for the kids to decorate one afternoon. This activity is always hidden within our advent calendar.
Christmas Eve Traditions
This may sound controversial, but I actually love Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day. There is so much anticipation for what is to come that truly brings me such joy. Every year, we attend an early Christmas service as a family. The highlight is when the lights are turned down low and we sing “Silent Night” with candles (battery powered for the kids of course!).
After church, we head out for a nice dinner with friends. My husband and I both live far from family, so that first year we moved to Houston, some dear friends invited us to join them for a fancy dinner after church concluded. 13 years later and several more kids, and that meal is always the highlight of the season.
Elf on the Shelf
Don’t do it 🤣. I bought it when the kids were little, and I regretted it every year. Don’t get me wrong, my kids adored their Elf, Pixie, but oh my goodness, it was a burden on me. Each evening, I would set four alarms to make sure I would move her. If I forgot to move her, the world would fall apart for my crew.
One tradition we allowed is on Christmas Eve, the kids are allowed to hold and play with their Elf and say goodbye. There is always initially so much joy in being able to hold her, but I will say it usually ended in tears, knowing that Pixie would head back to the North Pole with Santa.
I will say that once my oldest daughter learned that Santa was not real, she took charge of moving our Elf every night. It was a special bonding experience for us both. None of my kids believe in Santa anymore, but Pixie still comes back and they rotate whose room she hangs out in each night.
Just as a heads up, all of my kids learned that Santa was not real because their friends all reported their parents moving their own Elves.. so get one at your own peril (or allow the Elf to be touched!).
Christmas Pajamas
We did matching pajamas until my oldest was about 10 (and it was no longer cool 🤣). My kids still wear Christmas pajamas, but everyone picks out a different style now. Since the weather is still warm here, our pajamas are mostly short sleeves and shorts. My girls also wear them year-round. Check out our favorite Christmas PJs here!
Cookies & Milk for Santa
We leave a plate with cookies and milk for Santa and, of course, carrots for the reindeer. My kids might not believe anymore, but we believe in the magic of Christmas! If you need ideas for what cookies to bake, check out all my Christmas cookie ideas here.
Christmas Lights
It’s not Christmas without Christmas lights! We don’t go crazy, but I am 100% team white lights. I do not want to see your brightly colored Christmas lights 🤣. And my kids absolutely love driving around to see Christmas lights in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Holiday Crafts
My girls love to get creative! So, a seasonal craft is a must-do activity for them. If you need ideas, here are easy Christmas crafts for kids of all ages. This is also a great way to keep kids entertained while they’re home from school during the holiday — or if you need to switch up your regular routine.
Christmas Stories
We basically read Christmas stories every night, starting right after Halloween ends. I only pull them out this time of year, so there is a lot of nostalgia around reading these forever favorites.
Christmas Puzzles
My kids love puzzles. In fact, it’s not uncommon for us to have puzzle competitions! During the holiday season, we pull out 3-4 puzzles of the same difficulty and race to completion. Check out this huge assortment of Christmas puzzles.
Q&A Family Christmas Traditions
Are these easy Christmas traditions for anyone to do?
Most of these Christmas tradition ideas are super simple. And when you do them every year, it just becomes part of your routine. However, I know that even fun Christmas activities can feel stressful at times!
You can keep it as low-key as you want and remember that it’s more about spending time together with your family and creating cherished memories. If it feels like too much pressure, take a minute to reassess and figure out how important it is. It’s also ok to skip an activity one year and then do it the following year.
What are the simplest Christmas traditions to start?
I would say the easiest — and most low-stress — Christmas traditions for kids are reading holiday books, buying a ready-to-go advent calendar (there are so many fun ones now!), watching holiday movies, having a family game night, and walking around your neighborhood to see Christmas lights.
Also, anything you can do to simplify a tradition or activity can help a lot! For example, maybe you get a tree and only hang ornaments one year if it feels like too much work to add lights. Or you buy something pre-made or pre-assembled instead of doing it all yourself.
Are there any holiday traditions that feel more challenging?
I think this is really dependent on your family and what you have time for. Some years may feel busier than others while other years may feel more calm.
For me, the holiday traditions that felt the hardest were Elf on the Shelf and trying to make my own gingerbread house. But you may find it fun and easy to do these things! If you start to feel more stressed than excited about a tradition, it may be time to re-evaluate how important it is or what could be done to make it feel more joyful.
What makes a good Christmas tradition?
A good Christmas tradition is one that feels special to you and your family! It could be something really common or unique, big or small, passed down through generations, or brand-new to your family.
It can be easy to get stuck on family Christmas traditions that don’t feel fun or simple because they’re something you’ve always done, and so you may feel guilty not doing them. Remember, a holiday tradition should be something you want to do! It can help to think of your “why” before starting or continuing a tradition.
What if my kids outgrow a Christmas tradition?
It can feel sad (or maybe happy!) when your kid doesn’t want to participate in a Christmas tradition, especially if it’s something you’ve done for years. But I’ll never force a tradition on any kid.
For example, my oldest no longer wanted to do matching pajamas by the time she turned 10, so now they all pick their own. And while I was sad when they found out about Santa, I was secretly okay with not doing Elf on the Shelf anymore. Plus it evolved into a new tradition of my girls moving the elf around! As usual, being a parent comes with a mix of emotions as your kids grow.
More Holiday Ideas
Want more ideas for the holidays? Check out all of my gift guides. You can also find all of my holiday posts here.
I’d also love to hear about your family’s Christmas traditions! You can share your favorite (or least liked!) holiday traditions or activities with me in the comments.
