Over 31 Family Christmas Tradition Ideas to Start Making Memories This Year!

I love our family Christmas Traditions. It just wouldn’t be a Haines Family Christmas without the yearly traditions. If you’re just starting a new family or you’ve been celebrating together for years, these Christmas Family Tradition Ideas  are sure to spark inspiration for you. Today for round up day, I’d like to share 31 Family Christmas Tradition Ideas to Start Making Memories This Year! 

Our yearly traditions always involve…

• Cutting a tree down together
• Decorating gingerbread houses – or at least a form of it
• An advent house that the elves leave a piece of candy in each night 
• Making reindeer food and spreading it out on Christmas Eve
• Baking cookies and decorating them
• Making homemade eggnog 
• Game night 
• Watching Christmas Movies together like The Christmas Story
• Doing something for others in need
• Driving to see Christmas Lights 
• Santa helps us out with this one – he leaves footprints from the fireplace to the presents and back each year
• Before we open the first gift on Christmas Day, we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus with a Breakfast Cake 

I can’t think of one that I’d go without, but I’m always crazy enough to add more. Let’s take a look at some Family Christmas Traditions from other bloggers and some from my home to yours! 

Going out to the woods to find your family perfect Christmas Tree 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Most tree farms have complimentary hot cocoa and a gift shop. Some tree farms even have horse drawn carriages. So Fun. If you’d rather not use a cut tree, many farms sell trees with the root ball wrapped in burlap. When you are finished using it for Christmas, you can plant it in your yard. Here’s a link to find a tree farm near you – click here

Making Homemade Eggnog 

• Homemade Eggnog is so simple. It’s less expensive than the store bought eggnog, and it’s not nearly as sweet. It’s a nice, simple and easy tradition to start this year 
• Here’s my recipe for Homemade Eggnog

Making Gingerbread Houses

• We always love to make ours out of graham crackers like these. Find the “how to” on The South Carolina Homeschool Collection

Make Gingerbread Trees! 

Lately, Christmas is so busy that we decorate sugar cones and I buy mini gingerbread houses at the Dollar Tree for a Christmas Scene. Here’s how you can make a Sugar Cone Tree – found on The Frugal Girls 

Start and Advent Calendar Tradition

I love this simple calendar made from an over the door shoe rack. Found on Chica and Jo

Make a Christmas Countdown Paper Chain

This is such a cute and simple countdown to Christmas idea – Found on From ABCs to ACTs

Make a Blessing Jar to Countdown to Christmas

This Advent Blessing Jar is found on Thirty Handmade Days

Or…any other kind of Countdown

Let the kids color their own religious advent – found on Sunday School Crafts

Make Magical Reindeer Food

Magical Reindeer food and Free Printable found on Carrie Elle

Watch a Live Feed of Santa’s Reindeer together 

Photo by Uriel Soberanes on Unsplash

Here’s a link to the Reindeer Cam – Click Here

Make Homemade Hot Cocoa

Find this recipe on Mrs. Happy Homemaker

Fun Gift Exchange Ideas for Family Parties

White Elephant Gift Exchange Idea – found on Play Party Plan

I love this gift exchange game idea. It looks hilarious! Right Left Exchange – found on Christian Camp Pro

Sock Gift Exchange – found on Stockpiling Moms

Let the kids open up their Christmas Morning PJs on Christmas Eve 

Love these! found on Zulilly

Get a Christmas Family Photo

Loads of Photo Ideas found on Shutterfly

Get an Elf on the Shelf

Find Elf on the Shelf Ideas on Handbags to Change Bags

Elf your Neighbors

Just like Boo-ing your neighbors – Find printables on Organized Christmas 

Santa’s Footprints on Christmas Day

Photo found on The Party Artisan

Find a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 

Photo by Onkundi Nyabuto on Unsplash

Bake and Decorate Cookies Together

A very old picture that I need to update. This is my family recipe for the very best sugar cookies ever! People request it constantly! Here’s a link to the recipe

Make an Overnight Breakfast Cake and Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas Morning

Find the recipe for this overnight coffee cake on Plain Chicken

Write Letters to Santa

 

Find this free printable on It’s a Mom’s World

Watch Christmas Movies Together

Find a list of the Most Loved Christmas Movies on Let’s Lasso the Moon

Have a Themed Breakfast together

Find this Snowman Breakfast on Hoosier Homemade

Have a Family Polar Express Night 

Find the “how to” on Teach Mama

Give the kids a Christmas Eve Box filled with traditions – pjs, reindeer food, Twas the Night Before Christmas, etc.

Make a Christmas Eve Box found on Growing a Jeweled Rose

Give Kids A Small Christmas Tree to Light up Their Room at Night

Each of my kids has their own tree to decorate for their bedrooms. It’s so magical to go to sleep to the lights of a tree. Find the “how to” on this tree on Living Montisorri Now

Donate Toys

Find this printable on Living Locurto

Drive through the neighborhood to see lights, or…

Photo by Charlotte Coneybeer on Unsplash

Here’s a Christmas Light Display Finder Link 

Make Ornaments together

Here’s the link to these Sentimental Ornaments

Make a Christmas Craft

Here’s a link to these fun craft and food craft ideas 

That’s it for Now! I hope you’ve found at least one tradition that will fit just right for your family.

Merry Christmas! 

~Melissa – Kid Friendly Things To Do