I LOVE traditions! Especially when it comes to Christmas. Most of us already have some sort of Christmas traditions, whether it’s a tradition we grew up with that we continue to do with our own children, or one we recently started. To me, traditions are some of the best things about the holiday season.
But after talking with some family and friends recently, some of them kind of shrugged their shoulders and said they don’t really have any traditions – but they wish they did. So, below I’ve listed some simple, fun Christmas traditions that pretty much ANYONE can start. Remember, traditions don’t have to be something elaborate. They can just be simple things you do every single Christmas simply because…they make you happy. (you might even be doing some of these already and not realizing it’s a tradition!)
Tree Decorating Day – I know this might sound like something you just do and not a tradition, but it is! Growing up, and now with our boys, we plan a day/night to decorate the tree together. We put on some Christmas music, pour some festive drinks and decorate the tree as a family. We also have a train that goes around the bottom of our tree. The boys are BIG fans, so we save it for last!
Christmas Lights – If you and your kids love holiday lights, hop in the car and drive around with a cup of hot chocolate checking out lights in the area. Our city happens to have a cute holiday light set-up down by the harbour, so we usually bundle up and make a trip down there at some point over the holiday season to check them out.
Elf on the Shelf – I know a lot of parents have a love/hate relationship with this tradition, but kids LOVE it! I’ve found some classrooms at some schools even have an elf! If you haven’t read my Elf on the Shelf article just yet, I included some ideas for your elf to help teach kids about the spirit of giving! It’s a lot of fun!
Christmas Drinks & Games – Growing up, while waiting for the turkey to cook, my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles would play cards while we played with our toys. When we were teenagers and into adulthood, we joined in the fun. There was always a euchre table set up, so we paired up, ate snacks, had some drinks, and played euchre all afternoon. Great memories!
Christmas Eve PJ’s – Every year on Christmas Eve when I was a kid, there was always a present for my brother and I that magically appeared under the tree. After a few years, we KNEW it was PJ’s. But we still really liked having a gift to open, and new jammies to wear to bed on Christmas Eve! We’ve continued this tradition with our boys. They’ve already caught on that it’s always PJ’s, but they still love it!
Craft & Parade Day – This is a new one for us! We’ve done it the last couple of years, and it’s a lot of fun. We pick up gingerbread house or cookie kits and decorate them together in the afternoon, then head to the Santa Claus Parade in the evening. It’s a really fun day making family Christmas memories.
As you can see, our favourite holiday traditions are quite simple. Just the way we like them! Feel free to share your Christmas traditions in the comments below! Enjoy the season!
