Simple Christmas Traditions to Start With Your Family

When it comes to Christmas traditions to start with your family, keeping things light and fun will make everyone want to join in. Some Christmas traditions can be ones you did growing up with your family, but there are also many ideas of new traditions you can start.

This time of year can be filled with nostalgia, delight, and traditions. As a mother, we can sometimes feel the pressure from social media or other sources to make Christmas an amazing experience for everyone in our family. I certainly felt this when we had our first and even second baby (and still feel this often). The older my bigger kids get and the more kids we have, though, the more I realise that the things they seem to love the most are the most simple traditions we do.

Here are their favourites:

• Putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving
• Watching Christmas movies
• Making Christmas Wish List
• A Candy Cane Hunt. Like an Easter egg hunt, but with candy canes.
• Going for a drive to look at the Christmas lights
• Opening presents and stockings
• Drinking eggnog
• Eating Christmas food and treats (cookies were specifically mentioned)

Other Simple Christmas Traditions

• Opening one gift on Christmas Eve
• Attending a Christmas Eve service. My favourite growing up was the candlelight services.
• Make Christmas Breakfast. We like to eat our fun stocking treats and then have something fun for breakfast too.
• Hang Christmas Cards received around the mantle or somewhere else where you will all see it
• Visit a Christmas Tree Farm. When we go visit family, we always make it a point to go to the local Christmas tree farm. There are lots of activities to do other than cut down a tree.
• Start a holiday themed collection. We like to get new ornaments each year.
• Build a gingerbread house.
• Wear Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve. We get the themed pajamas, but I take the pressure off of us needing to match.
• All the Christmas music!
• Make Christmas Cards
• Make Christmas treats and deliver to the neighbors
• Read about the birth of our Savior in the Bible together as a family, found in the gospel of Luke. We always do this on Christmas Eve.

Be Willing to Let Go of Some Traditions

Sometimes, Christmas traditions need to be put on the back burner for awhile or let go altogether. Some things that were important to other family members when you were growing up don’t have to be kept with your own family. For instance, my dear grandmother just had to read this book called “The Littlest Angel” to us every Christmas Eve. My brothers and I groaned each year knowing that we would have to sit through that book. Since growing up, that tradition has been set aside. As much as I love my grandma, I also know it’s ok for me to let go of traditions that bring me stress and not joy. While thinking of what traditions you want to do with your family, recognise if one or more of the traditions bring stress and be willing to keep it simple this year. You can always add it back later on.

What are your favourite traditions? Which ones will you keep and which ones do you need to let go?