14 time-tested traditions to make your Christmas Merry & Bright 🎄
Growing up, Christmas day always looked pretty much the same for our family.
Wake up early, open gifts around the tree, play with our toys and trinkets, then dress up to travel to my aunt’s house for an elaborate meal with many homemade desserts… 😋
It was the entire family around the double-leafed dining room table, stuffing our mouths, talking about life, and laughing at the stories my dad and aunt would tell about the ‘good ole’ days.’
Then it was clean up time for me and my sisters. My aunt never quite got on board with the notion that a dishwasher could make life easier. Since she and my cousins cooked, me and my sisters did the dishes...by hand. 😅
It was a simple celebration, but something I could count on every year. It was predictable, but in the most warm and cozy sort of way.
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Well, since becoming a mom, I’ve approached holiday traditions differently.
I can count on my hands the number of times I’ve prepared an elaborate, traditional holiday meal on Christmas day where everyone sits around the table eating Christmas delicacies on our finest china. Instead, I’ve invested more in the moments leading up to the big day.
When our girls were young I always made a point to do special things in December that would be memorable. Whether that was an experience, a craft, or baking for friends and neighbors, I would often look for new “traditions” each year to mix it up.
You’ve heard the saying, variety is the spice of life? Well, I have found that to be true!
Why not try something new this year and spice up your holidays a bit. Here’s a list of ideas to help you get started.
14 TIME-TESTED TRADITIONS TO MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS MERRY & BRIGHT 🎄
Bake goodies for family, friends, and neighbors.
This has been one of my all time favorite traditions with my girls, and it’s been a joy over the years to delight our friends and neighbors with their own special goody basket. We have a few staple recipes but also try a couple new ones each year, aiming for about 5 different types of goodies to bake and share (and eat, of course!:). My all time favorite has been the Peanut Butter Kiss cookies, which is a classic Betty Crocker recipe. Now that I’m more health-conscious, I recommend trying a cleaner version Peanut Butter Kiss
Charlie Brown Christmas Special.
I may be dating myself here, but I’ve watched this Christmas special since I was a kid in the 70’s, and I never get tired of it. It’s a throwback to simpler times, and the message at the end always brings me to tears. Unfortunately, the mainstream media isn’t airing it any longer #disbelief 😞. But you CAN stream it on Apple TV+.
Create a Christmas Countdown routine.
I’ve bought a few different advent calendars over the years, but I love this idea about creating your own! It’s simple, too. No art degree required... ⤵️
Fill 24 bags, boxes, or drawers with love notes, candy, small toys or ideas for good deeds they can do that day to spread good cheer. Or, keep special ornaments aside in a box and add a new one to the tree each morning!
Make decorating the Christmas tree extra special.
For years, we would make a whole day of tree decorating. We’d drive out to a Christmas tree farm of our choosing, cut our own (actually my husband would do most of the cutting :-), and then come home to decorate with a cup of hot chocolate, a dessert, and Christmas music turned up real loud. Another great way to make it special is to make your own ornaments. Check out these ideas for inspiration: homemade-christmas-ornaments
Drive in the neighborhoods to see Christmas lights and decorations.
This started when I was a kid, mainly because there weren’t as many options back then, and we didn’t have a whole lot of money. But my husband and I made it our own family tradition, and it’s something we always look forward to. We’ve even stumbled across a few neighborhoods that were so spectacular, we were surprised they didn’t charge a fee!
Gingerbread house competition.
Do you have a closet competitor in your family? They will love this one... 🙌🏼 Costco is a great place to buy these because they are reasonably priced, and if you divide up into teams, or go head-to-head with one other person, it adds a little extra motivation (and fun!) to the decorating process. We all know, making a good-looking Gingerbread house is not as easy as it looks!
Elf on a Shelf.
This one we’ve only started recently with my adult kids, but oh how fun it is! Hiding and discovering this little guy makes every day a surprise. We’ve found him in some veeerrryyy interesting places that made for some good laughs, too… 😲 If you’re concerned this may take away from the real meaning of Christmas, check out these: Christian Elf on a Shelf Ideas
Christmas Eve Church Services.
Keeping Jesus at the center of Christmas has always been important to our family, because let’s face it, he really is the #ReasonForTheSeason. And if you’re as big of a fan of Christmas songs as I am, then you can bring those church carols into your home for a little bit of Christmas cheer. Remember, if you can talk you can sing, and the more you do it the more confident you’ll be. Here’s a link to find your favorites: christmas-song-lyrics-carol
Birthday Cake for Jesus.
This is one simple way we’ve kept the main thing the main thing at Christmas. And it’s something we continued with our adult girls, and now with our grandkids. Baking a special cake for Jesus, and singing Him Happy Birthday on Christmas Eve, is just one more way to be intentional about keeping Jesus at the center of the season. Ours has always been a white confetti cake, signifying HIs purity and pure celebration for Emmanuel, God with us. Here’s a little history behind this practice: A Birthday Cake for Jesus
Dinner out on Christmas Eve.
For us it’s been an Italian feast at Olive Garden, but maybe you’re more into Chinese food. Or how about a big, juicy burger? Whatever makes your mouth water, check out your local restaurants to see who is open and support their business while giving yourself a much needed break from cooking. It’s a win-win! 🙌🏼
Open one gift on Christmas Eve.
My girls have always enjoyed this, even into adulthood. It’s funny too, because we give the same type of gift every year: a new pair of pajamas! 😊
Make Christmas breakfast together as a family.
It took me a while to warm up to this tradition, but now that we’ve adopted it, I wouldn’t change a thing! When my girls were young, I suppose I felt like I was doing the customary mom/wife thing by slaving away in the kitchen on Christmas morning, while the rest of the family enjoyed their time around the tree, but it’s actually much more fun for everyone to be involved! Try these recipes for your Christmas morning: christmas-breakfasts
Read Luke 2:1-20 BEFORE you open gifts.
Reading the account of Jesus’ birth puts everything in proper perspective, and it’s heart-warming to sit as a family and honor that Truth before diving into the presents! 🌟
Play your favorite board game...or two!
I like to buy a new one each year. Christmas is a day to spend with family, so what better way than around the table having fun with a new board game (or beloved classic)!
Go to a movie.
Maybe that’s not your style, but how about a movie marathon at home? I know it’s not easy finding family friendly movies these days (even for Christmas), but check out these options ..Christmas Movies
However you choose to spend the holidays this year, I’m wishing you and yours a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year filled with warmth, love, and hope... ❤️
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Karen Ferguson is a freelance writer and the author of the Guess How Much God Loves You picture book series. A lover of words, family, animals, and Jesus, Karen is a passionate advocate for truth that transforms lives. Her mission is to write stories that grab and hold young readers’ attentions, teaching them all about God’s unchangeable truths and His unchanging love for them. Karen is married to her best friend. They have two grown daughters, a growing tribe of dearly loved grandchildren, and one crazy golden retriever furbaby. Her favorite part of the week is eating dark chocolate and spending time with her family exploring new places. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and sign up for her free newsletter to be the first to know about special events, book updates, freebies and giveaways.
