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Chestnuts roasting over an open fire. Sleigh bells ringing. Uncle Tommy hitting the egg nog a little too hard. Most of us grew up with Christmas traditions, whether they were intentional or not. As parents, though, many of us have become much more intentional about our holiday traditions than past generations. I’m fairly certain the explosion of matching family PJ sets hitting the shelves right now and my Instagram feed will back me up! Regardless of what you grew up with or whether you remember it fondly or not, one thing that helps cement memories and a sense of belonging is the inclusion of Christmas traditions into your annual plans. I’ll share some of my favorites that work for our young family, and I hope you can share some of your favorites, as well.
Elf On The Shelf
If you haven’t added an elf to your holiday fun, then you’re missing out! We got our family elf about six years (and three kids) ago. This fun tradition is easy to incorporate. The cute little kit comes with a story book explaining the elf, the elf, and the promise of fun memories for your children. They even make adorable elf accessories! To briefly explain, every night the elf flies off to see Santa and report back on your children’s behavior. Sometimes the elf makes mischief in your home. This is where things are open to interpretation based on your family. And in case you have reservations about adding this nightly responsibility to your life, I’ve got you covered.
I’m not a Type A mom, and I don’t front like I have my life together. I set alarms for everything I do, or I will forget. That being said, what your elf gets into each night is 100% up to you and what you have time or interest in doing. I’m sure you’ve seen some crazy elaborate set-ups of elves creating all kinds of crazy stuff in your house while you sleep. I’m here to tell you that is not necessary, and it’s not happening here. Sometimes I make my elf get wild, other nights I’m just happy if she moves to a different spot without me having to scramble downstairs at midnight because I forgot. *Cue setting an alarm.*
I use our elf to remind our children to be kind, to bring holiday crafts to work on, or as a way to bring special Santa messages. The children loved naming our elf, buying her a cute outfit, and waiting excitedly for her to arrive each year.
Tree Trimming
This might seem simple, but I had no idea that some families don’t let their children help with their Christmas decorating. Now, I understand the desire for a beautiful, well-decorated tree. I get that. I want that, too. However, at this phase of my life, I’d rather foster the memory of our family decorating our tree together than having a “Pinterest Perfect” tree. Each year, the weekend after Thanksgiving (yes, I’m a holdout) we decorate for Christmas as a family. Everyone helps while we listen to Christmas music. It wasn’t easy for me to see my tree decorated by three young boys, but it is something we really enjoy doing each year as a family, and if you really can’t do it (and I get it) then maybe you could let them work on one of those fun, felt trees instead!
Special Ornaments
This is a tradition that I’ve carried on from my own mom. Each year, each of us choose a new ornament to adorn our tree. The kids love this! They choose something that reflects their personality, and it is so fun to look back at the ornaments each year as we decorate our tree. If you’d rather not purchase ornaments, you could make some homemade ones out of salt dough or other creative materials your family may like.
Trip to See Santa
It might seem like a no-brainer, but a visit to the guy in red is a great addition to your family’s holiday festivities. Local malls and shopping centers are usually home to at least one version of the ole SC. If you’re fortunate enough to live near a Bass Pro Shop, you’ll be able to score a free picture as well! We have been taking our family to the same Bass Pro Shop for eight years now, and it’s great having the progression of photos to look back on fondly!
Movies and Snacks
Each year we snuggle in and watch holiday movies while enjoying special snacks during the month of December. This simple way of connecting with our kiddos over fun movies won’t break the bank and will definitely build some memories. Some of our family favorites include: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Grinch, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and The Star. My husband and I also love watching Just Friends and Four Christmases together, minus the little people, when we have time for a PG-13 movie.
We also like to incorporate fun snacks into our movie nights. We love popcorn with M and Ms, hot cocoa, Chex Mix, and of course, sugar cookies. The boys have already began asking when we can start watching Christmas movies, because they love and look forward to it as much as the adults do!
Christmas Lights
Spend some time driving around enjoying the beautiful light displays. Most towns have at least one neighborhood with a lot of houses decked out in holiday splendor. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find other exciting light displays, such as at your local zoo or botanical garden. Here in Northwest Ohio, The Toledo Zoo has the amazing Lights Before Christmas! It is absolutely stunning and worth bundling up for!
Family Pajamas
Remember that joke at the beginning about matching PJs? Well, you’ve seen them all over the place! Who doesn’t want coordinated family pajamas?! Each year, our little scout elf, Pixie, delivers new Christmas themed pajamas to everyone in the house. This is a great way to get your littles excited for all the fun to come and also perfect for all those holiday photos you’ll be taking. Have extended family, such as cousins, who may enjoy this tradition for a night at grandma and grandpa’s house? Maybe you could eeven coordinate with the extended family, if you’re fortunate enough to all get together. My kids get super excited speculating about what themed pajamas we will have each year, and most kids will happily wear Christmas pajamas any month of the year so they’ll surely get lots of use.
Gingerbread Houses and Cookie decorating
Every year we snag a gingerbread house kit or two to assemble and decorate as a family. This annual tradition is a ton of fun, because we all work together to make our house look great! The kids take great pride in their creativity, and I always save Halloween candy for just such pursuits. The kits give you some candy, but for next-level creations, I recommend having some extra on hand. If you’re more of a DIY kinda gal, you could certainly bake your own gingerbread. I, on the other hand, prefer to buy mine in the name of saving time. Pro tip: if you’re not planning to eat your creation, I highly recommend hot gluing your gingerbread pieces together. There’s nothing worse than a gingerbread house with the structural integrity of a house of cards, especially when not-so-gentle little hands are involved!
Traditional Meal
When I was a child, every year on Christmas morning we ate a very special breakfast. This was a once-a-year meal, and it was always highly anticipated! My mom would make a particular breakfast casserole solely on Christmas morning. This tradition, albeit simple, has lasted me into my adult life and parenthood. Each year, I make the very same breakfast for my family. Is there a delicious recipe your family enjoys? Consider reserving a special recipe for a new holiday tradition. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, your family will surely appreciate the anticipation of a meal reserved just for the holidays.
Bottom Line: Keep it Simple
The moral of this story is simple: you don’t have to go to extravagant lengths to build memories and traditions with your family. Some of my fondest memories of my childhood are some of the simplest things: hot cocoa and holiday movies, cookie decorating with my grandma, and mom’s special breakfast casserole on Christmas morning. These simple ideas can help build family traditions that your kids will look forward to each year, and hopefully, they’ll someday share with their own children. After all, our children are our legacy. And I don’t know about you, but I want my legacy to be full of love and family traditions.
