Nov 30

Nov 30 10 Ideas for Family Christmas Traditions

Got traditions? Today, I welcome The Better Mom contributor, Jessica Smartt, to share ideas for your family to make this Christmas, and others to come, ones to remember. -XO, Ruth

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Family traditions may seem like little things, but they’re not. They are the seeds that grow love, faith, and memories in the hearts of our children.

If you are looking for some new ideas for Christmas traditions, here are ten great ones to consider:

Candlelit “fancy” dinner — We do this the week before Christmas and make something super yummy that I wouldn’t normally make, like a good roast or bacon-wrapped chicken, something I know we’ll all enjoy.
Neighborhood Christmas party — make hot chocolate and cookies, sing a few Christmas songs, read the Christmas story from the Jesus Storybook Bible. This is such a treasured tradition of ours!
Put together “Blessing Bags” for the homeless and keep in your car.
Christmas Eve dinner tradition — it can be anything as long as your family loves it and it becomes a tradition to you. One family I know gets Chinese takeout. My cousins do the “Seven Fishes” seafood dinner. I make lots of yummy appetizers. If you don’t have a food tradition for this night, start this year!
Candy-Cane someone’s yard. Copying this from friends of ours. Stick candy canes in someone’s yard and put a gift card in their mail box. Can be someone you know well or don’t know at all — just someone who needs some Christmas cheer. Kids love this!
Make gift bags for a nursing home. Include chap stick, lotion, a card, a chocolate — I doubt you can find someone who would appreciate this act of love more.
Wrap all your Christmas books and unwrap one every day.
Give your kids an ornament that represents something important from each year. Or let them pick out one — this can be really funny.
Read through a meaningful Christmas book in the evenings. I love Jotham’s Journey (better for older children) and The Light at Tern Rock.
Have your kids memorize a passage of Scripture to give as a gift to someone. A few good chapters to pull from are John 1, Luke 2, and Isaiah 9:6-7.