10 Fun Christmas Traditions

Over the years we've come to love several fun Christmas traditions that we participate in each year with our kids. Here are 10 fun Christmas traditions you can implement this year.

The best part about having a young family is deciding what traditions you're going to do each holiday. Over the last several years Derek and I have had fun meshing his family traditions with mine, and it's made for some pretty great Christmases in my opinion. It also means you get to make up random traditions that never happened in either of your families, which is pretty great too. These are 10 of our favorite fun Christmas traditions we do with our children each year. 

10 Fun Christmas Traditions:

Christmas Pajamas: 

Derek's family does Christmas pajamas every year on Christmas Eve, and my family opens one random present every year on Christmas Eve... so we decided to do Christmas pajamas as the Christmas Eve gift! Some years we get matching ones for the kids, some years they each get their own, but it's something that I look forward to every year. 

A New Christmas Tree Ornament:

Ornaments can get pretty expensive so we have some red and silver bulbs we purchased years ago, but then each year we get one new ornament. That paired with some family members gifting us a new ornament each year, we're slowly building a great collection. 

Neighbor Gifts:

My family never did neighbor gifts growing up, but it's something that Derek's family does each year. I'm planning on making a huge batch of three ingredient fudge and storing it in containers in the fridge so that it's already to go when people stop at our house to drop off treats they've made. 

Cinnamon Rolls:

Growing up my family had cinnamon rolls for breakfast every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter... Derek hasn't hated this tradition one bit.

Limited Gifts for the Kids:

Growing up I remember being super greedy and selfish about Christmas gifts (or is that every kid?) We've been implementing the something to wear, something to read, something they want, and something they need over the last few years and it's been going really well, and totally simplifies the Christmas gifts. 

The Pickle Ornament:

When I was in high school my family and I found out we had Swedish heritage that we didn't know about, when we found out that one of my best friends was actually my cousin. They gifted our family a pickle ornament which was one of their holiday traditions, and we've been doing it ever since. You hide the pickle in the tree, and whoever finds it first gets an extra gift. This could be a bag of candy, a fast food gift card, something small and simple! 

Decorating Sugar Cookies:

Everyone has to do this at least once per holiday season right?

Different Wrapping Paper for Each Person:

I'm pretty sure my OCD self just made this one up a couple years ago, but I like buying one wrapping paper per person. This is super helpful for kids who can't read their names on packages yet, and it's just a good way to know whose gifts are whose on Christmas morning. I love getting a bunch of different prints and making it fun for everyone! 

Opening Gifts One at a Time:

Growing up we each had our pile and tore through them all in 5 seconds and then Christmas was over. Derek's family opens each present one at a time so we can all see what everyone got and it makes the Christmas morning last longer. I think this is a fun and less chaotic way to do Christmas morning. 

Read Luke 2 on Christmas Eve:

In middle school I remember suggesting to my family that we should read the Christmas story in the bible. My mom thought it was a great idea and we all got in the living room to do it and then we all realized that none of us knew where it was in the bible... Therefore it was A for effort but never happened. Luckily after taking the New Testament at BYU I know where it is and we've been reading it the last three years!

Lobster Tail and Pie Night: 

This is something we started last year in 2018 and I love it so much. We spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning in our house, and then go see Derek's family Christmas evening for dinner. We started having a big dinner on Christmas Eve last year, and buy Lobster Tail since it's something we'd never eat any other time of year. That paired with some fun pies from Village Inn (because #lazy), and it's a dinner I look forward to all year! 

What fun traditions do you do with your family?

If you liked this post, 10 Fun Christmas Traditions, you might also like:

• The Ultimate Guide to Family Christmas Cards
• My Tips for Christmas Lists and Christmas Shopping
• Piano Christmas Decor

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