27 Family Christmas Traditions To Try This Year

Shila:  In anticipation of Christmas, many are fond of choosing a new Advent calendar or filling their own DIY version. As each day leading up to Christmas passes, kids receive a new little treat or gift.

Shila:  Some family Christmas traditions involve baking the same go-to holiday cookie recipes year after year, while others (like mine) always like to tackle a few new recipes. My kids get to each decide one recipe. Christmas cookies make great homemade gifts, too.

Fill up a thermos with hot cocoa or cider, tune into some Christmas music, and enjoy a safe and merry drive around town.

Kristy Pepping:  Holidays are about receiving a lot of the time, but we have tried to combat this with our kids by making it one of our family Christmas traditions to volunteer together. There are so many ways to give back whether donating your time wrapping and delivering gifts, serving holiday meals, or even volunteering from home.

Kelly R:  Christmas morning is the perfect opportunity to enjoy an indulgent and leisurely breakfast after all of the gifts have been opened! One of my favorite family Christmas traditions is to have a make-ahead Christmas breakfast ready to go the night before, so I just have to finish it off in the morning.

Get some matching pajamas for your whole crew to wear for the coziest Christmas tradition!

Shila:  Like many families, one of our favorite Christmas traditions is leaving milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. When the kids wake on Christmas morning, they love to discover Santa's crumbs!

Now that she is in on the secret, it is the sole responsibility of my oldest to eat the cookie and chug the milk. This way both kids still "participate" in the magic of Santa!

The U.S. Postal Service can help make Christmas even more magical by sending your kids a response to their letter to Santa, complete with a North Pole postmark! Complete instructions are available at the USPS website, but letters should be sent by the beginning of December to get a response before Christmas.

Shila:  It's fun to go big for family movie night around Christmas! Select from many favorite family Christmas movies, bring plentiful snacks and seasonal treats like hot chocolate or egg nog, and cuddle up together for an epic holiday-themed movie night. My family does this every year and we love it. The best part of the ambiance for us is turning the house lights off while keeping only the tree lights on for that colorful, magical glow.

Kelly R:  My kids love decorating gingerbread houses, and it's pretty easy to find nice kits in the stores these days if you prefer not to DIY the whole thing!

Shila:  Some parents love it and some don't, but there's no question that the Elf on the Shelf Christmas tradition is a big hit with kids. The Elf hides in a new spot each morning for kids to discover throughout the house. One day he could be sitting on top of the bookshelf, or the next day in a shoe! How does he move around? Is the Elf magic? Kids of all ages love to discover the funny Elf antics every morning.

Shila:  Secret Santa gift exchange is a fun tradition among family and friends around the holiday season. This is also one of the best Christmas traditions for families who are larger in quantity, as it limits holiday shopping to just one person in the group. My husband's family of 7 (plus kids) particularly benefits from this the most!

Start by putting everybody's name in a hat for random draw. In secret, you are then responsible for his or her Christmas gift. All season, you'll be wondering who your sender is too! Names are revealed in person on Christmas or in the gift's card.

Kristy Pepping:  Every year, one of our family Christmas traditions is to make a holiday playlist. We all have favorite Christmas albums and songs that we like to compile and play throughout the month of December. It's especially fun for listening while decorating the tree or baking cookies to get everyone into the holiday spirit!

Kate Wille Murray:  This year we decided to sing carols to a few neighbors and ended up walking around our whole, small neighborhood and sang songs! Kids enjoyed it and it was nice to see people in the winter! Just bundle up (if needed) and enjoy!!

Shila:  A white elephant gift exchange is one of the most low-key Christmas traditions for families and friends. The idea is to exchange quirky gifts within a general price limit (like $15-$20). Come to the party with the gift wrapped and place all gifts in a pile. In random order, participants get to select and open a gift, and it's hilarious to watch the laughter that unfolds.

My family and a few of our friends play this tradition every year. The best gift I received was a hot/cold color-changing Bob Ross coffee mug. :)