Ten Holiday Traditions To Start With Your Family
Christmas Calendar
Sew together a 25 day calendar with little pockets for each day. In the morning when the children wake up they can find a piece of candy or small toy under the correct day in the countdown to Christmas.
Make Your Own Stockings
Every year during the beginning of December go on the hunt for cool long socks that can be used for stockings. As a bonus, everyone gets new fun socks. Striped socks, toes socks, or animal socks make great stockings.
Dinner
On Christmas eve as everyone is waiting for the next day to open presents, get the whole family together and cook dinner. Whether you want to cook turkey, tacos, or spaghetti, make it a personalized tradition for your family.
Present Order
Instead of everyone opening all of their presents the second they get to the tree, have everyone sit down and take turns, each opening one present at a time and letting everyone take a look.
Decorating the Tree
Make decorating the tree a group activities, each person can have their own part that they do every year. Dad can put the lights on, mom can put the angel on, and the kids decide where are the ornaments go.
Tearing Down the Tree
Make it a group activity and have a bon fire with the whole family.
Gift Exchange
As well as the normal gifts everyone gives. Have a gift exchange with extended family, everyone gets one name and a 20 limit.
No-Gift Christmas
Instead of giving presents, agree on writing down something you love about that person and wrapping that thought for them to open on Christmas.
Hide the Ornament
Pick an ornament that is special to the family. Before the children was up on Christmas day, hide the ornament somewhere on the tree. The first child to find the hidden ornament wins a small extra gift.
Cocktails
For the adults, rather than eggnog, find a cocktail that everyone likes and serve it every year.