Creating Holiday Traditions for your family can help make the holiday season special. These traditions may be passed down through the years. They may be traditions you create for your own family. They may be religious and they may just be for fun!
Homeschoolers have a unique chance to make lots of holiday traditions at Christmas time. From typical decorations, music, and movies, to all the books, unit studies and other holiday resources.
Use this list of 75+ Ways to Create Holiday Traditions this Christmas and make your holiday season more memorable.
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Holiday Traditions: Be Together
1. Family parties are one of the best ways to celebrate the holidays. Get together for a meal, gift exchange or other activity. If you don’t have family nearby, get together with good friends and claim them as family.
2. Christmas Caroling is a lot of fun to do with musical friends. Get together with a list of Christmas favorites and sing together. You can stay at home, go door to door and sing to friends and neighbors, or go on a hayride through the neighborhood singing!
3. A church party is a great way to fellowship with your church family. They can be centered around food, games, singing, or just about any activity.
4. Get together with your coworkers and have a party at work. Keep it simple and bring a treat to work, or go out together afterwards.
5. Cookie exchanges are a fun way to enjoy many kinds of cookies without making them all. Each family makes and brings a couple dozen cookies of one kind. At the party, everyone exchanges cookies. Then each family will leave with the same amount of cookies, but a variety.
- If 3 families participate, each family brings 3 dozen and they could leave with 3 dozen cookies in 3 flavors (trading by the dozen).
- If more families participate, you could trade in half dozens, or even 1/3 or 1/4 dozens.
6. For those crafters among us, an Ornament Party can be a good time. One way to do this is for each family to bring tools and instructions for one ornament along with enough supplies for each participant to make it. During the party, everyone is able to make 1 of each ornament.
- Say 5 families are participating, each with 3 participants for a total of 15. There would be 5 ornaments being made (1 from each family). But each family will bring supplies to make 15 of that one ornament. One ornament of each kind for each participant.
7. There’s nothing like a Gingerbread House Competition at Christmas! You can use real gingerbread, or keep it simple and use graham crackers. Add some frosting and candy and build to your heart’s content.
8. If you need a theme for a party, don’t forget about an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. The more outrageous the better!
9. For a laid back evening, take a drive around and look at Christmas lights! For extra points, throw in some hot chocolate and Christmas music!
10. Going to a Christmas Tree Farm is a nice family tradition for finding a live Christmas tree. Enjoy nature, pick the one you like best, and cut it down for that fresh Christmas tree scent. Don’t forget the stand!
11. Making your own Christmas Cards is a fun activity to do with friends or family. Pull out the art supplies and craft away. The handmade touch goes a long way and getting the kids involved makes the cards even more special.
12. Go ice skating, sledding, or skiing with your family and friends for some classic winter fun outdoors.
Holiday Traditions: Food
13. A big Christmas Dinner is often centered around a ham and served with traditional sides on Christmas Day. It’s a great time to bring the family together.
14. Cookies are a fun item to make and share with others. You could take a plate to your neighbors, leave some for the delivery driver, or create a cookie exchange with friends.
15. Make a gingerbread house with fresh gingerbread or even graham crackers. Top with frosting and a candy assortment. You can even turn it into a friendly competition.
16. Many families make a holiday tradition with Christmas morning breakfast. You could make the same thing every year. Like cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, or a breakfast casserole.
17. Setting out cookies and milk for Santa Christmas Eve is a fun way to play the Santa game, even if your kids are older.
18. Advent calendars can often be filled with fun treats, like chocolate or even alcohol for adults. My kids love the Lego advent calendars. You could also make your own and include daily treats of your choice.
19. Make a traditional British Christmas Cake. It’s basically a fruitcake. But learning the history and time involved makes it much more special!
20. Make figgy pudding to share with the family. But be sure to sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” while you make it.
Holiday Traditions: Concerts, Plays, and Shows
21. Find a Living Nativity display in your area and go to it. Often it is a walk-through experience where you can see what it may have been like to be in Bethlehem long ago with a market place and all. Not just a family holding a baby.
22. Attend a concert of Handel’s Messiah. This oratorio can be a moving experience for any music lover. You can often find shortened performances for children and even sing-alongs. If you can’t make it live, you could watch or listen online. You can learn more with a unit study or advent book.
23. The classic Christmas story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a lovely way to spend an evening. Whether it’s a local theatre performance or a high-end show, it’s a great way to remember what is important. There are also several movie versions.
24. Another fun performance at Christmas is Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet. The classic story ballet and music can often be found in full length or shortened performances for children.
Here’s a great resource to go along with the ballet from SQUILTmusic.com
25. There is something so wonderful about a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at church. Christmas never feels quite right if I don’t attend.
26. There are other theatre performances that may happen around Christmas time. Check your local playhouses for shows.
27. Many symphony orchestras will put on holiday concerts that are outstanding. From traditional holiday favorites to classics like the Messiah. They can be a great night out for a music lover. But they also sell fast, so get your tickets early!
28. Do you have a favorite band or singer who has a Christmas album? It’s likely that they have a Christmas concert tour you could attend. Many groups will do this every year. Check their website as well as the local performance arenas to get more info.
29. Perhaps a local Church is doing a Christmas concert of some sort. These performances are often free and though they may not always be the highest quality, are still quite enjoyable.
30. Behold the Lamb God is a Christmas performance originally written by Andrew Peterson. It is an amazing night of music with several Christian artists coming together to share their music and tell the story of Christ coming. It is an incredible night not to be missed. You can go in person, stream online, or just listen. For more info, check out this link near the holidays: https://www.andrew-peterson.com/tour
Holiday traditions: Advent
Advent is a special time of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ. Here are some ways to incorporate advent celebrations into your holiday traditions.
To understand Advent and get some great ideas to celebrate with your family, check out my post What is Advent?
Many of these Advent items and more can also be found at Christianbook.com.
31. Using an advent calendar is a fun way to countdown to Christmas and add a little more magic and fun to the season. They usually are for 25 days leading up to Christmas. Advent calendars can have a daily Scripture, candy, toy, craft, or anything you so desire. You can make them or buy them. Here are a few we enjoy.
32. Advent candles and a wreath are another part of an advent holiday tradition. Each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas a candle is lit. Often specific scriptures are read at this time as well.
33. I have loved Nativity scenes since I was little. You can have them purely as decoration, or use them as part of an advent calendar countdown. You would start with just a few pieces out, like the backgrounds. Then add pieces to it as time goes on, ending with adding Jesus on Christmas Day.
34. There are about a bajillion great advent devotionals out there to read during the few weeks leading up to Christmas. Here are a few to get you started.
35. There are many advent books for kids. With daily readings and activities to help you celebrate the season.
36. Advent activity books can be a way to incorporate a little fun into advent. These often will go along with the advent story and have various puzzles, coloring pages, and activities.
37. You could create a holiday tradition of reading a story together. There are many many options, but here’s a few to get you started. Some are just for fun, while others will be more meaningful.
38. An old-fashioned paper chain is a simple way to countdown to Christmas. Take strips of paper, loop them and staple together. Your kids can tear one off each day as Christmas approaches.
39. Many celebrate Advent with a daily gift. This could be given as part of an advent calendar or done separately. Ideas from puzzles to socks, to food, to books, to a craft. Ideas are never ending.
40. The Jesse Tree is an advent holiday tradition where you discuss the story of Christ from creation to His coming. Each day an ornament is made or at least hung on a small tree as you learn about the story.
41. Giving picture books to your children every day is a fun way to celebrate advent and to also read with your children. They could be Christmas picture books or some of your all year favorites. They don’t even have to all be new. Many families will wrap the same books every year.
42. Advent themed scripture writing and copywork is a great way to incorporate some language arts skills into your advent activities. Copywork can help with all kinds of skills, including grammar, spelling, and handwriting. This is especially helpful for homeschoolers during the busy holiday season.
I’ve created some Advent Scripture writing copywork pages just for you! Grab them here!
43. Reading scriptures daily as part of your holiday tradition of advent is a helpful reminder for what the season is all about. Many advent books and resources will have these included, or you could come up with your own list.
44. For younger children, reading simplified Bible stories are helpful for them to understand. A great version for children is The Jesus Storybook Bible. Many use this book during advent season by reading daily. You can start with the creation story and end with the birth of Christ in just about perfect timing.
45. Morning Time is a perfect time to read books and celebrate the advent season. You can include your own collection of books and activities, or use pre-made plans.
Holiday Traditions: Decorations
46. Christmas Trees are a traditional way to decorate for Christmas. You can have a traditional live evergreen or an artificial tree. You can buy ornaments, make them, have them all nice and matching, or colorful and eclectic. You do you. There is no right way.
47. Christmas lights are fun to drive around and see, and they can be magical for your children. They can be a lot of work to set up on your own house, but even some poorly hung lights are better than nothing when you’re a child.
48. A Nativity scene is a lovely decoration that can help us remember why we celebrate the season. I’ve been a bit of a collector since I was young. Here are some of my favorites:
49. Elf on the Shelf can be a fun game if you can remember to do it daily. There are also several alternatives you should check out if you can’t stand the elf.
50. Christmas Stockings are a fun way to decorate your space and give gifts. Put small gifts in stockings on Christmas Morning. No need to fill it. This could be the only gifts you give on Christmas – it doesn’t have to be extravagant.
51. Pick out a new ornament each year for yourself, your family, or your children. This is a great way to mark special moments and add to your tree each year.
52. If you’re having a holiday dinner, get out the good dishes and silverware. If you have china, use it. Or maybe you have special Christmas dishes. Let your kids know it’s special.
53. Set the table and decorate it for your holiday meals. You don’t have to go all out like Joanna Gaines, but do try to make it nicer than usual. Your kids will probably love to help!
54. Have some fun decorations out that your kids can play with. A felt Christmas tree or toy nativity set is great fun and will help your kids feel included.
Holiday Traditions: Gifts
55. A “White Elephant” or “Dirty Santa” party can be a lot of fun. It’s played many ways. You can include prank gifts, nice gifts within a price range, or whatever you like. The fun comes when a gift is fought over or stolen.
56. The tradition in the US is to give gifts on Christmas morning. Your family may wake up super early or wait until everyone is awake on their own.
57. Hang stockings and fill them with stocking stuffers on Christmas morning. Some wrap these and others don’t. It’s also fun to peak at these while you wait for everyone to wake up.
58. Many families open gifts Christmas morning, but some have a tradition to open one gift on Christmas Eve.
59. Give only 3 gifts, like the Magi. One big gift they want (gold), one gift for their Spiritual mind like a devotional or music subscription (frankincense), and one for their body like clothes or jewelry (myrrh).
60. Give minimally with 4 gifts for your kids. Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
61. Experience gifts are becoming a big trend these days for parents who are overwhelmed with the constant influx of stuff. So consider giving gifts like memberships, subscriptions, or concert/museum tickets.
62. Christmas Cards are a nice minimal way to greet all your people, near or far. Include a nice photo and handwritten letter for more significance.
63. Volunteer your time at a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or clothing warehouse.
64. Many groups and churches will adopt local families in need and give them gifts from their wish lists. This can be a tangible way to help those around us. Much of the time this is done anonymously.
65. Operation Christmas Child is a way to get your kids involved in giving to others. Fill a shoe box or two with small everyday items and a few toys, and send it off to children in need around the world.
66. It’s always sweet to leave a gift for delivery drivers. The workers for the post office as well as all the other delivery services work hard especially during the holidays. Leaving a note, drink, or snack can be a treat.
67. Get new pajamas and watch a Christmas movie together on Christmas Eve. You could even get matching PJs for the whole family!
Holiday Traditions: Movies
68. Watch a holiday movie! There is no shortage of options out there, with more being made each year. Here are a few of my favorites!
Holiday Traditions: Music
Music, music everywhere! It never feels quite like Christmas without some good music!
69. Many radio stations play Christmas music during the holiday season. Some mix it in with regular songs, others will switch to exclusive holiday songs. You can also stream Christmas “radio” stations online! Here are some options to check out:
- iHeart Christmas
- SiriusXM listings
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- Amazon Music
- Anywhere else you stream!
70. There are albums and albums of Christmas music out there. Everyone seems to have at least one Christmas album. Then there are the compilations. Here are a few of my favorites.
Holiday Traditions: Miscellaneous
71. Remember Saint Nicholas, the real story behind Santa. Read some books, set out your shoes, and celebrate generosity on St. Nicholas Day, December 6.
72. Celebrate the coming of light with Saint Lucia Day on December 13. This can be celebrated with a Swedish Tea Ring and other activities.
73. Celebrate other country’s traditions by learning how others celebrate Christmas around the world.
74. Learn about the History of Christmas.
75. Write a letter to Santa and stick it in the mail with your child’s wishlist. Be sure to address it correctly for Operation Santa. You can also be sure Santa writes back with a North Pole Postmark.
76. Many families wouldn’t let the season pass without a visit with Santa.
77. Enjoy a nature study unit with the NaturExplorers Advent Nature Study Through the Holidays.
78. Do a unit study in your homeschool. There are soooo many! Here are a few:
- Winter Holidays from Around the World by Build Your Library
- Jotham’s Journey unit from Sonlight
- Read Aloud Revival’s Christmas School
- Gather Round Homeschool The First Christmas Unit Study
79. Learn about the history and meaning of Christmas traditions and customs at whychristmas.com.
80. Track Santa’s progress with NORAD.
Closing
Creating Holiday Traditions for your family can help make the holiday season special. Being together with family and friends, enjoying great food, watching movies, listening to music, learning together, and celebrating many other ways can help make lasting memories for your homeschool family.
I hope this post has helped you to find new ways to celebrate this Christmas season.
What holiday traditions do you have in your family? I’d love to hear about them. Comment below!
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I looked over the whole list, and several are ones I love, but now, after considering more than 75 items! . . . I need to go lie down . . . that’s a lot of work . . .
lol Thanks for reading!