Christmas Traditions To Start This Year

Christmas traditions countertop with Christmas decor

Image by Jessica White; home of Toni Roberts

Written by Victoria Van Vlear

Christmas is here! Amidst all the decorating, shopping and party prepping, it’s key to stop, step back and enjoy the season. One way to do this is to take stock of the traditions you and your family have, and be intentional about which traditions you continue or start. Here are a few fun Christmas traditions for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for you to try out with your family.

Video Log

Each year, do a five-minute video interview with each member of the family. You can have a set of questions you ask each person the same year, or just have them tell a little bit about the year or why they’re excited for Christmas. Here are a couple question ideas to tie into your Christmas traditions:

How old are you this year?
What do you want to be when you grow up? (for kids)
What do you want for Christmas?
Tell about one thing you’ve learned this year.
What’s your favorite [color, toy, book, movie, etc.]?

Gingerbread barn — Gingerbread houses can come in all shapes and sizes, like this fun gingerbread farm that’s all farmhouse style! Photograph by William Hellmuth.

Gingerbread House

Decorate a gingerbread house every year with the family. Bonus points if you make the gingerbread yourself! And don’t forget to take a picture of the finished house with the whole family so you can remember what everyone looked like that year.

Two children beside the glowing Christmas tree in red and white striped pajamas. — During Christmas vacation, homeowner Jo Shetley loves lounging in PJs with her children, turning on the twinkle lights in the living room and sitting by a roaring fire. Photograph by Karen Palmer.

Christmas Pjs

Gift pajamas to the whole family on Christmas Eve. This is a great gift if you have kids who get antsy on Christmas Eve and want to unwrap gifts! This way, they get to unwrap a gift, look darling in their new pjs on Christmas morning, and have a reason to be excited for clothes if they’re little.

Christmas Movie Nights

Invite the neighbors over to watch a classic Christmas film and serve hot chocolate. This is a great way to serve all those Christmas cookies you have leftover from parties and cookie exchanges!

How to Transition Your Home from Christmas to Winter

Open shelves in a Christmas bookcase decorated with Christmas decor, including a gingerbread house with an elf-on-the-shelf on the roof. — Homeowner Jenna Ratliff includes homemade creations like gingerbread houses in her Christmas bookcase decor. Photograph by Nick Mcginn.

Christmas Traditions Treats

Make a special meal or treat only during December. This can be a seasonal dish like a family recipe soup or regional favorite like burgoo. Or try a sweet treat such as Danish butter cookies. The trick here is to just bake or cook one special item—spending hours cooking 5 different types of cookies will just make you stressed.

Are you ready to entertain this holiday season? Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!