Everyone says to sleigh the season, but what’s the best way? By starting some new Christmas traditions of course! Mix it up with riddles, magical pine cones, a Christmas mouse, and even a whoopie cushion. Intrigued?
Read on for 14 fun Christmas traditions to start this year that will add extra magic to your festive season.
Celebrate the Eve of Christmas Eve with Friends
Christmas Eve and Day are often spent with family. So, why not make the eve of Christmas Eve—the 23rd of December—a day to celebrate the season with friends? Gather your pals and organize a dinner and a unique activity that will become a tradition in itself.
Wrap the Doors
Take your Christmas gift-wrapping skills to a new level and put wrapping paper over the entrance to a room. Seal off the door to the living room where the gifts lie under the tree, so everyone has to burst through it. Ripping the wrapping is a lot of fun.
Swap Books on Christmas Eve
Borrow this Christmas tradition from Iceland, where it’s customary to swap books on Christmas Eve, following the annual release of new books in the run-up to the holidays. It’s called Jólabókaflóð, meaning “Yule Book Flood,” and often includes unwrapping the book with a cup of hot chocolate and sharing some silent reading time with family and friends.
Write Riddles in Christmas Cards
Write riddles, hints, haikus, or Jeopardy-style questions in Christmas cards that will have your family and friends guessing what their gift is. Go around the room, each person reading their hint aloud, let the guessing begin, and then reveal the gift. It extends the excitement of unwrapping gifts and makes it more memorable.
Find a Christmas Ornament for the Year
Find a Christmas tree ornament that corresponds with something you did in the year. For instance, if you went on vacation, maybe an ornament from your trip, or if you picked up a new sport, something quirky related to it, like a tennis ball. With every Christmas, your tree will grow with ornaments and good memories.
Pass-the-Gift-Parcel
Choose a small present (something that will last for years) and gift it to someone on Christmas, but there’s a catch—they must wrap it up next Christmas and gift it to someone else. Every year, the gift gets passed on to a new person. For added fun, the item can be humorous, like a whoopie cushion or a can of peas. The game can last for decades.
Watch Your Favorite Movie
In the past, TV channels were the only way to watch movies at home, and in some countries, certain movies were always broadcast on Christmas. It became a country-wide tradition to watch them. The world may now stream everything, but you can always pick up the tradition and choose a movie to watch every Christmas—perhaps even the classic from the long-forgotten TV channel.
Watch All Your Favorite Christmas Movies
If you love the idea of watching a special movie on Christmas, you’ll enjoy this one too. Make a list of all your favorite Christmas movies and even holiday-themed episodes of TV shows, and watch one every day leading up to Christmas – almost like a TV-centric advent calendar. Depending on how many movies/shows are on your list, you can start on the 1st of December (or earlier!).
Give a Funny Present
Make a tradition of giving one wacky present—the odder, the better. Some ideas to get you started: Vegetables with googly eyes on them, a box of cookies where the cookies have been replaced with ping-pong balls, or a single shoe. The goal is to make the recipient laugh.
Put Oranges in Your Stockings
Receiving an orange in the toe of your Christmas stocking is an old tradition many have forgotten. Most say it’s from the 19th century, when oranges were a luxury item, especially during winter. They were a real treat. Now, they’re a fun stocking filler that can still remind us to be grateful for the little things.
Plant a Pine Cone
This is a magical tradition kids will love. A few weeks before Christmas, take your kids pine-cone hunting and ask them to select one, then plant it in a pot. “Magically,” the pine cone will grow into a full-blown tree in a matter of days, which the kids will “oooh” and “aah” at and decorate. Note: The magic entails finding a Christmas tree and secretly planting it in the pot when the kids aren’t looking.
Dish Up for Someone Else
With this tradition, no one is allowed to dish up food for themselves on Christmas. Instead, when it’s time to eat, everyone makes up a plate for someone else, making sure to listen to them and dish up the right things. It’s a lovely gesture that grows kindness and patience in children… and adults.
Hide a Christmas Mouse in Your Tree
Find a cute Christmas mouse—not a real one! Just a toy— and hide it in your tree. On Christmas morning, have the kids look for the mouse. Whoever finds it wins a prize (that can be shared). You can have an adult version, where you hide a mini bottle of Irish Cream (or a non-alcoholic version) in the upper branches.
Leave a Gift for Mrs Claus
Imagine being married to Santa! Surely, it’s quite stressful. This is a fun storyline for the kids. They can leave out thoughtful little gifts Santa can take home to the Missus. After all, why does he get all the cookies? They can also leave carrot treats for the reindeer.
‘Tis the Season for Tradition
Christmas comes but once a year, so it’s wonderful to make the most of it. Fun traditions can make the season merrier, get the whole family involved, and shift the focus from gifts to laughter and quality time.
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