As realtors, we get to meet so many people from all walks of life. As we get to know our clients, we hear all sorts of great holiday traditions.
As a fun way to share all the wonderful ideas and traditions we’ve heard, we’ve put together a list of Christmas traditions for you to try out with your family!
These traditions include Christmas Eve meals, Christmas Morning Breakfast, and Christmas and Christmas Eve activities to try as a family!
Christmas Eve Dinner Traditions
Keep it light and/or easy!
- Take-Out (Pizza, Thai, or a favorite local spot )
- Fondue
- Charcuterie
- One Dish Casseroles (less dishes!)
- Tamales (you know you’re a Texan when…)
- Lasagna
- Caprese Candy Cane
- Appetizer Dinner – Bruschetta anyone?
Christmas Morning Breakfast Traditions
- Themed breakfast ideas– Reindeer pancakes, Grinch fruit on a stick, etc!
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles (Here’s Some Easy Ideas)
- Cinnamon Rolls – Make a Christmas Tree out of all the rolls, or Decorate your Own Christmas Tree Cinnamon Roll!
- Crock Pot French Toast (here’s one recipe but there are many variations including apple cinnamon bake, berry french toast, egg nog, etc!)
- Mimosa Bar – This one’s for all the mama’s out there who stayed up until the crack of dawn wrapping presents!
- Hot Cocoa Bar (Check out this Slow Cooker Cocoa Recipe)
Family Traditions for Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Eve
Want to learn more about the details of the above activities? Check out the more detailed list below!
- Christmas Eve Ornament Crafting (we have a few examples of gifts/ornament crafts here)
- Open a Christmas Eve Box! Suggestions vary from variations of these combos:
- Christmas PJs, hot cocoa, a new Christmas movie, a new Christmas book, popcorn, and a new Christmas game
- Christmas Eve Thank You Notes to your Elf on the Shelf (skipped out on this trendy holiday tradition this year? It can be quite a bit of work but we’ve found more positive reasons to incorporate the Elf in your traditions!)
- Gingerbread House Competition – (or just some friendly building)
- Christmas Eve Cookies – Make Santa Christmas Cookies from Scratch + Reindeer Food (here’s a glitter-free option)!
- DIY Cookie Plate – Make Santa’s Cookie Plate with this DIY craft.
- Holiday Song Karaoke – Let’s admit it – you know all the words and don’t need a monitor (if you do – YouTube is your friend). Try using a cord-free hand-held microphone like this one
- Christmas Charades – (here’s some free printable Christmas charade ideas)
- Christmas Board Games – Christmas Monopoly– it’s a thing!
- Holiday Music Dance Party – Dance the sillies out or try a fun game of Freeze Dance (great idea for Christmas Eve to tire the kids out!)
- Ugly Christmas Sweater Day – Instead of your Christmas best, wear your worst! Encourage the whole family to rock their best ugly sweater at the family Christmas gathering!
- Christmas Tree Camp Out – watch a movie in a magical Christmas Fort!
- Christmas Photos with Santa! – Many places have a Santa in place through Dec 24th! Dress up in your Christmas best or keep it casual with some Christmas PJ’s and a visit to Santa.
- Christmas Lights – Drive Around Looking at Christmas Lights (Make it an Adventure and Print Out this Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt! )
- Share Your Gratitude – Write Santa, Parents, and loved ones a Thank You Note (or draw a Thank You photo)
- Present Gratitude – Unwrap presents one person at a time. Encourage the opener to say a few nice things about the gift in order to express gratitude. This is especially great for kids and slowing down the present opening frenzy!
- Christmas Pickle – Do you know about the pickle ornament tradition? An ornament shaped liked a pickle is hidden in the tree, and the person who finds it gets a special prize!
- Christmas Movie Marathon – A classic family tradition! And streaming services have made it incredibly easy to marathon away the day
- New Year’s Predictions Jar – After Christmas dinner, have everyone write down what they predict will happen throughout the following year, and put them in a jar. Next Christmas, you can look through the predictions and see if they came true!
- Christmas Eve…at an Amusement Park! While Disneyland is packed (yet a truly magical option if you can swing it!), other parks empty out. No lines and lots of rides!
- Christmas S’Mores – Try Using Andes Mints for a more Peppermint Tasting S’More! Or roast marshmallows for your Christmas morning Cocoa
- Give Back –Visit a nursing home with a Christmas Book and Christmas Cookies! Ask to be read to (or to read to) the elderly.
Christmas Minute to Win-It Games
- Ornament Balance – This is a game where you put a yardstick on a paper towel roll and add ornaments to the yardstick without any falling, all in one minute.
- Snowman Race – toilet paper and some simple construction paper decor
- Christmas Tree Wrap – similar to the snowman race, use green streamer and bows to make your own Christmas Tree
- Christmas Present Wrap – any leftover wrapping paper, bows, or ribbons? Give it a second life! Who can wrap up the best “present” I.e., person!
- Shave Santa – It’s a race to “shave Santa’s beard”. Use shaving cream or make it sweet with whipped cream beards + a popsicle stick as the “razor”
- Marshmallow Chopsticks– Work on gross motor skills and counting at the same time with this fun game
