Traditions to Start This Christmas

When I look back over my own childhood, a lot of the things I remember and love, are things based on traditions, especially around Christmas time. I remember helping my mum to make mince pies on Christmas eve. We would always go to a Christmas carol concert at church that evening, and then deliver the mince pies to friends and neighbours afterwards.

I also remember dropping off gifts or treats to people and just knocking on the door and running away. It was certainly lots of fun with my siblings and I looked forward to it every year. Some things we now do as a family but when two people from different families come together, you have to mix it up a bit.

What are your favourite Christmas traditions? I just love that traditions create such wonderful memories and bring you all together as a family. My two are a little small to join in with the Christmas traditions but they’ll soon be there. I’m looking forward to when they can help plan them all with me. If you don’t currently have any, here are a few ideas that you could start.

~ Twelve Days of Christmas – starting on 13th December, leave a gift or a note on the doorstep of a friend or neighbour, but do so anonymously. The first night could just be one thing, the second be two things, the third three, right up until the twelfth day. If you can make it rhyme that would be cool or just adapt the classic. How about the fifth day could be:

On the Fifth day of Christmas, your secret Santa gave to you, five gold things! (rather than gold rings). This could be something like ‘gold’ biscuits or golden tree decorations.

~ Gingerbread Men decorating contest – I have a friend that does this with her extended family each year and the results are brilliant. Obviously everyone is given a plain gingerbread person and then the decorating is left up to them. I’ve seen some Shrek ones, prince charming ones, mermaids… This would be a really fun one to do if your family is fairly competitive.

~ Activity Jar – sit as a family and decide on some fun things that you could do in December, like pick out a Christmas tree, make hot chocolate, watch a Christmas movie or go ice skating. Choose one a day to do, or just at the weekend – what ever would work best for your family.

~ Make an Advent Calendar together

~ Christmas Trip – if you don’t have much extended family around you, and it will just be you guys at Christmas, you could all decide to so spend the budget on a trip or holiday, so that you won’t just be staying at home. The memories from this kind of thing can be priceless.

~ Christmas Eve – this could have it’s own traditions like a basket with fun things in and new pyjamas. The children could all sleep in one room together (this may help them not get up as early, as they might not sleep until later)! You could read the Christmas story all together or go carol singing. I think a lovely thing is just to maybe go out for a meal and then watch a Christmas film altogether. And then of course, leave a carrot out for Rudolph and a mince pie for Father Christmas.

What are some of your favourite Christmas traditions?

Rebecca x

BlogLovin’ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Linking up to Twinkly Tuesday & Savouring the Season.

PIN FOR LATER: