28 Holiday Traditions for Families

Embrace the magic of the season with these traditions or start something new with your family. From simple recipe ideas to ways to give back, here are 28 ideas to embrace this special time spent with loved ones.

Holiday food traditions

1. Make traditional dishes for your holiday meals and include foods from your culture or foods you ate growing up. Ask for recipes from relatives to keep your family food traditions alive.

2. Organize a cookie-baking party or a cookie swap. Invite friends and family or a group of your kids’ friends. Ask everyone to bring their favorite holiday cookie recipe.

3. Make the same entree for your holiday meals every year. Or, choose a side dish that becomes the yearly tradition, even if it’s just for laughs.

4. Make a gingerbread house with your family. Those premade sets make it easy and provide you with everything you’ll need! Another option is to use graham crackers, some royal icing, and candy.

5. Make hot cider or cocoa to keep energy levels up (and your tastebuds happy!).

Neighborhood and community traditions 

6. See a local production of ‘The Nutcracker,’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’ or another holiday-themed show.

7. Check out holiday lights in your area. Get in the car, turn on your favorite playlist, and find brightly lit houses.

8. Record local holiday events on your calendar. Most cities have concerts, festivals, plays, and more to celebrate the season.

9. Go sledding, ice skating, or other outdoor winter activity with your family.

10. Invite family, friends, and neighbors over for games, dessert, and to decompress from the holiday.

Around the home holiday traditions

11. Read holiday books before bed each night to boost your family’s spirit.

12. Create a holiday playlist that your family listens to in the car or at home.

13. Set aside one night each week to watch a holiday movie or television special, or just your favorites to share with your family (kids, etc)

14. Have your child start an ‘I Am Thankful’ list. Have them add one thing they are thankful for each day.

15. As a family, write a letter about the previous year. Have each member contribute one memorable moment from the year to be recorded to share with friends and family.

16. Make holiday decorations yourself! Decorate windows with paper snowflakes, glue glitter onto pinecones and arrange in a bowl, and visit kid-friendly crafts sites to get creative and fun ideas that will involve your children.

17. Camp out in your living room or a different room in the house. Read stories, and snack on treats.

18. Get matching pajamas for the kids or whole family.

Giving back holiday traditions

19. Volunteer your time as a family at a soup kitchen or a food bank that hands out food to families in need.

20. Find a giving tree that allows you to sponsor a family in need or purchase toys for children in need. Go shopping for the items together and donate them.

21. Start a canned food drive in your neighborhood or at your child’s school. Ask neighbors to donate canned and non-perishable foods, then donate them to a food bank.

22. Go through closets and donate gently used clothing (coats are particularly useful this time of year) to a local shelter.

23. Hold a book drive and ask coworkers, friends, neighbors, and family to donate books for kids that you can give to your local library, elementary school, or family shelter.

24. Volunteer time at your local senior living center or see if there is a giving tree specifically for the residents.

Holiday gift traditions

25. If gifts have been sent from relatives that are far away (like grandparents), call them when they are opened so everyone can share in the joy.

26. Pick names randomly and only give gifts to the person whose name you draw. Set a dollar limit to keep it even and have fun! It can be as easy as a playlist or a (digital) photobook of your family’s greatest moments of the year.

27. If your extended family is large, make a deal among the adults to buy gifts for only the kids of the family.

28. Start a gag gift tradition. Give a funny gift to a family member. Each year, pass the gift on to another unsuspecting family member.