Christmas has a funny way of turning little things into the memories we remember most. Maybe it's the same breakfast you have every Christmas morning, the Christmas movie you've watched a hundred times, or the way the kids know exactly where their stockings will be hung.
The best part is that you don't need to start with a big, elaborate tradition. Some of the nicest Christmas traditions are the simple ones that you repeat year after year until they become something your family looks forward to.
If you're looking for something new to add to your Christmas this year, here are a few traditions worth starting.
Start an Elf Tradition
If your family has a Christmas elf, why not make their arrival part of your yearly Christmas traditions?
Choose a special day for your elf to arrive and make it an event the kids look forward to each year. They could arrive with a little letter from the North Pole, a Christmas treat, a new book to read together or even a small activity to kick off the Christmas countdown.
And you don't need to come up with an elaborate setup every single night. Some mornings, your elf might be found somewhere silly or unexpected, while other days they might simply be sitting on a shelf watching the Christmas magic unfold. It's often the little surprises that children remember most.
You could even give your elf a special job on Christmas Eve. Rather than simply disappearing overnight, they could help deliver the Christmas Eve Box or leave a little message telling the kids they'll see them again next year.
Over time, your elf's arrival and goodbye can become traditions in their own right, creating something your children look forward to every December.
Create a Christmas Eve Box
This is one of my favourite traditions because you can easily make it unique to your family, and it can change and grow along with your children.
My eldest child is 15 this year and she still looks forward to opening the Christmas Eve box to find her new pyjamas and little Christmas goodies. It's something we've done for years now, and even as the kids have gotten older, the excitement hasn't really gone away.
Our Christmas Eve box usually includes new pyjamas, Christmas-themed snacks and popcorn for our Christmas movie. We also put the kids' Christmas stockings in the box, ready to be hung up before bed.
Over the years, the Christmas Eve box has included all sorts of little extras too. We've had Magic Reindeer Food, a Magic Christmas Key for those of us who need to explain Santa's entry point without a fireplace, and Christmas books to read together before bed.
That's what makes this tradition so much fun. There really aren't any rules. You can keep it simple with pyjamas and a movie snack, or add something different each year that your family will enjoy.
And as the kids get older, you can change what's inside. A teenager might appreciate a favourite snack, a new pair of socks or a Christmas-themed face mask just as much as they once loved a new picture book.
Make Christmas Eve Movie Night a Tradition
There is something about settling down for a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve that just feels right.
Choose a movie that your family watches every year and make it part of the Christmas Eve routine. It could be an old favourite that you've watched together for years, or you could choose a new movie each year and see which ones eventually become family classics. In our family, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a Christmas tradition. We watch it every year, and it just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without it.
Make it feel a little different from an ordinary movie night. Get the Christmas pyjamas on, bring out the snacks from the Christmas Eve box, make some popcorn and get everyone settled before the movie starts.
You could even let a different family member choose the movie each year.
And if everyone has completely different ideas about what makes a good Christmas movie? You could always have two. It's Christmas, after all.
Make a Christmas Lights Night
Pick one night in December and make it your family's official Christmas lights night.
Pile everyone into the car, put on some Christmas music and head out to see what you can find. You could visit a few of your favourite decorated houses, explore a new neighbourhood or simply drive around and see where the Christmas lights take you.
For younger kids, turn it into a little Christmas lights scavenger hunt. Give them a list of things to look for, such as a reindeer, a Santa, a snowman, a Christmas tree, coloured lights or a giant inflatable. You can download our printable Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt and take it along with you on the night.
Don't forget the snacks. Take along some Christmas treats, hot chocolates or ice cream depending on the weather, and make an evening of it.
The best thing about this tradition is that it doesn't need to cost much. It's simply a night spent together, and it's something you can repeat every year as the kids grow up.
You might even find yourselves returning to the same houses every Christmas and wondering whether they'll have added anything new this year.
Choose a Special Christmas Ornament Each Year
This is a lovely tradition if you want your Christmas tree to become a collection of family memories.
Each year, choose one special ornament for each child, or one for the whole family. It could represent something they loved that year, a new hobby, a favourite character, a family holiday or simply something they thought was really cool.
When you decorate the tree each Christmas, take a moment to look back at the ornaments you've collected over the years.
Eventually, your tree becomes more than just Christmas decorations. Every ornament has a story behind it.
And when the kids eventually have Christmas trees of their own, they'll have a box full of memories to take with them.
Have a Christmas Baking Day
Pick one day in December when the kitchen becomes your Christmas bakery.
Put on some Christmas music, get everyone involved and make the same Christmas treats every year. It could be gingerbread, shortbread, cookies, fudge or a family recipe that's been passed down.
Don't worry about everything looking perfect. Let the kids decorate the biscuits, make the wonky gingerbread people and sneak a few chocolate chips along the way.
You could even package up some of your baking to give to neighbours, teachers, friends or family.
The recipe itself might become part of the tradition, but it's the day spent making it together that you'll probably remember.
Start a Christmas Book Tradition
Choose one Christmas book that you read together every Christmas Eve.
For younger children, this could become part of their bedtime routine after the Christmas Eve movie. For older kids, you could take turns choosing the book or bring back a favourite from when they were little.
You could also build a little Christmas book collection over the years, adding one new book to the shelf each Christmas.
There's something really special about pulling out the same books every December and remembering how little the kids were when you first read them together.
Start a Christmas Morning Breakfast Tradition
Christmas morning can be wonderfully chaotic, so having one thing that happens the same way every year can give the morning a little bit of structure.
Choose a special breakfast that you only make on Christmas morning. It might be pancakes with all the toppings, waffles, cinnamon rolls, a cooked breakfast or even something completely different.
Let the kids help prepare it when they're old enough, or make it a tradition where everyone gets to choose one thing to add to the table.
Years from now, the smell of that breakfast might be enough to bring back Christmas morning memories.
Keep a Christmas Memory
At the end of Christmas Day, ask everyone to share their favourite moment from the day.
You could write each answer down and keep them in a Christmas memory jar, then read them again the following Christmas.
As the years go by, you'll have a little collection of Christmas memories to look back on. And you might be surprised by what the kids remember. It won't necessarily be the presents or the big things. It might be the silly moment at dinner, something the dog did, or the Christmas lights you saw on the way home.
That's the lovely thing about Christmas traditions. You don't always know which little moments are going to become the memories your family keeps.
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