50+ Family Christmas Traditions To Build Lifelong Memories

Inside:50+ Family Christmas Traditions

The sweet, rich aroma was always the first clue the holidays were here.

The tree might be trimmed, the lights hung from the rooftop, the wreath on the door, but it was the smell of my Mom’s Holiday Friendship Bread that signaled the Christmas Season was in full swing.

Around the first of December, the bread baking would commence. For the next four weeks, it was a steady part of our diet. The melty, warm chocolate chips, the cherries bursting with sweetness and the banana bread base were the flavors of home, family and goodness to me.

Holiday traditions have always been important to me. Something I cherish. So, I have been purposeful about them when it comes to raising my own family.

In today’s busy world, family’s seem to always be on the go. Mom is taking one kid in one direction, while Dad is head off in another with a different kid. Family meals and other occasions, that used to be the daily touch points for bringing everyone together to talk and share time, are becoming less and less common.

This is part of the reason we need to create and preserve those sacred family traditions now more than ever. They help to establish a family identity and are crucial when it comes to shaping a child’s sense of self and the family bond.

Plus, we know from countless studies and parenting articles, that kids who feel connected to their families have a greater sense of security. They are also more confident and less likely to look for constant affirmation from others.

So how do you go about creating family traditions?

It’s easier than you think!

Traditions are simply actions that you repeat over and over in a particular context. It can be something like eating pizza and watching a movie together every Friday night. Or it might be each person wearing the crazy Birthday Hat when their special day rolls around.

Christmas traditions are one of those things that can be as complex or simple as you want them to be.

Think back to when you were a child.

Were their traditions you loved that you could now pass on to your own children?

It could be many little things that just made the holidays truly special for you. Watching the same Christmas movies year after year. Using the same familiar cookie cutters to make your mom’s famous cut-out cookies. Taking treats to the neighbors as a warm holiday gesture.

Or maybe you want to start fresh, with new Christmas traditions. Think about what matters to your family. What are some of your family’s favorite activities and how can you give them a holiday spin?

We live in Florida and lots of families we know love to go to the beach. Many of them have turned this into a family Christmas tradition, by having everyone get up, open gifts and then pile in the car to go make sand angels and look for sea shells by the shore.

Crazy, I know!

But really, there is no right way to do a tradition, it’s simply what makes sense and is meaningful to your family.

Just in case you need a little inspiration, I’m sharing some of my most favorite ChristmasTraditions. Maybe you’ll find a few new ones to add to your family’s list!