Best Family Traditions on Christmas

History of Christmas

The Christmas festival is a celebration of the proposed birth date of the Christian Messiah Jesus Christ. It is within the gospels of Matthew and Luke in the Christian bible that the tale of Christ's birth is described. The celebration of this event among Christians is first recorded around the 2^nd century AD but it does not appear in the official list of festivals during this time.

It was sometime later around 336 AD that a celebration of Christ's birth is recorded in Christian records as having taken place in Rome 8 days prior to the “calends of January.” For many centuries there was some disagreement as to the actual celebration day of Christ's birth.

Various dates in January have historically been used also in some sects of Christianity the 25^th of March was an observed date. Ultimately though Christians would settle on December 25^th as the date. There are many proposed reasons for this and it is unclear exactly which theory is accurate. The AD 336 celebration in Rome however is the first recorded instance of a December 25^th observance.

This first recorded observance on the 25^th of December in Rome was done so under the Roman Emperor Constantine and marked the Roman churches acceptance of this date. It would ultimately become the standard throughout the Christian world although this would take some time.

Why Are Christmas Traditions Important?

The importance of Christmas as a religious holiday varies in each family as some who celebrate the festival may not actually be practicing Christians. For others the significance of the festival is tied deeply to their faith.

Over the centuries this celebration of the Christian Messiah has become a celebration not only of the proposed date of his birth but also as a celebration of the gathering of family. Many whose family observe this holiday likely have memories of traditions and fun times spent together with parents, siblings, cousins and grandparents.

It is therefore important to include tradition into the Christmas holiday as part of the celebration. This helps to develop long lasting memories of the annual celebration which can not only bring family together but also bond them through shared experiences.

Great Family Traditions for Christmas

1. Go ice skating

The December 25^th celebration date falls in winter in the northern hemisphere meaning that it is most associated with this season. Even in Southern California where it remains fairly warm throughout the year winter themes are part of celebration.

This means that a common pop-up business during this period is ice skating rinks. Some of these outdoor rinks are created with fake ice and do not require the true cold of winter. Taking the family ice skating together then may be a good tradition in celebration of the Christmas season.

2. Make Christmas cards and decorations together

A great family bonding activity is to do craft projects together as they are not only fun but also a creative outlet for the family. As greeting cards and decorations are part of the tradition of Christmas then gathering the family to make them can be a good annual event.

3. Go caroling together

If you are a musical family that enjoys singing then the tradition of Christmas caroling may be a good family activity. You can bring cheer to the neighborhood by going around singing Christmas songs for your neighbors. You may even take a charity bucket around to raise money for people in need at the holidays, instilling compassion in the family and the true spirit of Christmas.

4. Tour the lights of the neighborhood

Some people go all out with the external Christmas decorations during the holidays so taking a stroll around the neighborhood as a family to look at them is not only good exercise but also a fun family tradition.

There is also the option to drive around multiple neighborhoods to view the lights and decorations or go to a planned holiday light display.

5. Choosing the Christmas tree

As part of the modern Christmas celebration a decorated tree adorns the family home. The choosing of this tree can become a family tradition which might include hot drinks, family photos and other group fun.

6. Attend a Christmas parade

There may be a local annual parade in your town or a nearby city which features colorful floats and perhaps an appearance from Santa Claus on his sleigh. This can form great memories for the kids and also be fun for the adults as well.

7. Build a donation to a food bank

This is a great tradition to start as a family which takes a few steps. Go with the whole family to the store and have each person pick a set number of food bank appropriate items. Purchase these items and then take these items as a family to the nearest foodbank.

The key here is to teach the children about charity and that there are people at this time of the year who have very little. It not only creates memories but builds compassion and understanding in the children.

8. Bake cookies for Santa

Gather the family and kids to make the cookies that will be left out for Santa on Christmas eve. You can also make some cookies for the family at the same time. Decorating these cookies can also be a fun family tradition to do with the kids.

9. Go to a Christmas concert

Going as a family to a Christmas music concert, holiday themed play or some other seasonal performance can be a great tradition. Some of these concerts may be free or at least inexpensive and can help to entertain the family as they bond.

10. Rewatch a family favorite Christmas movie

There are holiday movies which have become iconic over the years and many people will traditionally rewatch the same movie as a family each year. As an example the family might watch a version of the Christmas Carol movie every year or It’s a Wonderful life.

11. Attend a Christmas church service

Depending on your religious views you might make it a tradition to attend a Christmas church service each year such as a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. There may be more than a service involved as sometimes activities may be put on for the children and even a nativity play with local school children.

12. Make individual advent calendars

This is a great family craft tradition that you may want to undertake in late November. Advent calendars track the 25 days leading to Christmas day with small gifts (often candy) in an openable calendar format. Gather the family together to make the calendars and if you want it to be surprising wait until the kids are done before putting in the gifts that they will receive when they open it each day.

13. Have a Christmas treat cooking party

This can be a great family memory of you all being in the kitchen making fun food treats. This can be cookies, fudge, candy and other sweet treats that will help the family celebrate. It may pass on family recipes but also create lasting memories.

14. Deliver a dinner box

This is a great charitable gift idea for a family in need that can instill compassion in your own family. Each year we get together as a family to get the ingredients for a holiday meal. Find out from your local church if there are any families who might appreciate a little help over the season. Through them you can perhaps donate the dinner to the family anonymously.

15. Have a Christmas talent show

This is a very fun family tradition that can be part of the big day itself. With the whole family together anyone who wants to show off their singing, juggling or whatever talent they are proud of can do so for the whole family.

Don’t make it competitive. This is just for fun and allows family members to have fun and enjoy each other's personalities.

Final Thoughts

The traditions of a family Christmas can be extremely varied and different in each family. Some things may become a tradition organically or you might be able to start new ones that everyone loves. The key is to do things that are fun and help you bond together. It’s about the memories you form together.

Neil Edwards

Genealogist and family-tree research specialist

Neil was born in Shropshire, England surrounded by centuries of living history. His interest in the past has been a lifelong passion leading to undergraduate degrees in both Economic History & Geography and History & Politics.

This interest in history quickly translated to family history when he moved to the U.S. in 2010. It was here that he began working on his own family tree as well as that of his American wife. That research allowed him to gain a wealth of experience working with both U.S. and European genealogical documents and studying their best uses in researching family history.

Following 9 years of honing his genealogical research skills, Neil was proud to have earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in late 2019. Neil also took part in the research process for a Duke University study into the families of 19th Century UK Members of Parliament.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!