25+ Ways to Keep the Tradition of Christmas on Your Homestead
Are you curious about ways to keep the tradition of Christmas on your homestead - or in your home? Here’s my advice.
As the holiday season approaches, it can be easy to miss out on fun Christmas family traditions. Our everyday lives are crazy enough, let alone around Christmas. Before you know it, the holidays have passed and the new year has begun. What does a
Christmas tradition even mean anymore? What are some Christmas traditions to try?
Sometimes, all it takes is a little Hallmark to get you into the Christmas spirit. Other times, you need to go somewhere with a lot of Christmas trees.
Whatever it is you need to get into the groove of Christmas, we’ve got you covered.
Here are 25+ Christmas tradition ideas for your homestead.
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What Are Some Christmas Traditions?
Before we dive into the meat of the topic, here’s a quick list of the best Christmas traditions you can incorporate in your own home. Some of the best include:
Having a cookie exchange party
Going Christmas caroling
Driving around to check out local lights displays
Making or picking out a new ornament for each child every year
Doing an “Angel Tree”
Making your own Christmas decorations
Donating food to the local food bank
Making your own baked goods or Christmas candy
Having a special Christmas Eve or holiday meal
In this post, I’ll walk you through even more Christmas traditions to start this year. As you read, I highly recommend putting this video on in the background. Talk about some ambiance!
5 Early American Christmas Traditions
The United States houses so many different cultures. During the colonial period, many different people shared their favorite holiday traditions. Let’s get back to our Christmas roots with these excellent Christmas traditions.
Make Simple Woven Decorations
People from Sweden and Norway brought these decorations to the colonies. Both countries had a pre-Christmas celebration in honor of St. Lucia. They used these decorations to get into the Christmas spirit.
All you need is cardboard, twine, yarn (in whatever colors you like), a weaving needle, and scissors. You can find an easy step-by-step here. The decorations are easy to make, so if you have little ones, they will have a blast making these.
Bake Pretzels (aka Praying Hands)
Pretzels originated in southern Germany. The best bakers hand twisted these delicious treats. The American people loved these baked goods and decided to make them for Christmas Eve. If you’re feeling a little decadent, you can even try dipping them in chocolate!
Hang Herbs around the House
Early Anglican churchgoers used to scatter rosemary and lavender on the chapel floor. The herbs made a pleasant scent for the whole space. Not only do these herbs provide a relaxing aroma, but they make fabulous decorations too. Hanging herbs or dried fruit provide a natural yet festive look to your home.
Listen to Old Christmas Music
Did you know that Issac Watts wrote “Joy to the World” in 1719? The song is iconic and one that people sing throughout the Christmas season. Issac Watts brought a revitalized meaning to Christmas that went beyond attending Maas. Instead, Watts made the Christmas story more accessible in a way that brought genuine joy. Open up Spotify or your music listening platform and turn on some classics!
Host a Christmas Party
Colonial Virginians loved to get together for extravagant balls, festive parties, and weddings. You don’t have to host an over-the-top party, nor do you have to get married.
Get together with close friends and family to enjoy time together. Bake some cookies together on Christmas Eve, build a gingerbread house, visit a nativity scene, or play some holiday-themed games around the Christmas tree. The main idea is to gather with your loved ones to celebrate this joyful season.
What Are Some Unique Christmas Traditions? 10 Christmas Morning Traditions
Here it is, the day everyone has been waiting for. Kids are up at the crack of dawn, waiting to see what Santa brought them beneath the Christmas tree. Parents are waiting for the coffee to finish brewing as they nibble on a gingerbread house. Newlyweds are especially excited about their first official Christmas together. Let’s look at different Christmas traditions to enjoy Christmas morning.
Open One Gift at a Time
Who wouldn’t want Christmas Day to last as long as it could? Opening one gift at a time is the perfect way to make sure everyone sees what each other receives. Parents, this holiday season tradition is perfect for seeing each of the kids’ reactions.
Make Breakfast Together
Whether it’s sweet or savory, making breakfast together for Christmas this year is a great way to get kids involved. Savor the holiday together. Try making some mocha cinnamon rolls, Rudolph pancakes, or breakfast casseroles with farm fresh eggs that will be sure to fill your tummies and keep you satiated as you gather around the Christmas tree.
Wear Matching PJs
This is a great chance to get creative with your family while staying cozy. You can change up the PJ theme every year, have your family open up the PJs on Christmas Eve, and take the cutest holiday family photos. Whether you go for onesies that look like reindeer or cute flannel PJs, you and your family will look amazing.
Write “Thank You” Letters to Santa
Writing “thank you” letters to Santa is a great way to get in the spirit of gratitude. With the gifts that we receive during the holidays, it is easy to forget to be thankful. Join in on thanking Santa for the hard work he’s done and what he brought you. Walk together to the mailbox and send those letters to Santa!
Get Outside
A good nap is probably in the cards for Christmas morning, but getting outside at some point is a great way to experience the day. If you live in a snowy area, go sledding or ice skating. If you live in someplace like southern Arizona, enjoy the crisp winter air by taking a walk. Take a break from all the wrapping paper and enjoy the great outdoors.
Write Christmas Letters to Each Other
Much like the “Write ‘Thank You’ Letters to Santa”, writing letters to each other is a wonderful way to express love to your family. In the letters, you can write about a memory you had with them earlier on in the season or express gratitude for a certain gift they gave you.
Whatever you feel called to write to your family on Christmas morning, write it with love.
Gift Scavenger Hunt
There’s no feeling like when you think you opened all your presents and then, lo and behold, there’s one more. Here’s the catch: you have to find it.
The night before the holiday, take some time to hide just one present for each of your family members. After all the presents have been opened, announce that there’s one more for each of them, but they have to find it. Hide them in cabinets, within the tree itself, or other safe hiding places.
Morning Hot Chocolate or Coffee
A hot drink on a cold morning is unbeatable. Set up a hot chocolate or coffee bar with candy canes, flavored syrups, and festive mugs. Prioritizing a mug of hot chocolate is a simple yet sure way to fulfill those cozy Christmas traditions.
Donate Food, Clothes, or Gifts
Everyone deserves a little magic on Christmas Eve. If you are able to find ways to give back, that's a great way to spend your Christmas each year. Check out your local shelters to see if they need any donations.
Canned goods, warm clothes, or some gifts for kids in foster care are beautiful ways to spread holiday cheer. If you attend church, see if they are holding a donation drive. Giving to others is a fantastic way to remember what the holiday is really about.
Family Photos
Getting the family together for photos can be hectic, but it is so worth it. They don’t have to be professionally done or posed. When there’s a quiet moment in the day, gather your family together to commemorate the special day. If you’re not a fan of posed photos, try to capture candid photos.
One way to do this is to set up a camera with a tripod and a timer. You can take photos while opening presents, making breakfast, or sitting around the Christmas tree together. There’s no pressure, no hassle, but all the memories are included in this tradition.
10 Fun Christmas Traditions to Start
Here are some of the best Christmas traditions for those looking for hands-on involvement. All of these ideas encourage you to get involved in the community and with your own family.
Make Homemade Holiday Spirit Mugs
Michael’s, Jo-Ann’s, Hobby Lobby, and your local craft store most likely have the supplies you need to create unique, personal mugs for all those hot drinks. You can use a Cricut machine but you don’t even need to get that fancy.
Buy any style mug you like, some paints (acrylic works best), and Mod Podge or a water-based varnish to seal the paint. You can also go to a pottery painting studio like Painting Wonderland.
Participate in Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child is hosted by Samaritan’s Purse. The organization encourages people to fill a shoebox with toys, hygiene products, or school supplies for children in need. You can pick a label that specifies the gender and the age group of the child you want to give the shoebox to. This is the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves about the joys of giving rather than just receiving.
Create a Popcorn and Cranberry Garland
This classic Christmas tradition is so much fun to put together (and you get to eat some of it too). All you need is a long thread, a sewing needle, popcorn, and cranberries. Once you finish the garland, you can wrap it around your Christmas tree or hang it up somewhere else for people to see.
Set Out a Plate for Santa’s Reindeer
Reindeer are working on Christmas Eve too - and they also need a homemade dinner! Take some time before you and your family go to bed to set out some carrots and apples for Santa’s reindeer. They will love it.
Go to Local Christmas Festivals
This is a great opportunity to get plugged into your community. Join your local Facebook groups to keep an eye out for any holiday festivals happening near you. Are there any concerts, live nativity scenes, or farmer’s markets to take your family to?
Is there a Christmas tree farm or Christmas food festival to join? These outings are perfect for getting out and getting into a festive spirit.
Host a Christmas Baking Competition
Have you ever seen those baking competitions on TV and thought, “I can do that!” I definitely can not match the professional bakers’ skills, but it’s fun to try. Get your family together (and even your neighbors) to host a holiday baking competition. Make gingerbread houses, Christmas sugar cookies, or pies. The prize could be a white elephant-themed gift or something silly.
Create an Advent Calendar before December
Advent calendars are so fun because it increases the anticipation for Christmas. Making your own doubles that fun. Take some time near the end of November to make an Advent calendar with your family. It can be one big one or small little ones for each member of your immediate family. Either way, this is a sure way to get into the holiday spirit.
Bake Christmas Treats for the Neighbors
Christmas joy is meant to be spread! Baking small Christmas treats for the neighbors can be a great way to get to know them a little more and let them know that you’re thinking about them for the holiday. You can bake some cookies or make small batches of toasted honey and cinnamon almonds.
Donate Goods and Write Letters to Military
Donating some nonperishables, socks, razors, TP, fun little gifts, books, or personal letters to the military is a heartwarming way to extend the fun holiday to those who are away from their families. Everyone needs a little reminder that someone is thinking of them. Get together with your family and gather some things our servicemembers would appreciate.
Dress up as Your Favorite Christmas Movie Characters
Did someone say costume party in December? We all have a favorite holiday movie, but when was the last time we dressed up as one of the characters? Dressing up as the Grinch, the Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus, or as the family from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation are just some of the ideas you could take on for this Christmas tradition idea - and it could be a tradition that the whole family enjoys each year.
What Are Good Family Traditions for Christmas?
Christmas encourages togetherness. Any of the traditions mentioned above, from caroling to baking and decorating and everything in between, are great for families of all sizes and types.
One of the reasons why we forget about our traditions or fail to feel the “Christmas Spirit” is because life gets busy. We forget to just be together and to celebrate the true meaning of the holiday.
Trying out some new traditions like the ones listed above can help make your home feel special for the Christmas season.
Try one new tradition out every year and see which ones the whole family enjoys. Maybe you’d like to get out a little more in December. Perhaps you’d like to savor Christmas morning a different way. Whatever the reason is, these ideas are meant to inspire and encourage you to make this time special.
Of course, there is no pressure to do every item on this list of classic holiday traditions. Pick the ones that sound most fun to your family and give them a try this holiday season. Ask your spouse or your kids which activities sound fun and set time aside to do them. There’s no race to complete all these holiday tradition ideas. Start with one on Christmas Eve and see how you and your family like it.
Remember to enjoy time with your family during this Christmas season.
What Christmas traditions do you plan on starting with your family - or continuing - this year? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
Want to learn more about homesteading? Be sure to check out these articles!
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