21 Ideas for Creating Family Traditions

Read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve with your family.
Have your children or family act out the birth of Christ.
Buy or make an inexpensive nativity scene that small children can hold and play with.
When setting up your nativity scene, allow the children to place one figure in the scene each day as you read the corresponding scripture. Place baby Jesus in the scene on Christmas Eve.
Make an advent calendar.
Make an advent wreath.
Bake a birthday cake for Jesus. Light the candles on Christmas day and sing happy birthday.
Throw a happy birthday Jesus party for your child's friends. Have the children bring as a gift a can of food that could be donated to the local food bank. As an activity, have the children make homemade Christmas cards to send to the local nursing home.
Have the children make homemade gifts for one another or for other family members.
Plan with other family members who you normally exchange gifts with to exchange homemade ornaments or goodies instead of store bought gifts.
Make a special ornament each year for each child. Include somewhere on the ornament the child's name and the year. These ornaments can be passed on to the children when they marry.
Take a picture of each child at Christmas and frame it to hang on the tree. Picture frame ornaments can be purchased or handmade with a few scraps of cardboard and fabric. Be sure to date the pictures. It's fun to look on the tree and see how each child has grown over the years.
Sponsor a needy child, family, or elderly person for Christmas. Let your child help select the gifts.
Create your own Christmas cards using an original piece of artwork that your children have created.
Let the children help in the kitchen with the holiday baking. Even small children can roll dough and cut Christmas cookies.
If you like having a real Christmas tree, take your family to a tree farm and pick out that "perfect" tree together.
Set aside a specific time each year to decorate the Christmas tree. Enjoy some hot chocolate while you string popcorn and cranberries and make gingerbread or sugar cookies to hang for an old fashioned look. Set aside a whole day of uninterrupted time to spend making memories.
Celebrate Epiphany on January 6th. Epiphany is a celebration of the visit of the wise men to Jesus.
Open your home to a local serviceman, college student or young couple or family who may be away from home and family during the holidays.
Spend time with your children listening to or singing your favorite Christmas songs and carols.
Watch your favorite Christmas movie together. My personal favorites are "White Christmas" and "It's a Wonderful Life".

Thanks Becki for the snow people!

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