Holiday traditions are a fun way for families to come together and welcome the holiday season. Here are six traditions that your family can start this holiday season.

Listening to Holiday Music, Baking Christmas Cookies, and Hanging Decorations

At the start of every holiday season as a child, I remember my mom turning on holiday music and while we sang classics from The Temptations and Nat King Cole we would bake Christmas cookies and decorate our home and tree with homemade ornaments. We did this every single year like clockwork and for me, it symbolized the start of the holiday season. It’s something I do now with my family and it’s something we all look forward to. It makes my heart smile to know when Garrison has his own family this will be something he does with them.

This is my holiday tradition, here are some others you can do with your family.

Have a Christmas Movie Marathon

Pop some popcorn, put on your matching pajamas, and get cozy on the couch for a Christmas movie marathon. Start a tradition of watching a different Christmas movie every night until Christmas Eve. Need a little help selecting some titles? Here are 55 of the most iconic Christmas movies that will appeal to everyone in the family.

Holiday Thank You Basket for Delivery Drivers

Photo & Craft Credit: Burlap and Blue

Throughout the holiday season, there are people who will be a constant presence at our homes and those are the delivery men and women. They are the people who will be delivering all of our gifts so that we can make sure our loved one’s Christmas is special. So as a holiday tradition, as a family, you can create a ‘Thank You’ basket to leave on your front porch as a way to thank the people who are working night and day to make sure our orders are delivered. Read Burlap and Blue to find how to create a thank you basket for your own family.

Give The Gift of a Family Experience

Giving the gift of a family experience is something the whole family can enjoy together. The experience can be something as simple as visiting a local attraction, hiking/camping at a national park, or even a post-Christmas vacation. And the best thing is, gifting experiences isn’t something you can give yourself, you can also gift an experience to those closest to you. This will not only create lasting memories but it will also bring you closer together as a unit. Read Hess Un-Academy to find out more about family gift experiences.

Make Your Own Advent Calendar

An advent calendar is a fun way for the whole family to count down the days until Christmas. Advent calendars are a perfect way of putting Christ back into Christmas to help you remember the true meaning of Christmas. But instead of buying one you can make your own. I’m a DIY’er to my core, you know I was going to tell you to make your own. Here are some advent calendar ideas to give you some inspiration.

Start a Christmas Book Collection

Starting a Christmas book list is fun for both you and your kids. You can start their collection by adding books that you read and loved as a kid. If you still have the book great, if not then see if you can purchase a new version of it in addition to brand new titles your kids choose. Keep the box by the tree and depending on how many books you have it will give you and your child an opportunity to read a different Christmas book each night. When your kids outgrow the tradition wrap and store them for their children so the tradition can continue on. Read Joyfully Thriving to learn more about this tradition.