Make Christmas Eve tradition a special time for the whole family with these fun and festive traditions and activity ideas for Christmas Eve.
We all know Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, and there are already so many fun Christmas traditions we love to do as a family.
But the excitement really peaks on Christmas Eve tradition and there are a few activities we have in store for that particular day.
What are some fun things to do for Christmas Eve tradition ?
Find the best fun activity to create a lasting Christmas Eve tradition with your family. We’ve found some Christmas Eve ideas below:
Open a gift
As Christmas Eve tradition approaches, we’ve been sitting on secret gifts for weeks ! It’s no wonder we all can’t wait for our loved ones to open only ONE gift! Opening a gift on Christmas Eve is a very popular tradition for families in the United States and across Europe (with a number of other countries opening ALL their gifts on Christmas Eve!).
We love giving away pajamas or a book to open on Christmas Eve because it’s a simple, small way to end the night (rather than a big toy that the kids will want to play with the rest of the night .)
The day before Noë l is the perfect time to make the car ride (or walk) and watch the Christmas lights in your community. We absolutely love this tradition!
This is what we do:
We make hot chocolate or hot apple cider for everyone, grab some freshly baked cookies (these ginger molasses cookies would be perfect), get in the car, and listen to Christmas music while we drive. and oooh and aaaah on the amazing poster we find.
Watch a special Christmas movie
Almost every family I know has a particular Christmas movie that their family loves. Whatever movie is for you, make yourself comfortable, cook some popcorn, and settle in for your Christmas Eve movie night!
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Read the Christmas story in the Bible
Reading the story of Christ’s birth is a wonderful way to end the night before Christmas. Often Christmas Day is filled with presents, visiting family, and preparing a big dinner party. So it’s a good idea to take some time before the busy day to really soak up what holidays are like.
If you have smaller children, you can read a children’s bible to make it more child-friendly.
Host a special Christmas Eve tradition dinner
Food is the basis of so many family traditions, so why not on Christmas Eve? A friend of mine always ate fondue with her family on Christmas Eve tradition, which I love! I know other families have a habit of ordering Chinese take out for Christmas Eve.
You can make homemade pizza for Christmas Eve tradition, which the kids will love! We made the dough and made toppings for everyone. And everyone was able to create their own personal pizza made just the way they wanted.
Play a game with the family
Getting together for a fun playtime moment is the perfect way to set the tone for the family unit. If you have a favorite family game then Christmas Eve is a wonderful time to get together and play.
Or, you can play Christmas games like this Santa Claus game (ages 3 and up) or even a Christmas themed Monopoly game!
Give a Christmas Eve tradition box
What is a Christmas Eve box?
It was new to us too. And at the beginning, we completely shunned it (because we already give gifts, why add another gift?). But, it’s basically just a designated box that you can reuse every year (that’s kind of what makes it special) filled with little things you’d probably give the kids on Christmas Eve anyway.
You can make your own easily with a crate or opt for a personalized wooden Christmas Eve box that will last for years.
Some ideas of what to put in the box would be: Christmas pajamas, a Christmas book, maybe a little treat / candy / popcorn, a hot chocolate mix with a special mug .
Basically a few things for the kids to do on your Christmas Eve family night out!
A story and cider
What could be more beautiful? Cozy up by the fireplace with hot cider and a favorite Christmas story.
Christmas Eve tradition religious service
If you have older children (or little ones who can go to bed later), you can make it a tradition to attend your church’s Christmas Eve tradition service. Most churches have a special service on Christmas Eve, with candles and Christmas hymns, and it’s really beautiful.
Baking cookies for santa claus
We love making classic sugar cookies with frosting for Santa. It’s easy and there’s nothing kids love better than stacking piles of nuggets to decorate Santa Claus.
Pajama day all day with games, treats and crafts
Some families go all out on Christmas Eve each year for a fun day of games, puzzle-building, baking cookies and cakes, and Christmas creations of all kinds. All while wearing their matching Christmas pajamas, of course!
Ornament exchange
I love this beautiful and meaningful Christmas Eve tradition that I have chosen from another family. They exchange new ornaments every year to represent their favorite keepsake from that year.
