Are you looking for a few simple, yet memorable Christmas Eve Traditions to start with your family? Ideas that won’t stretch your Christmas budget, but still create lasting memories?
Keep reading to discover family-favorite Christmas Eve Traditions that your kids will be sure to remember!
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Christmas Eve Traditions for Families
While traditions have the connotation of being set-in-stone activities, they truly are flexible and adaptable for you and your family.
So if you have another event on Christmas Eve, do these the night before you open presents; or on Christmas Day once all the crazy gift-opening dust has settled.
When life is busy and holiday-hectic, finding time for quality family moments can’t always be set to a certain day. Make the most of your time together, even if it doesn’t occur on a traditional day!
Now, let’s jump right into some of our favorite Christmas Eve traditions!
Cookies & Milk for Santa
Yep, the most classic Christmas Tradition made the list first! It’s probably one you already do, but it’s important enough to list it!
While common, there are ways to make this tradition a little more personal for your family. We have a special Santa Plate that only gets used for Santa’s cookies every year.
It’s also tradition for us to take a picture with the plate before we put the cookies on it. You could also do a special Santa glass.
Bake Cookies
Of course, if you are going to leave cookies for Santa, it can’t hurt to make them super special by decorating them on Christmas Eve.
Ditch the traditional chocolate chip, and have a cookie decorating contest before you leave those cookies out for the man in the big red suit.
Make Gingerbread Houses
Another great idea would be to make gingerbread houses. They sell so many gingerbread kits now, so it can be easily done.
One tip – put your gingerbread house structure together earlier in the day. It will “set” better and your children won’t be stalking you while you try to turn food in construction materials.
Put out the Reindeer Food
Growing up, reindeer food meant sneaking a few carrots out of the crisper, but now it has gone to a whole new level!
If you don’t have carrots, or simply want to try a new tradition you can make “reindeer food”. So how do you make reindeer food?
All you really need is oatmeal and maybe a little glitter. Mix the two together and sprinkle them in your front yard. If you’re super dedicated, you can even go out and swish the “food” away so that it appears to have been eaten during the night.
They do sell reindeer food. It would be great for the kids who really like Santa’s reindeer.
One More Letter to Santa
Perhaps your child is a little worried about their behavior lately? Or maybe they just want to write Santa one more letter?
This is an easy Christmas Eve Tradition because you can simply set the letter by the cookie plate for Santa. He can take it with him when he drops off the gifts.
If you want to take it a step further, print out a reply letter. You can find a ton of free printable ones on Pinterest.
Track Santa Online
There are several places online that will help you track Santa as he begins his Christmas Eve journey.
Not only do these sites offer Santa Tracking Services, but they also have fun games, music, and activities for children too.
Watch the Reindeer Cam
Beyond checking in on Santa, you can also check out the reindeer back at the North Pole. Perhaps Santa didn’t use all of his reindeer, or he switches them throughout the evening so they don’t get super tired.
Take a peek here:
The Chimney Situation
Another fun Christmas Eve Tradition that works well for those who do not have a chimney in their home. If the question “How does Santa bring our presents if we don’t have a chimney?” is asked every year, then this is the tradition for you!
All you need is a “special key” that you can place outside on Christmas Eve for Santa to enter using your door.
This could be an antique key, a regular key that you attach to a Christmas ornament or even a spray-painted key. Another option would be to purchase a pre-made Santa Key.
Santa can leave the key by the plate of cookies and you’ll have it for next year.
The Christmas Pickle
This Christmas Eve Tradition is one of those where the origin isn’t exactly known. If you want to read theories on it, click here. Whatever the origin, it’s still a fun tradition for families.
On Christmas Eve a pickle ornament is hidden on the Christmas tree. In the morning whoever finds the pickle first is either given an extra present or will have good luck for the coming year.
With 3 boys, we don’t give an extra present to avoid tears on Christmas morning. However, the pickle finder gets to open the first gift.
Enjoy a Christmas Book
The classic Night Before Christmas Book is probably read the most on Christmas Eve. There are so many adaptions to this book, you could read a different one every night in December!
However, there are other great books to read before bed on Christmas Eve. Check out our list of favorite Christmas Books for a few suggestions our family loves reading; like our current favorite Home Alone: The Classic Storybook!
Receiving a new Christmas book would be a great Christmas Eve Tradition too. Take a peek at our Easy Christmas Book Tradition Idea to see how we have made our Christmas Books into a family tradition.
Take a Christmas Lights Drive
Now and then, our Christmas Eve doesn’t have any family get-togethers or parties on the calendar. When our Christmas Eve is spent as family time, one of our favorite things to do is go on a Christmas lights drive.
We load up the kids with blankets and to-go cups of hot cocoa and head out to enjoy the Christmas lights around town. In bigger cities, you could even go to a Christmas Light Park, but this will cost money. Usually a price per car.
Just ONE present on Christmas Eve
Another fun tradition is to let your children open just one present on Christmas Eve. Now sometimes our family gift opening has to happen on Christmas Eve, but if not, this is a fun way to spend the night.
You can wrap the Christmas Eve gifts in special paper and it never hurts to strategically plan which gifts your child will open. For example, if your children are all getting board games for Christmas, opening them would also give you something new and fun to do on Christmas Eve.
Watch a Christmas Movie
There’s nothing better than curling up together and enjoying a holiday movie. From the classics like Miracle on 34th Street to the newer ones like Elf or The Star.
Also, don’t forget after the kiddos are tucked into bed, turn on your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie and finish up all your wrapping!
Open Christmas Pajamas
If you want to have matching pajamas on Christmas morning, gifting them on Christmas Eve is a great way to guarantee they are ready to go.
Decide if you are going to go all out and have the whole family match or just the kids and then purchase what you need. Wrap them up and after you open them, you have the perfect comfy outfit for your family movie night.
Host a Misfits Christmas Eve Party
I’m not talking about inviting the Grinch or Scrooge over on Christmas Eve. I’m suggesting that you host a night for friends and family who don’t have anywhere else to surround themself with Christmas cheer.
Occasionally, when some of our family is at in-laws or out of town, we find ourselves without having plans on Christmas or Christmas Eve.
Having a small get-together with pizza, movies, or board games is a great way to keep the Christmas spirit alive.
Christmas Karaoke
It’s just like regular karaoke, but with the condition that every song you sing must be a Christmas one! Imagine how much fun you can have belting out to Jingle Bells & Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.
If you have tweens and teens they will probably be highly embarrassed by your actions in the beginning, but odds are they will jump in when they realize how much fun they are missing.
Deliver a Surprise Gift to Someone
One of my friend’s family decided several years ago that they would no longer exchange gifts among the adults. Instead, they pool their money and choose someone they all know who has had a hard year and gift it to them.
This made me think about how small acts can go a long way, especially during the holiday season. So before you curl up for that family movie, maybe play Santa a little bit.
Drop off a small gift or card, anonymously if you like, for someone who you know has had a rough year financially or perhaps emotionally. It will show your children generosity and compassion in a season that can be wrapped up in “stuff”.
Play Christmas Games
We’ve all seen and probably played the saran wrap ball game! But that doesn’t mean trying to unwrap that ball and get to the money makes it any less fun.
We have a fun Christmas game called Christmas Catch. Or a building activity using Spice Drops that kids and adults can enjoy.
Also, search Pinterest for some fun Christmas games, minute-to-win-it games are currently the favorite in our home!
Say Goodbye to your Elf on the Shelf
Do you have a friendly (or mischievous) little red Elf in your home this year? Well, Christmas Eve is the perfect time to tell him goodbye for the holidays.
Explain that when Santa brings the gifts, your Elf will then leave with Santa to head back to the North Pole. You could even write your Elf a goodbye note.
Also, make sure you check out some of our Elf on the Shelf posts including an Elf Survival Plan which is a plan to help you rock having an Elf!
Or our free printable Elf Calendar to stay organized with your Elf shenanigans. Finally, we have our magical Elf Tongs DIY. They are easy-to-make magical tools that let you move your Elf without setting your kids.
A few more Christmas Ideas
There are so many great Christmas Eve Traditions that families use to create memories every year. If you have a tradition I would love to hear about it! Please drop a comment below and share your tradition with everyone.
Plus we have our 30+ Ways to Save Money at Christmas & an easy way to figure out those teacher gifts!
Hopefully, you have found some easy and fun ideas to celebrate Christmas Eve as a family.
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