This Christmas Book Tradition is an easy, memorable tradition for your family.
Sometimes traditions go so far back in time that we have lost their beginnings. Sometimes we adapt and tweak them slightly as they pass through the generations.
Traditions may be long-standing customs, treasured like an invisible family heirloom; but they can also be created or started at any time.
This is how my family’s Christmas Book Tradition began.
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A Simple Christmas Book Tradition
My family began this tradition because I heard about it from a friend.
During dinner one night she mentioned how her husband’s Godmother purchased him a Christmas book every single year.
Such a simple idea, which made it even more intriguing because I was pretty sure I could pull it off.
An Easy Christmas Book Tradition
I ended up tweaking the plan a little and decided that I would buy my boys a Christmas Book every year until they graduated High School.
There is no shame in admitting that I have sugar-plum visions of my sons nestled in front of their respective Christmas trees reading these books to their children.
My backup plan, in the case of daughters-in-law who don’t like long-standing family traditions (insert sarcasm), is that I will have an awesome Christmas library for the grandkids.
So if you’d rather, you can always keep these books at your home as cherished memories of Christmases past.
Personalizing your Christmas Book Tradition
If you are crazy short on time and life is becoming beyond manageable, order a Christmas book on Amazon and check “buy new Christmas book” off the to-do list. You are all done!
Yes, this tradition can be that easy!
However, if you do want to personalize your child’s book every year, here are a few things you can do to make it just a little bit more special.
Simple Personalization Ideas for Your Christmas Book Tradition
An easy way to personalize the book is to record the year and child’s age. Simply write something like “Merry 5th Christmas Rudolph – Love, Dad & Mom” in front of the book.
Of course, you can write anything your heart desires! Maybe memories from that year or milestones that your child achieved.
Another idea would be to attach your yearly Christmas Card to the front of the book. Write a small message under it and you now have a photograph, plus a special message.
Even more Christmas Book Personalization Ideas
Now this is where I stop with personalizing the books, but there are numerous other options.
You could put photos of your child from that year’s Christmas in the front or back of the book. Also, you could ask family members to write a note to your child.
Maybe your child could write something in the book. When my boys are older, I am going to try to implement this idea. I still need to brainstorm on what they will write about and how to convince teenagers of the importance of family traditions.
Fun Ways to Gift the Christmas Books
You can keep it simple and give your child the book while you set up for Christmas. Maybe include it with a fun pair of Christmas pajamas!
Another idea would be to have your Elf on the Shelf bring the book. Or St. Nick could bring them on St. Nick’s Day.
Perhaps the books are just sitting under the tree one morning as a fun surprise.
The easy thing about this tradition is that it doesn’t have to be difficult and time-consuming. Also, it’s great to have new Christmas books to put in the reading rotation.
Start a Christmas Book Tradition EVEN if your children are older
So if you love this Christmas Book Tradition idea, but you have the realization that:
My child is 4… I’ve already missed out on this and can’t do it.
Not true. It is still doable – I promise! This tradition started for my family when my oldest was having his THIRD Christmas.
You can still frugally pull this off if you have a few Christmas books in the house.
If not, there’s always Amazon! Or check out my list of 20 Children’s Christmas Books for book ideas that are favorites in my home.
So grab those Christmas Books and record the years that you missed.
If you are feeling ambitious, print a few pics from that year to tape in there too. That easily, you are now caught up!
19 Comments
This is a fantastic idea! I love looking back on Christmas books from my childhood. So much nostalgia 🙂
Thanks Nicole 🙂 My boys and I have a few of my old Christmas books in our reading rotation and it definitely brings about a since of nostalgia.
Oh what a cute idea! I love reading and Christmas books are so cute. I’d definitely do this with my own kids someday.
-Lauren
Thanks Lauren! It’s an easy tradition to start and maintain 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
I want to start this next year! It is such a fun tradition!
I agree Keri. I love adding books each year & I truly think it will be a neat “gift” for when my boys have their own children.
What a cute idea!! We are having our first child in March so I’ll definitely start doing this next Christmas!! Starting traditions young is so fun!
Congratulations! Nothing brings back a little magic to Christmas better than seeing it through the eyes of your little one. Glad you enjoyed the tradition!
What a neat idea. I love this idea especially since reading is a great gift to have. I may have to try and start this tradition. We have a few traditions like Christmas Eve Pj’s and getting a new ornament every year.
Thank Lyndsey! I’m a reader at heart so I think my love for reading was a big factor in making this one of our family traditions. I love the ornament idea! Maybe when I stop the book Tradition I can move on to ornaments – lol.
What a great tradition to get a new book each year! I’ve collected 25 Christmas books at yard sales and I wrap them before Thanksgiving. Then each night in Dec, the kids unwrap a book. But I love the idea of a new one each year… I’ll have to figure out a way to replace the old, yard sale ones while incorporating the new ones.
Quick note, don’t wait on the ornament tradition (your reply on the comment above mine said after you quit the book tradition). Can I just say START NOW!! You can always go back and make up for the missed years but it’s just so much fun to go back and remember the years by the ornaments much like your books. I had this tradition since I was a kid and am carrying down to my kids. But now I’ll be buying books along with their ornaments next year!
I think you are a right, Shanna! I should start the ornament sooner than later. Maybe I can find some post-Christmas clearance sales on ornaments to catch me up. I might even have some the kiddos have made over the years that I could use! Putting it on the never ending to-do-list. 🙂
Wonderful tradition! I love books, and heartwarming Christmas stories. They are timeless and give you that feeling of nostalgia even when you’re all grown up. I’ve made it a tradition to also give books with Christmas, to encourage them to read. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Merry Christmas to you too!
Love the idea! It makes Christmas so much more fun, having these traditions!
Thanks Sophie 🙂 I agree completely! Love a good Christmas Tradition. Merry Christmas!
This Christmasbook tradition is a great idea!! I’ve never heard of a tradition like this, but I love it! It would be so fun to look back and see what each child’s favorite memories were from each Christmas.
Thanks Rebekah! It’s definitely fun to reread the books and remember when each of my boys were at different stages during Christmases past.
Just saw your message Rebekah 🙂 I really wish I had started writing the memories down when I started the tradition. But it’s never too late to start 🙂