Now that I have reflected on our Christmas tree tradition, I have been thinking a lot about the magic of family traditions. The Christmas tree itself is a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. But this day in age, Christmas so often seems to revolve around ads and messages to buy things. Christmas traditions, however, revolve around fun, quality time — the most special thing and the best gift we can give our loved ones. With that sentiment in mind, here are a few creative Christmas traditions that should cost you close to nothing.

First, here’s a peek at our Christmas tree this year! My favorite part is the angel we got last year from Amazon. It is ceramic and has a glittery halo. The picture doesn’t really do it justice.

Creative Christmas Traditions

1. Hiding a special ornament. Have a designated, special ornament on your tree. Then, on Christmas Eve, hide the ornament from your family members. The first to spot the ornament on Christmas morning gets to open their gifts first. This idea stems from a Wide Open Country article about pickle ornaments. Have you heard of these?!
2. Lighting the tree on Christmas Eve. One friend told me that growing up their tree was never lit until Christmas Eve. Every year she waited in anticipation to see how beautiful it was. A different family member got to plug in the tree each year too. How fun is that?
3. Reading the Christmas Story before placing any gifts under the tree. If you are religious, this may be a nice way to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. You can also do read the Christmas Story around the tree on Christmas Eve.
4. Making or picking out ornaments for each other. Whether for spouses or siblings, getting a hand-picked or handmade ornament from someone you love is special. You can do an exchange of the ornaments to kickoff the decorating of the tree too. Have you ever made an ornament for someone?
5. Enjoy the twelve days of Christmas. Historically, the twelve days of Christmas last from Christmas Day until January 6th. So, you can leave your Christmas tree up until then or even save a present for the 12th day of Christmas.

In addition to going to our annual Christmas Tree Farm trip to cut down our tree, there are a few other things I do every Christmas. I always bake seasoned crackers, following my grandmother’s recipe, and give them to friends. I also love watching certain Christmas movies every year. Every Christmas Eve, I go to a candlelight church service and have dinner with my family.

Since I am getting married next year, I have started thinking about which childhood Christmas traditions I should continue and which things I would like to do differently.

Are there any traditions you carried over from your childhood? Are there any that are brand new that you will know you will be doing for years? Do you have any creative Christmas Traditions that don’t cost anything?

I would love to hear all about the little things you do with your family every Christmas.

Cheers the happiest of holidays!

Sarah Camille

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