Christmas is a time for tradition, but like it or not, some of those annual activities can be drudgery. The joyless chores that make fodder for Hollywood movies like Christmas Vacation, Christmas with the Kranks, and The beloved holiday classic Deck the Halls. Traditions by their nature have a tendency to become tiresome and totally removed from the true essence of the holiday spirit. But what can we do? Don’t throw family Christmas traditions out the window. The best thing you can do with family traditions is to continue to build a strong bond with them. Make their special moments that are memorable for the right reasons. If each generation cherishes and protects their traditions, they don’t become boring. They become anticipatory and celebratory. Some of my favorite family Christmas traditions are oldies but goodies. Others are a little unique, fun, or frivolous. I love the excuse for everybody to be silly at Christmas time because there can also be so much stress and even sadness during this season.

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25 Fun Family Christmas traditions printable with coloring page
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My list of 25 Fun Family Christmas Traditions is printable for your enjoyment, you can put it on your wall or refrigerator and there is even a version for kids to color in. This sheet of festive Christmas traditions makes a great sort of Advent Calendar because it counts up to 25. However, in no way do you have to stick to the order in which my traditions are listed. You can tackle any point in the pile of presents and do whatever seems fun to you at the moment. I like to make a game out of it and try to complete all of them within a prescribed amount of time. You can wait until December or start as early as you like.

Five Easy Family Christmas Traditions

There are 25 traditions listed on numbered gifts piled up next to Santa. Some of them are super easy to help you get the snowball rolling. These are five of my favorite easy family Christmas traditions:

  • Listen to Christmas Carols — This is a super easy one and my favorite way to get into the holiday spirit. This becomes a family activity when everybody gets a crack at the playlist.
  • Wear Christmas Hats — This is super simple, but it elevates your Christmas cheer when you do it with your family. you will see all of them in this festive light and they’ll see you wearing your hat too. This makes the day more fun and it makes an opportunity for some good candid Christmas photos.
  • Camp Out Under the Christmas Tree — This is a great early-on family Christmas tradition (as soon as you put up your tree) or a late one after the tree is all decorated and lit up. Just remember to turn off the lights Once everyone has drifted off to sleep.
  • Put Up MistleToe — This is another really good one to start right away. It’s good for sharing tender moments as well as some harmless teasing.
  • Do Christmas Mad Libs — You can buy these or download some unofficial mad-libs for free. You can even create your own, which is a lot of fun to do as a family. Each of you must try to be as clever as possible with your story and watch with delight as you turn each other’s masterpiece into a load of hysterical nonsense!

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25 Fun Family Christmas Traditions Coloring Page Printable

Five Challenging Family Christmas Traditions

These more challenging family Christmas traditions don’t have to be extravagant, but you can take them pretty far, too. Just remember it’s all about fun!

  • Host a Fruitcake Eating Contest
  • Hide Presents Around the House and Leave Clues for Finding Them
  • Have a Christmas Talent Show
  • Bake and Decorate Gingerbread Men
  • Do Elf on the Shelf

Some of my favorite family Christmas traditions are oldies but goodies. Others are a little unique, fun, or frivolous.