15 Christmas Eve Traditions to Start This Year

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Make Christmas super special with your kids by starting these fun Christmas Eve Traditions this year!

Christmas Eve is such a magical night – especially if you have young kids at home. The anticipation of Santa’s arrival and the excitement of gifts to come makes the entire evening so much fun.

This Christmas, make the most of this magical night by adding to the family fun and starting a new Christmas Eve tradition. These amazing Christmas Eve traditions are the perfect way to spend time with your family and make new Christmas memories.

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1. Start the day with a festive north pole breakfast

There are so many fun ways to plan this festive breakfast! We love making Santa Face pancakes!

Check out more details about the North Pole Breakfast here.

2. Christmas Pajamas

One of the most popular Christmas Eve traditions among families is Christmas pajamas. Giving your kids an adorable set of Christmas-themed PJs to wear on Christmas Eve night is a great way to get your kids even more excited about Christmas. And it gives you a chance to get some cute Christmas morning pictures as your kids open their gifts wearing their adorable holiday PJs.

3. Christmas Eve Box

A Christmas Eve Box is a fun family tradition that you can totally make your own. Whether you include a cute pair of holiday pajamas or a fun experience your whole family can enjoy, a Christmas Eve box is whatever you want to make it.

Some fun ideas for your own Christmas Eve box include Christmas movie night with a movie and popcorn, ice cream sundae party with lots of sundae toppings, or cookie making supplies so your family can make cookies for Santa together.

4. Open a Gift

If your kids are so excited about the gifts they’ll receive on Christmas morning, why not give them a little taste on Christmas Eve? Let each family member pick a present from under the tree or have a special Christmas Eve gift to give your kids before they head to bed for the night.

5. Bake Cookies for Santa

You’re going to need to set out cookies for Santa before the kids head to bed, which makes Christmas Eve the perfect time to make and decorate cookies. Set out everything you’ll need to make the cookies, then let your kids have fun decorating them before they set the cookies out for Santa later that night.

Related: Here are our absolute favorite Christmas Cookie recipes!

6. Watch a Movie

Christmas movies can be enjoyed all holiday season long, but picking one movie to watch on Christmas Eve makes it a fun holiday tradition. Whether you take advantage of a movie marathon on cable TV or pick a tried-and-true holiday favorite, turn on the movie, pop some popcorn, and relax on Christmas Eve enjoying some fun holiday-themed time with your family.

7. LEt your Kids know that they definitely made Santa’s ‘nice’ list

This one of our favorite Christmas Eve traditions. Print out this amazing Santa Kit, which has an authentic looking certificate to tell your kids they are definitely on Santa’s ‘nice’ list!

Check out more about this Santa Kit here!

8. Read a Christmas Book

Reading together is a great way to bond with your kids. Start a Christmas Eve tradition by picking your favorite Christmas book to share with your kids before they go to sleep. Get your kids dressed in their Christmas PJs, then gather in your bed to read them a Christmas tale to help them wind down before they head to bed for the night.

Related: This is a fantastic Christmas book reading tradition your family will cherish!

9. Follow the Santa Tracker

Thanks to Google, your kids can know where Santa is at all hours of the night! Keep an eye on the Santa tracker to build upon the excitement of Christmas Eve and to make sure your kids get into bed at a decent hour.

10. Decorate a Gingerbread House

Whether you make your own gingerbread structures or purchase a premade kit, decorating a gingerbread house is a classic holiday activity that is perfect for Christmas Eve. In addition to getting to be a little creative as they work, your kids will have a blast sneaking bites of candy while they decorate.

Related: Check out these fun Gingerbread House kits!

11. Host a Party

Christmas Eve is the perfect time to invite your friends and family over for a holiday party. Serve appetizers and desserts and play fun Christmas games, then send everyone home to get ready for Santa’s arrival.

12. Go Christmas Caroling

If your family loves to sing, bless your neighbors with a few rounds of your favorite Christmas carols. Get bundled up and head outside for a trip around the neighborhood to spread a little bit of Christmas cheer through song on Christmas Eve.

13. Look at Lights

Hop in your car with a thermos of hot chocolate and travel around town looking at Christmas lights. Take your time as you drive past each house to really admire the details of each display, then ask each family member to pick their favorite.

If you are going for a Christmas lights adventure, check out this North Pole Express Kit!

14. Leave Proof of Santa

If your kids are starting to question Santa (or even if they’re not), leaving a small piece of proof that Santa was at your house is sure to help them believe. Whether you leave a snowy footprint (dip a shoe in powdered sugar and walk it across the floor) or leave a piece of red fuzz from Santa’s suit near the fireplace, these small details are sure to leave a big impression on your kids each year.

These are our favorite Santa trace traditions:

Santa eats the cookies and drinks the milk
The Reindeer eat the carrots you leave for them
Santa opens the glitter bomb note left for him (for ideas on how to catch Santa, check out this book!)
Santa leaves a snowy footprint

Related: Most Common Questions Kids Have About Santa

15. Volunteer

Whether you head to the local food pantry or help wrap presents for kids in need, volunteering is a great way to give the gift of your family’s time to those less fortunate. In addition to helping local families in need during the holiday season, volunteering is also a great way to remind your kids what the holiday season is truly about.

More Christmas Traditions Your Family Will Cherish

Christmas traditions are some of the most powerful bonding opportunities for your family. I know the memories I made as a kid at Christmas-time are a strong anchor for me as an adult.

There are so many ideas though. It’s hard to keep track, isn’t it? Well, these Christmas family traditions are fantastic. Hope you like these ideas!

15 Christmas Eve Traditions to Start This Year