Holiday > Family Traditions For The Holidays

Family is what makes the holidays memorable and worthwhile. Holiday family traditions passed down from generation to generation can be a great way to add a little more cheer to the season. See these ideas for family traditions for the holidays, and begin one this year with your family!

Holiday Family Traditions:

Watch a holiday movie together as a family

Have Grandma/Grandpa read the kids "The Night Before Christmas" (or alternate holiday story)

Bust open and share the Peppermint Pig™ (a holiday tradition with Saratoga roots!)

Make and decorate gingerbread houses

Bake and/or decorate cookies together

Celebrate with an Advent calendar with a gift each day leading up to Christmas

Light the Menorah together every night of Hanukkah

Put on a Nativity skit

Read the Christmas story together

Enjoy a candy cane hot cocoa night

Go to church as a family

Volunteer at a local soup kitchen

Make a charitable donation in lieu of / in addition to gifts

Drop a gift anonymously at someone's doorstep

Sing carols at home or go out caroling

Visit a senior home or hospital

Have a family member dress as Santa

Mysteriously have a bag of joke gifts anonymously appear each year

Play a slideshow of pictures from previous holidays of years past

Put on a festive puppet show

Decorate the home together with lights (or go out light sighting!)

Pick out and/or cut your own tree and decorate as a family

Do a holiday craft together

Plan a day / evening of local holiday shopping as a family

Attend a local parade or annual holiday event as a family each year

Visit Santa's Cottage in Saratoga Springs

We hope this list of holiday family traditions gave you some good ideas for a tradition (or perhaps a few traditions) you can start in your home this holiday season!

Does your family have a great holiday tradition you'd like to share? Tell us in the comments below!

<<Back to Saratoga Holiday Guide