Growing up, the holiday season was my favorite time of year. This was the one time of year that long lived family traditions were dusted off and strictly abided to. These holiday traditions built lifelong memories that I have passed down to my children.

Traditions can help you, as a family, to connect and build memories with family, friends, and neighbors. If you are from a family that never really had any holiday traditions, creating traditions are quite easy to generate. I have constructed a list of thirty quick traditions to motivate you to create your own family holiday traditions and make a lifetime of memories for you and yours.

Holiday Cards

1. Hang holiday cards on the door or door frame
2. Make a holiday photo collage from this year’s holiday cards to use as holiday decoration next year
3. Use last year’s holiday cards for gift tags

Holiday Food

1. Have a cookie baking party. Invite friends, family and coworkers to the party. Ask each person to bring their favorite or most unique holiday cookie recipe.
2. Cook the same meal for Christmas Eve (my family makes homemade pizza) and Christmas Day (we do pasta) each year.

In the Community

1. Grab a bunch of friends and family and go Christmas caroling in your neighborhood. I believe that this tradition is still alive.
2. Deliver a batch of Christmas cookies from your cookie baking party to your neighbors.
3. Visit Santa Claus
4. Get in the car and check out holiday lights in your neighborhood or community while listening to holiday music and drinking hot chocolate.

Giving Back

1. Volunteer your time as a family at a soup kitchen or food bank.
2. Sponsor a family in need.
3. Donate gently used clothing, coats, toys and books to a local shelter.
4. Volunteer your time at a local nursing home.

In the Home

1. Each night read a different holiday book before bed.
2. Visit a tree farm to find and cut down the perfect Christmas tree. Decorate it as a family.
3. Make a holiday playlist of your favorite holiday songs for your family to listen to in the car or at home. Make a second copy and add it to a holiday gift basket.
4. Make an advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas. Pinterest has some really great ideas.
5. Write a letter to Santa with your child.

Holiday Gift Giving

1. Draw names and make a gift for that family member in addition to store bought gifts.
2. Start a gag gift or white elephant tradition. Each year, give the gift to another member of the family.

Christmas Eve

1. Get a new pair of matching pajamas for the kids to wear on Christmas Eve.
2. Open one gift on Christmas Eve. Pajamas would be good.
3. Track Santa’s progress across the world.
4. Leave milk, cookies, and reindeer food for Santa and his reindeer.
5. Before bed, read “The Night Before Christmas”.
6. Make a Crock Pot Christmas casserole to cook overnight that you can eat Christmas morning

Christmas Day

1. Start a fire in the fireplace, turn on your Christmas playlist and make a cup of coffee (mom and dad) or hot cocoa (kids) while opening gifts
2. Call loved ones who not able to be with you for the holidays.
3. Take a group family picture in front of the Christmas tree.
4. Invite friends, family and neighbors over Christmas evening for games and cookies.

What holiday traditions does your family have?