There is hardly a more magical time than the night before Christmas. Mystery, fun, and enjoyment all combine on this special night, which only happens once a year. For many people, it’s also the perfect time to break out the old family traditions. Perhaps you have traditions of your own, but if not, we hope to introduce some fun ideas you can use this year!
#1 Get ready for Christmas morning
Everyone has their own traditions when it comes to getting ready for Christmas morning. Depending on whether you have kids or not, you’ll probably take part in several of these holiday activities:
- Leaving out cookies and milk for Santa
- Hanging up stockings
- Wearing matching Christmas pajamas (and maybe taking pictures in them!)
- Creating a hot cocoa bar for your friends and family
If you don’t prefer any of these tried-and-true traditions, that’s okay! There are plenty of other ways to spend your Christmas Eve.
#2 Select Christmas Eve traditions from around the world
Depending on where you live, some of these Christmas Eve traditions will probably sound less familiar. That’s because they’re from different parts of the world. So, if you’re looking to change up the ways in which you celebrate Christmas Eve, try some of these traditions from different place.
- In Canada, people often celebrate Christmas Eve by opening their gifts (sometimes, they open a single gift on Christmas Eve and wait to open the rest until Christmas Day.) This tradition is ideal for anyone who hates waiting to open their gifts!
- Italians celebrate Christmas Eve by holding a “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” The meal commemorates the birth of Jesus and also brings plenty of traditional Italian food into this holiday celebration.
- Iceland’s Christmas Eve tradition is to give your friends and family books to read on the day before Christmas. (Honestly, this should be a tradition in many more parts of the world!)
Italian Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve by Elise Amendola via INSIDER
#3 Try out traditions from different U.S. states
Different U.S. states also have different traditions revolving around Christmas. Here are a few you might enjoy on Christmas Eve:
- Fayetteville, Arkansas, gets decked out in thousands of Christmas lights from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve. If you’re in the area, you’ll definitely enjoy your Christmas Eve by checking out the festivities in Arkansas!
- Christmas Eve is the last day of the “Chrstkindlmarket” in Chicago, Illinois. A stroll through this holiday market sounds like a great way to spend your Christmas Eve!
- Michigan celebrates the holidays by taking you back to “the era of the Model T, lantern-lit streets, and old-fashioned cinnamon sticks,” in Greenfield Village, Dearborn. So, if you like the idea of an old-fashioned Christmas, perhaps a trip to Michigan is in store for your holiday season.
#4 Create your own new Christmas Eve traditions
If nothing sounds quite right, why not go ahead and create your own Christmas Eve traditions? You and your significant other might enjoy creating your own Christmas recipes, or perhaps you and your kids will enjoy making up individual Christmas crafts. Traditions don’t have to be traditional for everyone else. What’s important is that they have a special meaning for your family and friends.
#5 Christmas Eve traditions for any mobile home
Obviously, most of the Christmas Eve traditions you’ll enjoy are for any type of home, stick-built or otherwise. While your home might not be big enough to host large Christmas parties, you can still partake of plenty of other Christmas Eve traditions:
- Pass out ugly Christmas sweaters for the whole family.
- Make gingerbread houses.
- Help your kids make reindeer food.
- Bake Christmas cookies.
- Take a drive through town to enjoy Christmas lights.
- Sit around the fireplace and sip eggnog.
- Watch Christmas movies.
Enjoy your Christmas Eve traditions this year
Whether you choose more common Christmas Eve traditions or more unusual ones (or create your own) the important part is to make sure you enjoy them! Christmas Eve is a great time to bond with friends and family, so choosing traditions that everyone loves will make your festivities that much brighter. If you’re out of ideas, asking around to see what others enjoy is a great way to add to your celebration and discover new traditions that you’ll be able to enjoy for a lifetime.
