9 Christmas Traditions To Celebrate With Your Family
Key Takeaways
- Traditions like sleepovers, cookies for Santa, and light tours make Christmas in the U.S. feel playful, memorable, and rooted in family connection.
- Adding your own spin with décor, activities, or new products keeps the season fresh without losing the magic of the classics.
- Exploring traditions from around the world shows that there’s no single way to celebrate, and the best part is making it your own.
Christmas hits different when you’re with your people. The playlists get louder, the snacks get sweeter, and even the weird uncle stories somehow feel more legendary.
At FUNBOY, we live for this season because it’s about making ordinary moments feel extra. The laughter when someone sings the wrong carol lyric, the late-night sugar rush that ends with kids passed out under the tree, the over-the-top décor that makes your living room look like its own holiday attraction — those are the things that stick.
Christmas Traditions That Never Get Old
Traditions are the little rituals that give the holidays their heartbeat. They’re the things you repeat every year without even thinking about it, the small moments that somehow become the big memories.
In the U.S., these traditions turn Christmas from just a date on the calendar into a whole season of magic.
1. Christmas Sleepovers
There’s something about piling everyone into the same room on Christmas Eve that feels chaotic in the best way. Matching pajamas, holiday playlists, and a group movie marathon turn the night before Christmas into its own celebration. Instead of kids pacing the hallway waiting for Santa, they’re giggling with cousins, sipping cocoa, and trying to stay awake together.
Want to take it from fun to iconic? Turn the living room into a legit sleepover zone. We’re talking snuggly pillows, fluffy blankets, and inflatable mattresses that make crashing together easy.
Our Sleepover Beds Collection has options like the Gingerbread Sleepover Bed that kids love, and yes, they’re comfy enough for adults to sneak in a nap, too. Need more inspo? Check out our Christmas Sleepover blog for all the ways to make it feel like the ultimate holiday slumber party.
2. Writing Letters to Santa
Few traditions are as timeless as writing that all-important letter to Santa. Whether it’s kids scribbling in crayon or parents “helping” by proofreading wish lists that include ponies and PlayStations, the ritual is half the fun of the season. It’s not about what’s on the list — it’s about slowing down, dreaming big, and feeling the magic of sending wishes straight to the North Pole.
This year, level it up with FUNBOY’s inflatable Santa letterbox . Kids can actually slip their letters inside just like they’re mailing them off, and it doubles as adorable holiday décor.
It turns a five-minute task into an activity, giving everyone the chance to join in — even older kids or adults who might want to write silly “Santa wish lists” of their own. Bonus: it makes for the cutest Christmas Eve photo op, too.
3. Tree Decorating Night
Putting up the tree is less about the ornaments and more about turning it into an all-out holiday moment. Blast Ariana or Justin Bieber’s Christmas album, break out the snacks, and let everyone grab a handful of decorations to hang.
Some families go full Martha Stewart with color-coordinated ornaments, others go full glitter-fest with popsicle-stick crafts and kindergarten-level sparkle bombs. Either way, it’s a tradition that kicks off the season and makes the house instantly feel festive.
Pro tip: layer in pieces that aren’t just breakable glass balls. Our inflatable ornaments add a playful twist at the base of the tree, while oversized nutcrackers can stand guard in the corner. They’re statement-making, stress-free, and way easier to store than the fragile stuff.
And don’t forget to set the mood with warm drinks, cheesy playlists, maybe even a “best ornament placement” competition. The tree ends up decorated, but the real win is the memory-making mayhem that happens along the way.
4. Cookies and Milk for Santa
Leaving out cookies and milk is the definition of a Christmas Eve classic. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be boring chocolate chip every single year. Rotate who gets to pick the treat, and suddenly the lineup gets way more fun — one year it’s frosted sugar cookies, the next it’s brownies, maybe even cupcakes or a late-night snack board.
Don’t forget the reindeer, either. Carrots are cute, but candy canes or “reindeer food” sprinkled on the lawn (oats + glitter = magic) takes the tradition up a notch.
The best part is that kids feel like they’re part of the magic, and parents get a built-in excuse to sneak a bite once bedtime hits. It’s a small tradition that never gets old because you can keep putting your own spin on it year after year.
5. Neighborhood Light Tours
There’s nothing more holiday-core than bundling up, piling into the car, and going on a full-on light show tour. Whether it’s a drive around the neighborhood or a stroll with blankets and thermoses in hand, the thrill of spotting the “best house” never gets old.
To make it more interactive, turn it into a scavenger hunt: find the house with the inflatable Santa, the one with a nativity scene, or the bold neighbor who went all-in on pink lights.
If you want to crank the energy even higher, blast a holiday playlist and rate the houses like you’re judges on a reality show. Add bonus points if you catch a house syncing lights to music — instant 10/10. It’s a tradition that doesn’t cost a thing but delivers maximum festive energy every single time.
Christmas Traditions Around the World
The coolest part about Christmas? It doesn’t look the same everywhere. While Americans are busy with cookies, movies, and matching pajamas, families around the world are celebrating with their own unique traditions — some centuries old, others more modern. Exploring how different countries do the holidays is fun and a reminder that there’s no one “right” way to celebrate.
Here are a few of our favorite traditions from across the globe:
6. German Christmas Traditions
Germany goes hard when it comes to Christmas. The season starts with Advent calendars, and we’re not talking about the flimsy cardboard kind. Families often use wooden or fabric calendars filled with chocolates, tiny toys, or handwritten notes — basically, a countdown that keeps the excitement building all December long.
Then there’s St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. Kids leave their shoes outside overnight, and if they’ve been good, they’ll wake up to treats like candy and small gifts tucked inside. If not? Coal or twigs.
It’s playful, a little nerve-wracking for kids, and totally unforgettable. And of course, no German Christmas would be complete without festive markets with twinkling stalls selling ornaments, gingerbread, and warm spiced wine that make the whole season feel straight out of a storybook.
7. Japanese Christmas Traditions
Japan puts its own unique spin on Christmas, and honestly, it’s kind of iconic. Instead of a big religious celebration, it’s more about joy, lights, and food.
The tradition? Fried chicken. Yep, thanks to a wildly successful KFC campaign back in the ‘70s, grabbing a bucket of chicken for Christmas dinner is basically a nationwide ritual. Families order weeks in advance, and the lines on Christmas Eve can get epic.
Another must-have is Christmas cake, usually a light sponge topped with strawberries and whipped cream. It’s simple, photogenic, and a total holiday staple. Add in Tokyo’s jaw-dropping light displays (seriously, whole districts glow in December), and you’ve got a holiday that feels modern, magical, and uniquely Japanese.
8. Mexican Christmas Traditions
In Mexico, Christmas is a full-on season of celebration. Starting December 16th, families take part in Las Posadas, a nine-night tradition that reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter. Each night, neighbors gather for processions, songs, and prayers that end in parties with food, music, and piñatas (because honestly, no holiday is complete without one).
Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, is the real centerpiece. Families sit down to a feast that usually includes tamales, bacalao (salted cod), and ponche, a warm fruit punch that feels like the coziest holiday drink ever.
After midnight mass, celebrations often keep going into the early hours. It’s less about rushing to bed and more about enjoying time together. The whole season is about community, connection, and making the holiday feel bigger than just December 25th.
9. Italian Christmas Traditions
Italy knows how to stretch out a holiday. Instead of wrapping everything up on December 25th, the celebrations roll on until January 6th, when La Befana — a friendly witch — delivers gifts to kids. Think Santa, but in broomstick form.
Food is the star of the season, and it kicks off with La Vigilia (Christmas Eve dinner). Many families follow the “Feast of the Seven Fishes,” serving course after course of seafood dishes that feel more like a culinary marathon than a meal. Christmas Day leans into pasta, roasts, and panettone — a fluffy, fruit-studded bread that’s as Instagrammable as it is delicious.
Add in nativity scenes that rival full-scale art installations and piazzas glowing with lights, and Christmas in Italy feels like living inside a postcard. It’s indulgent, beautiful, and built around family, basically, holiday goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should we start Christmas traditions with kids?
There’s no wrong time. Even toddlers can “help” with cookie decorating or tree trimming, and those messy first attempts often become the sweetest memories. The key is keeping it simple so little ones don’t get overwhelmed.
How do you keep traditions fun as kids get older?
Let them take ownership. Teens might roll their eyes at matching pajamas, but give them the aux cord or let them plan the holiday movie lineup, and suddenly it feels like their thing too.
What’s the best way to blend two families’ Christmas traditions?
Pick the non-negotiables from each side and combine them into one big celebration. Maybe you bake cookies from one family’s recipe and open one gift on Christmas Eve from the other. It’s about honoring both without doubling the stress.
Wrapping It Up
Whether you’re staying true to American classics like cookie plates and Christmas Eve sleepovers or pulling inspo from traditions around the world, the magic of the season comes down to one thing: the memories you make with your people. The food, the lights, and the rituals are all just different ways of hitting pause and making December feel bigger than everyday life.
At FUNBOY, we’re here for all of it. The over-the-top décor, the giggles from kids who refuse to go to bed, and the playful extras that turn a regular night into a holiday moment. However you celebrate, let your traditions reflect your personality and bring everyone closer together. That’s the real magic — and the part you’ll look back on long after the ornaments are packed away.
Sources:
A Brief History of Sending a Letter to Santa | Smithsonian Magazine
The Food Lab's Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe | Serious Eats
Advent calendar | History, Chocolate, Makeup, Kids, Adults, & Facts | Britannica
