Christmas Eve traditions your family will love

Many families open one present on Christmas Eve; others hosting larger groups might do a “secret Santa.” The white elephant combines these traditions with an even more enjoyable twist: Each person brings a wrapped gift with no tag, often a quirky or gag gift. Once gathered, everyone draws a number. Going in order, each person selects a gift either from the pile, which is immediately unwrapped, or “steals” another person’s already chosen gift. Just be careful not to start a family feud, as competition for the most desired gifts can be fierce!

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Another twist on the “one gift on Christmas Eve” idea is the Jolabokaflod or “Christmas/Yule Book Flood,” a Christmas Eve tradition popular in Iceland. Each member of the family receives a new book on Christmas Eve, then can spend the evening engrossed in reading. Although that might sound like a solitary pursuit on such a family-focused holiday, it can be a bonding experience to gather around the Christmas tree and snuggle together, each reading their own tale. It’s a quiet, meditative take on a holiday that often involves too much hustle and bustle, and might just encourage your kids to get a decent night’s sleep on Christmas Eve.

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Here’s another beloved holiday tradition that’s perfect for drumming up the excitement before the big night. Play some Christmas music and gather around a gingerbread house that’ll be the envy of the neighbourhood!

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OK, there are lots of variations on “one present on Christmas Eve” traditions. Another is to gift a new pair of festive Christmas pyjamas every year, especially when your kids are young and outgrow their current pyjamas in a year anyway. Then wear those new threads to bed and wake up in them on Christmas morning! This one can be a great companion to that “take a picture every Christmas Eve tradition” too!

Make like Ralphie Parker and his family in A Christmas Story and skip the fancy dinner in favour of your favourite takeaway. Although in the movie the Parkers went out on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve may be an even better time to stay in with your family and get food delivered instead of bothering with cooking. Bonus points if you support a local business!

There’s no shortage of fun Christmas games to play as you celebrate the holiday, from board games to DIY activities to Christmas trivia. If you want something more interactive than a book or movie night, break out a game of Christmas dominoes, the Santa Claus Game, or reindeer antler ring toss. Plus, a high-energy game can help tire out the kiddos.

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This tradition began as an article in a 1982 issue of US Woman’s Day. In response to her husband’s disillusionment with the over-commercialisation of Christmas (and in the ’80s, no less!), author Nancy Gavin put a plain white envelope, free of any writing or decoration, on her Christmas tree. Nancy’s husband had a passion for helping kids, and in the envelope was a note Nancy had written, saying that she’d donated a bunch of kids’ sporting goods, anonymously, to the local church. Her husband was so moved – and her readers were, too, popularising the tradition of giving back to a cause a loved one is passionate about and commemorating it with an unadorned envelope. Check out whiteenvelopeproject.org to learn more about this tradition.

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Source: RD.com