Christmas is a really exciting time to have a newborn baby, with your baby’s first Christmas certainly something to be celebrated. Whilst your baby may be too young to fully understand what Christmas is and what it actually means, the magic, sparkles and excitement of Christmas, combined with lots of attention from friends and family, can make it a really special experience. If you are looking to start some family traditions with your new baby, here are some simple behaviours you can introduce and celebrate year upon year with your baby as they grow up.
- Send a personalised family Christmas card
Sending cards to friends and family at Christmas is a great way to show them that you care. For an extra personal touch, a photo card or card with a family photo tucked inside can help those who are further away (and perhaps not on social media) keep up to speed with how your family are doing. There is also something incredibly fun about getting the family dressed up and presentable and attempting to get everyone to smile at the camera. Expect lots of outtakes – but often, the unpredicted snaps are the ones that turn out the best!
- Bauble for each year
Buying or making a bauble for your baby’s first Christmas (normally engraved with their name and date of birth) is an easy way to create a sentimental piece of memorabilia for your family. As your baby grows, you can purchase a bauble or hang a bauble made by your child for every year of their life. Not only do they add a personal touch to your Christmas tree, but when your child has grown up, you can then hand over the full selection for them to hang in their own homes – repeating the tradition with their own children too.
- Home-made advent calendar
Advent calendars are a fun way to celebrate the countdown to Christmas, but they can be expensive and overcommercialized. Gifting your baby a homemade advent calendar for their first Christmas may seem a bit extravagant, but these refillable advent options can be bought out year upon year, whilst the contents can be tailored to reflect their age, interests and current trends. Hanging fabric calendars with fillable pockets work really well, with plenty of space for hiding a special surprise to reveal each morning.
- Christmas Eve Box
Christmas Eve is an exciting time for families, preparing for Santa’s arrival and anxiously waiting for Christmas Day to arrive. Whilst your baby may initially be too young to understand, introducing a Christmas Eve box with a few items tailored to your baby’s age can be a fun tradition to repeat year on year as your child grows. Christmas Eve boxes traditionally contain items that will entertain and calm children before bed, such as a new pair of pajamas, slippers, a book or magazine and maybe a treat to eat whilst snuggling up with a Christmas movie.
- Santa Plate
Leaving a plate of treats out for Santa and his reindeer can be a lovely tradition to start with your children. There is something incredibly heart warming about looking back at photos of your child as they change from baby to tween with the same plate and same happy, excited face. The Santa plate has space for a drink, snack and carrot for Rudolph, and should be positioned under the tree. Seeing their excitement on Christmas morning when there are just a few crumbs remaining is definitely a moment to record on camera!
- Letter from Santa
Whilst your baby is clearly too young to write to Santa, getting a letter for your baby’s first Christmas is great to save and show them when they’re older.
It’s also a great way to record what baby has had from Santa each Christmas, and from a nostalgia perspective, they’ll love looking back and laughing about all the strange things they asked for in years to come.
- Christmas Pajamas
Have you ever seen the matching family pajamas trend? Not only is great for family photos but a fun tradition that can get the whole family excited for Christmas Eve.
Essentially the whole family (even the dog if you have one!) wear the same festive pajamas on Christmas Eve, before snuggling up with a hot chocolate, a Christmas movie, family board games or a fun family photoshoot. Children will love seeing the whole family looking the same, whist if you choose the designs wisely, they can even be worn all year round.
What other traditions did you start with your family at Christmas?
