Unique and Spontaneous Family Christmas Traditions
Common Secular and Spiritual Christmas Traditions
There are common family Christmas traditions and there are the more unique and spontaneous family Christmas traditions.
Some traditions tend to center around Santa and his elves. Others are geared toward celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. No matter the type of tradition, they all can provide wonderful memories.
These have been common traditions for many years.
- Get a picture with Santa
- Decorate cookies and make candy
- Watch It’s a Wonderful Life
- Go to a church candlelight service
- Read the biblical Christmas story
Each year, it seems commercialism introduces a new “must-do tradition.” Around here it’s
- See the lights at Silver Dollar City in Branson https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/festivals/An-Old-Time-Christmas
- Ride the Polar Express https://www.stlpolarexpressride.com/
- Elf on the Shelf
I always laugh when I think of some friends, the Mills brothers, who said they always sat in a row in lawn chairs and watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while wearing “Cousin Eddie” hats with the ear flaps down and the chin strap swinging. I’ve never witnessed this scene but can sure picture it in my mind.
Personally, I’m partial to the more unique and spontaneous family Christmas traditions!
I’d like to share a story that I call “The Hat.”
The Hat – A Family Christmas Tradition
I was told a story about a family with four sons (Greg, Tim, Lance and Tom) and a daughter (Jill) who always went to both sets of grandparents homes each Christmas. No matter how hectic it was to round up all five kids, going to the grandparents was a yearly trip the kids never escaped.
While they did enjoy seeing family, it was always kind of tense going to their dad’s parents’ home because “Grandma M” could be rather persnickety and fearful that this rambunctious group of kids (and their two cousins) were going to break something in the house. The noise and activity seemed to put her on edge. She was very prim and proper as she would purse her lips and tsk and sigh in reaction to their kid play. In other words, she just wasn’t a grandma who usually exuded warmth and joy.
As the years went along, Jill began to think that Grandma M seemed to prefer her brothers. To be fair, maybe she didn’t know how to relate to a girl as she had only raised two sons. Or maybe it was because instead of being quiet and demure like her grandma, Jill was bubbly and spunky with a quick laugh. Regardless of the reason, grandma’s preference for the boys seemed especially apparent one Christmas when Jill was in her early teens.
Each sibling opened their present from Grandma. A nice shirt, sweater or sports ball was revealed. Finally, it was Jill’s turn to open her present.
To her dismay, her present was a crocheted toilet paper hat.
I should explain to my younger readers, that in those days it was common for older women to crochet small “hats” that they used in their bathroom to cover up a spare roll of toilet paper. I’m guessing perhaps they thought they were discretely hiding an “unseemly” necessity.
Well, as anyone knows, no teen girl would ever want, or need, a crocheted toilet paper hat!
But, as the story goes, Jill kept her poise and manners. With barely a pause, she looked at her grandma as she exclaimed, “Oh, a hat!” and pulled it tightly down onto her head. Everyone else was left speechless when they saw what she had received.
After opening their presents and eating lunch, the family loaded into their car and headed to the other grandma’s house.
Going to “Grandma E’s” house was an entirely different experience. There were more people, and everyone seemed to talk at once. Grandma E was too busy preparing the meal to keep a close eye on the kids as they ran around greeting the rest of the family.
Grandma M and Grandma E did have one thing in common though. They both had crocheted toilet paper hats in their bathrooms. While helping prepare the meal, Jill’s mother relayed to her mom and sisters the story of Jill’s disappointing present and how she bravely plopped that toilet paper hat on her head with a flourish.
While telling the tale, Jill’s mother got an idea to “honor” her daughter’s spunk and ease the unhappiness she knew her daughter felt about receiving the gift.
She quickly found some wrapping paper, retrieved the hat from the top of her mom’s toilet tank lid, wrapped it, put Jill’s name on it and put it under the tree!
After dinner, everyone retreated to the living room where they began opening their presents. When Jill opened the package containing Grandma E’s toilet paper hat, she looked straight at her mother and burst into laughter. She knew it was a prank gift and her tension started to ease as she proceeded to tell the rest of the family about the hat Grandma M had given her earlier in the day.
My Family’s Unique and Spontaneous Family Christmas Tradition
Jill is my niece. Her disappointing gift from the other side of the family, started my family’s unique Christmas tradition. For many, many Christmases, someone in my family received Mother’s crocheted toilet paper hat.
Jill laughs as her cousin Michele opens The Hat
Each year, whoever would think of it first, would stealthily sneak into Mother’s bathroom, retrieve the hat, wrap it, choose who would receive it and unobtrusively put it under the tree. The laughs upon opening it were always spontaneous. As years went by, several in our family didn’t know the story behind the hat, they just knew it was a funny tradition for someone to receive it. Occasionally, someone didn’t even know about the tradition at all. That happened the year my son-in-law, Travis, received the hat. My daughter quickly explained our tradition to her bewildered husband!
Another Family’s Unique and Spontaneous Family Christmas Tradition
Just this week, my friend, Sara, shared her family’s Christmas tradition in a Facebook post. With her permission, I’m sharing what she wrote.
Last night we officially kicked off our Christmas celebrations with the kids can’t miss family tradition… Grinch drinks. The ones that were never meant to be traditions, those are my favorite. It’s funny how sometimes- especially with kids- you do a random thing, and it just sticks. Several years ago, Annalise was sick at Christmas (which then turned into several years in a row of stomach bugs capped off with Eli and a broken ankle on our first healthy Christmas in years…) The older three were at the ages where excitement for allll things Christmas is sky high. But because of the sick baby, we had to skip out on a few days’ worth of plans. They were so bummed! So, in an attempt to rally some Christmas spirit, I grabbed the 7up we had in case anyone else got sick and made them some Shirley Temples with a green sugared rim (we had plenty from decorating cookies we couldn’t deliver because no one wants treats from a household with a stomach bug!) I called them Grinch drinks and declared a Christmas movie night. Little did I know at the time that years later, I’d still be making Grinch drinks every holiday season. As soon as the calendar turns December, they start asking about the Grinch drinks and movie night. Something tells me I’ll still be making them when they are grown and gone and come home for the holidays 
If I had tried to plan that, it never would have stuck. Honestly, I would never would have gotten to it even if I thought it would be great… I am not a Pinterest/planning kind of mom. Props to them, but it ain’t me! Maybe that is why accidental traditions are my favorite- no planning required 
May you roll with whatever comes your way this holiday season, sprinkle on some extra sugar, and a festive marshmallow and throw a cherry on top 
and make the best of it!
Sara B.
New Family Christmas Traditions
My extended family no longer all gets together for Christmas. We all miss the gathering, but it has become too difficult to get all 62 of us, who are scattered over ten states, together. We are especially thankful for photos and the memories of all our past times together.
My kids and I have yet to establish an ongoing tradition. I can say that we are a competitive bunch as everything we’ve tried has been a contest of who’s the best.
- Gingerbread House building
- Bowling
- Decorating Cookies
- Bunco
- Left Right Center
- Kick Ball
Maybe we will never settle on one tradition. It will definitely be hard to improve on The Hat tradition.
However, I am happy to say that we do make it a priority to attend a church service at Christmas as we all know Jesus is the only Reason for the Season.
Whatever traditions you enjoy, my hope is that you to will truly celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. May your celebrations be filled with awe and joy.
Merry Christmas Friends!
Please tell me about your family Christmas traditions in the comments.
And, check out these other Christmas posts O Christmas Tree, Celebrate Christmas
The Hat story is wonderful. My family knew and visited the M family. On one of their visits to our house the 2 M boys had a great time upstairs jumping on my parents bed and broke it totally down. I guess she remembered those days when the grandkids arrived and feared the worst. I can picture it. You are a good storyteller. Thanks for the laugh.