I LOVE the holidays! It's such a fun time to focus on all that's good in the world, snuggle with our loved ones, watch holiday movies, sing Christmas carols, and sip hot cocoa (which by the way, I shared the BEST homemade hot cocoa recipe last week on the blog!) Can you tell I love Christmastime? Our little girls aren’t in school yet, so we have been letting them stay up and watch a Christmas movie with us, and we are loving the extra snuggles (most nights).
It’s easy to get stressed out over the holidays, or volunteer for too much, or worry over the kids and everything they want. Sometimes the greatest Christmas joy comes out of just taking time to appreciate the season and spend time together.
We have been reading scriptures about the Christmas story every night as a family followed by singing a Christmas carol. I had no idea singing carols as a family would be so fun, but I really look forward to it every night. We turn off the lights and my girls get to turn on their battery operated candles.
Traditions are really what make the holidays so special, and it has been fun coming up with our own family traditions. One of my favorite previously published posts is called Fun Christmas Traditions to Start With Your Spouse. If you haven't read it yet, you should check it out, but if you have….today I wanted to share some traditions specifically for Christmas Eve. I hope you like them!
Christmas Eve Traditions for Couples
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Some parents, if they aren’t careful, can make Christmas all about the kids. It’s true, they are the ones that still believe in Santa Claus, but that doesn’t mean they are the only ones who should be making memories. It’s just as important (or more) to make memories with your spouse, and turn the holidays into something special just for the two of you. This year, my husband and I have been trying to decide what traditions we would like to make our own—just for the two of us. This year I started a special Christmas stocking just for him with surprises leading up to Christmas, but I wanted to start some special traditions just for Christmas Eve.
Here are a couple of ideas:
- Ornaments: I know a family that does this and I LOVE it. This can be a tradition just for the two of you, or you can make it a family tradition. Each year, before you go to bed on on Christmas Eve, you give each other an ornament that represents a favorite memory together that year. It could represent a vacation, something funny, or something meaningful. Another way to do this is to take turns buying the ornament each year. After several years of doing this, you will have a tree full of memories, and you can have fun remembering them all as you pull them out each year.
- TRACK SANTA. Each year, track Santa on NORAD for fun, and each year, choose a country of origin. When Santa hits that particular place, enjoy a treat or food that comes from that specific place. For instance, one Christmas Eve you could choose “Italy” and when Santa is in Italy, enjoy a pizza together.
- Letters: Rather than ornaments, enjoy a festive treat just for the two of you (hot cocoa, sparkling cider, eggnog, etc.) and exchange letters expressing your favorite memory from that year. If you want to get creative, you can give each year a theme (funniest memory, most meaningful, funniest parenting moment, most admirable moment, etc.).
- Movie in Bed. This is the last official night for Christmas movies, so enjoy one together just the two of you before you drift off. Don't have a TV in your room? Snuggle together with your phone, iPad or laptop and watch a movie on Amazon. Have a special toast for the new year.
- Kitchen Festivities. Some couples really enjoy baking together (not me). A night of memories involves NOT being in the kitchen; however, I know of several friends that have special that involve making some type of food on the night before Christmas. One of my friends makes doughnuts with her husband every Christmas Eve, and another couple I know gets in their Christmas pajamas and eats chinese food together. Find a food that would be fitting for the two of you, and enjoy it (or make it) together every year as a tradition.
- Lights. This one isn't what you think. Rather than driving around and looking at lights, make your Christmas Eve “bedroom activity” a “lights” theme every year! Be creative. Some years maybe you decorate your bedroom in lights, other years maybe you light up your “bed attire“, or maybe you have some fun with glow-in-the-dark body paint or other sexy glow-in-the-dark items 🙂
- Predictions. This is similar to the first two traditions, but rather than reflecting on the previous year, you make predictions for the year to come. Write down where you see yourselves exactly one year from now, and tuck the predictions away until the next year. This could be funny situations you see your partner getting him or herself into, promotions you can see happening, silly things you can imagine you will fight about, or funny things your children will most likely do. This is a fun one to do with some sparkling cider!
- Pajama Swap. Be in charge of what the other person is wearing to bed on Christmas Eve. This could end up being completely hilarious, fun, sexy, or all of the above. I watch this deal site the weeks and months leading up to Christmas. Not only do they do lots of regular Christmas pajama sales, they also feature varous lingerie for a good price. Check out the current deals here.
That's it for now, I wish you all the happiest of holidays!
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
Be sure to stop by my blog for this creative way to give a year of dates to your spouse for Christmas!
This post originally appeared on Somewhat Simple.