5- The Christmas Magic We Create: Holiday Traditions to Start During Pregnancy & Beyond
“For to us a Child is born. To us a Son is given…And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” - Isaiah 9:6
As mamas, we help make the Christmas season magical.
We hang the lights, wrap the gifts, play the songs on repeat, make the cookies, curate the moments, and lay the foundation for the traditions that make this season what it’s all about for years to come. But even amidst the fun of the season, most importantly leading our children to celebrate the wonder, love, and joy of Jesus’ birth.
We’re in full holiday swing over here. Lights and tree are up, Christmas classics playing on repeat via Freeform, playlists blasting, and a to-do list that somehow keeps growing. And in the middle of it all, I’ve been thinking about the little traditions that make this season feel truly magical. The ones that get me excited that it’s Christmas (and honestly, that doesn’t take much. I’m about as enthusiastic as Buddy the Elf when it comes to Christmas).
It was so fun reading through different families’ traditions, so I decided to share a few favorites along with some of my own.
Holiday Traditions to Start During Pregnancy
You don’t have to wait until your baby is here to begin traditions. Some of the most meaningful ones can start long before they arrive.
Maternity holiday photo
Take a festive photo during pregnancy and recreate it every year as your family grows. It is so special to look back and see how much shifts and changes with each holiday season.
Baby-to-be ornament
Choose an ornament that represents this season of anticipation and hang it on the tree.
First Christmas keepsake box
Start a small box with even an outfit you can’t wait for your baby to wear next year, an ornament, a sweet blanket. Honestly whatever you see that you can collect for yourself and your baby to build excitement for next year!
Traditions to Start with Little Ones
Traditions are what shape our childhood memories and is the core of what makes this season so magical.
Setting up a Nativity Scene every year
As your children place the figurines in their places, read out the story of the Messiah’s birth.
An ornament every year
Many families choose ornaments that reflect what their child was into that year, saving them up and gifting them when they move into their first home.
Handprint tree skirt
Start with a plain skirt and add handprints each year in different colors as they grow.
Salt dough ornaments
Handprints and footprints turned into reindeer or mistletoe make the sweetest keepsakes.
Baking a birthday cake for Jesus and throwing Him a birthday party
I had a friend growing up who did this and it was SO cute. It’s a really fun way to get kids involved in the true reason of the season.
Santa photos
Bonus points if there is the classic crying baby photos lol
Advent calendars or countdowns
We do a couple calendars. One is a simple number countdown. The other is a religious countdown with a new verse to read each day. I am planning to purchase the Finding Jesus advent when my daughter is older. SO cute and almost a fill-in for Elf on the Shelf if you aren’t a fan.
Letters to Santa
Milk, cookies, and carrots for Santa and the reindeer (crumbs included!)
Going to see Christmas lights
Attend a live Nativity
There are many churches who do walk-through nativity scenes this time of year! Our church in Spring Hill, Tennessee will be doing one on Saturday, December 13th and we are really excited to attend.
Opening one gift on Christmas Eve
A fun way to get the anticipation going for the morning to come while also helping kids cure that “itch” to open something.
Donating to Others
Whether this be toys, food, or necessities such as blankets, coats, shoes, etc., teaching children that Christmas is more than just receiving, it’s about giving, loving, and sharing joy with others.
Reading The Night Before Christmas all snuggled together
I don’t think you can go wrong with this one! A timeless classic. I still have the same edition that my mom grew up with that she then read to me and now I read to my daughter!
My Christmas Traditions Growing Up
On Christmas Eve, I was glued to NORAD. My mom would call out throughout the day, “Where is he now?!” and I’d sprint to the desktop computer to check the latest update. And yes, they still run it today.
Once it got dark, my mom would get me into my Christmas pajamas and we’d head out for one last light-looking drive. There was one street near our house that went full Clark Griswold. Every single home decorated top to bottom, complete with an impressive number of blow-up figures in every yard.
On the drive home, I scanned the sky for any sign of the man of the hour. One year, I swore I saw Rudolph and his blinking red nose. In hindsight, it was probably a plane… but the jury’s still out ;)
When we got home, we rushed to set out the cookies, milk, and carrots, along with my letter to Santa. I was a straight-up drill sergeant, panicking that Santa might skip our house if I was still awake.
Then we’d climb into bed together and read The Night Before Christmas. Right in the middle of the story… thump, thump …followed by jingle bells. The reindeer. The bells. He’s here. (In reality, my mom had recruited my uncle to toss a soccer ball on the roof to make it sound like hooves and jingle bells, but to me, Santa had officially arrived.)
I’d quickly kick her out of my room and pretend to be asleep. Heart pounding, absolutely giddy.
The next morning, I’d wake the entire house and race into the living room. There were gifts… and proof. Work boots placed in the fireplace ashes, footprints leading across the room as if Santa had truly walked through our home. And then the letter. Written on tea-stained paper, edges burned, rolled into a scroll with sketches at the top (major props to my uncle yet again).
As I got older and eventually moved, traditions shifted. Christmas Eve morning became donuts from Donut Den in Nashville, followed by Christmas Eve dinner at my grandparents’ house.
Now, my husband and I go out for Christmas Eve breakfast with our daughter in tow, then end the night with family at my grandparents’. After that, we come home and become Santa’s elves, setting the stage for the magic to continue for another generation. My daughter is still a little young for all the magic to make sense but I can’t wait to build it for her.
Looking back, I realize that the magic of Santa was never accidental. And it really had nothing to do with Santa at all. It was created. Carefully crafted. By my mom. By generations of women before her. Women quietly working behind the scenes to make the season feel magical for their kids. And now… by us.
The bigger part of what makes Christmas so magical is genuinely sharing joy, giving, loving, forgiving, and serving others just as Jesus did through His life, His ministry, and His death on the cross. The traditions we pass on, the joy we help cultivate, and the giving we pour our hearts into are all ways to reflect His love this season.
Which traditions might you start this year? Are there any you look forward to every Christmas?