I love Christmas, but I will admit I have a very different kind of love for the season and its traditions, especially now that I am married. And I think it’s important for couples to acknowledge the likelihood of change around the Holiday season. This includes including your spouse when it comes to favorite pastimes and Holiday traditions, as well as making and embracing new ones.
Every family grows up with differing Holiday traditions. In my family, it was unforseen to [go] hang out with friends on Christmas Day – you just didn’t; the day was about spending time with family. Some families go out to eat, others spend the day traveling to and fro, literally. Before marriage, typically my husband and I spent the majority of Christmas Day separate (with our own families).
[Related Read: Why your own Holiday traditions as a couple are important (*A good read for couples who struggle sharing or splitting the Holidays)]
Nonetheless, I think it is super important for couples to have their own traditions together around the Holidays. Especially the ones that are personal, unique and share a special meaning. Whether your ideal traditions are more romantic, fun and exciting, outdoorsy, cozy or quiet – they should be special because they’re yours to share together.
So I took the time to come up with a list of traditions you may not have thought of (because I really love doing things differently). There are a few classics in the mix, but traditions that may inspire something special for you and your partner to start at Christmas time.
25+ Romantic Christmas Traditions For Couples
Put up and decorate the Christmas tree. What better way to start off the season together than to put up and/or decorate the Christmas tree. Don’t forget the Christmas music, snacks or a good Christmas movie in the background.
Bake a signature goodie. This doesn’t have to be the same thing every year. But if you’re chocolate chip cookies are a major hit, then by all means! The point is setting aside quality time to make something together that you both can enjoy in the end, or give away to family and friends.
Watch a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve. As a child, it was a family tradition to watch the first showing of The Christmas Story. In fact, we had that movie playing almost the entire 24-hours, even if it was just noise in the background. But you don’t have to go as far as that – haha, or you could – but I think picking a classic favorite to watch every Christmas Eve is special and meaningful. Just grab some popcorn, hot cocoa and relax!
Listen to Christmas music by the fire. There’s nothing too fancy about it, but sometimes it’s really about taking in the season in its simplest form. These can be just as memorable and enjoyable together.
Write out your Christmas lists together. If you’re one of those that tend to keep a mental note of your wishes, try something different. Sit down together, pad and pen in hand, and write out your needs and wants list. This is also a perfect time to see what on your list you can truly do without.
Start a 25 days of Kiss-mas. Fill an empty jar with chocolate kisses. On December 1st each of you eats one every night as a special treat but in addition, you also must give one another a real kiss.
Enjoy a night of spiked Hot Chocolate. Or your favorite Holiday-inspired cocktail!
Plan a mini weekend vacation at a bed and breakfast. Do away with gifts and make it about togetherness and experience, instead. Plan a romantic weekend getaway prior to Christmas somewhere you can enjoy all that the Holiday brings.
Write out motivational letters for the New Year. Sit down together and write out each of your dreams, goals and plans for the new coming year. Seal them in an envelope, and stash away (like in your stockings) when you put your Christmas decorations away, so that next Christmas when you bring them back out you can find, open and read them together.
Go see a Christmas play. There are always events like these going on around the Holidays. Churches are popular for holding Christmas musicals or plays that focus on the spirit of Christmas, but you might even be able to find plays to go to at your local schools as well.
Make Christmas morning breakfast together. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – monkey bread or coffee cake will do!
Exchange a gift on Christmas Eve night (just one). I always try to convince my husband to do this each year, but he’s always right – we’re not responsible enough not to dig through all the other gifts. But if you are, why not throw in a little teaser on Christmas Eve? It could simply be those silly matching pajamas, a hand-written card, or a fun game to play.
Check out a brewery (that’s open) on Christmas Eve. So I started this (on my own) a couple years ago. I bopped into the brewery just down the street from our house because my husband was working that Christmas Eve, and I had no plans until that night. I ended up making him super envious after that year, and every year since we have stopped by this brewery together for a beer every Christmas Eve he has off.
*For those that believe all businesses should close for the Holidays – first off, that isn’t feasible. Hospitals, law enforcement, fire departments, EMT and other 24-hour fields will never have that luxury. So there’s also an understanding in that many small businesses will fluctuate or accommodate their hours to try and be open for the Holidays (for the employees that volunteer to work). What many don’t realize is that not everyone celebrates the Holiday and some people WANT to work, or need to, and I think if you can do anything… support those small businesses, even on major Holidays!
Drive around and look at Christmas lights (along with your favorite treat). My husband and I do this every year – it’s probably the only strict tradition we have as a couple around the Holidays. But it’s one of our favorites since we have many houses that have gained the spotlight of popularity for their Christmas light displays. We revisit those houses every single year, and it never seems to get old.
Give each other a sentimental ornament (to hang on the tree). This is such a simple and cute idea to make your tree sentimental. Each ornament can have a meaning or story behind it, which makes the idea super special.
Go to a Christmas or Santa parade. Thanks to Facebook, finding events like parades, tree lightings or festivals can be fairly easy. Bundle up and enjoy Christmas in a public outing together.
Check out a Holiday festival. There should be plenty of these going on in your area. These include music, arts and crafts, food vendors, drinks, and just a Jolly-good-time.
Read the story of the birth of Christ, or attend Christmas Eve service. I think this can be romantic and special in its own way, even with the kids, to remember the true meaning of the season as a family.
Set up a manger. If you don’t have one, this is something significant to buy together as a couple, as well as setting it out on display. It’s a cute tradition to start that can be passed down.
Plan an elaborate dinner, or make reservations somewhere special. Not everyone celebrates the same, so if going out is your big thing, why not make it count? Make reservations at that fancy restaurant. If food is the way to your celebratory heart, make an elaborate 4-course meal!
Spend time with the shelter animals (and donate toys, blankets, etc). Better yet, foster. This may sound a bit crazy, or extreme, but if you think about it… Christmas time is the peak time that animals get adopted, as well as returned to shelters once the New Year has settled in. Fostering, I believe, gives animals a much better shot at being adopted by those who truly are invested in taking care of an animal beyond the excitement of the Holiday season.
But if you’re not keen on fostering, donating to the shelters is always a heartfelt way to give back to animals in need.
Write letters to Jesus (then read them together on Christmas morning). The perfect thing about this is there doesn’t need to be a specific direction or motive. This is the time to spill your heart and soul to Christ, in whichever way speaks to you. Reading these aloud to one another on Christmas morning makes it that much more special because you get a sense of one another’s special relationship with Jesus.
Adopt a Tree Angel (or other related cause). You may not be giving to each other, but you both will give to a child in need and bring joy to their Christmas.
25 days of naughty and nice stocking stuffers. Depending on your size stocking, only so much can fit in those things nowadays. So why not stuff them with fun little notes of affirmations or naughty temptations to read Christmas morning? They can bring a laugh, smile or heartwarming intimacy.
Get out in the snow (or go find it). Whether that be skiing, sledding, tubing, ice skating, making snow angels or throwing snowballs in the front yard – if there is snow, take advantage of the fun! If not, there are likely plenty of places nearby that can make you feel like you’re at the North Pole. Some places may even have a manmade ice slide these days – hey, it’s 2019!
Wrap presents together (but make it interesting….do it blindfolded). Okay, okay, maybe this is only something you try with one gift, and wrapping presents together is difficult because, well, you’ll sneak a peek at each other’s gifts. But the idea of wrapping all the presents together on the same night still leaves some excitement, playfulness and mystery.
Put up the Christmas decorations and lights. Make a point to do this together (because I know this commonly done via solo), with conflicting schedules or impatient Christmas fiends not willing to wait (here, here). But really, if there’s one tradition to set aside in order to do together… let it be this one, at least!
Have your own Christmas morning. Last year was the first year my husband and I had our very own Christmas morning on Christmas morning. Each year before he worked, so we would have our Christmas on a different day. But that first real Holiday together as husband and wife made it that much more special – waking up at the crack of dawn, playing Santa for one another and waiting for Christmas to start, resisting unsuccessfully to then diving into our gifts, and our dog’s gifts, had so much more sentiment than I anticipated. And it’s definitely going to stay one of our traditions for as long as we can do it.
Do a year in review. This is a time to sit down and reflect on the year together – all those mushy, good memories – and relish in your accomplishments, achievements, and improvements as a couple. Go through pictures, videos or revisit your favorite, memorable moments from the year!
Host a Christmas party. The whole bit – those matchy-matchy ugly sweaters, treats, boozy eggnog and all.
Get decked out for a yearly Christmas photo (then send out Christmas cards). I feel like the Christmas cards are still so secretly underrated, but they’re slowly making a comeback! Even if you don’t send out the yearly Christmas cards, take more pictures together that scream Holiday Vibez!
Pick out your Christmas tree together. Maybe it’s the super, super young generation that couldn’t care less about the whole Christmas tree thing – it’s messy, bad for the environment and the cats end up destroying the ornaments and lower branches. Then there’s always artificial. But I just feel like there’s something so romantically iconic with the whole Christmas tree tradition.
If real Christmas trees aren’t your thing, they have so many tabletop variations as well!
Go Christmas shopping (but make a point to utilize some quality time). Among the craze and crowds, set aside a little time to wind down together – maybe enjoy a coffee or lunch at your favorite spot.
Share a Christmas Eve toast (with the finest spirit of choice). Pop open the bubbly, spark up the fireplace and turn on the Christmas music!
Stay up until midnight, then exchange a gift and indulge in a special treat on Christmas Eve. Be a kid all over again – stay up as late as you can, like you’re waiting for Santa, and when the clock strikes midnight… have a mini little Christmas before finally going to sleep (if you can).
Donate the essentials for a perfect Christmas dinner for a family in need. Honestly, because it’s the time for giving, so why not make it about a family in need? Go all out and make a grocery list of a full-on Christmas dinner and then donate it to either a local charity, through a church or to someone you know personally who may be struggling in these tough times.
Plan out next year’s tradition (switch it up – it’s okay). Who says you have to do the same thing every year? A tradition does not need to be repetitive, so there’s no shame in already planning out what’s in store next year. Variety is the spice of life, anyway!
Spend time with family (but make sure to block off that special time for the two of you). The Holidays are about spending time with family, no doubt, but feelings of obligation are the first sign of Holiday stress. Be sure to set aside enough time as a couple in addition to the family gatherings.
Have a Christmas-inspired game night with friends. Make it themed, dress up, have lots of Holiday snacks, cue the Christmas tunes…or not. Simply get together and play your favorite game(s) with a bunch of your closest friends!
Attend a Christmas party (work parties count, too). Granted, I’m sure those extravagant Christmas functions come far and few, but hey sometimes Holiday work parties can be fun, too.
Order take-out Chinese Christmas Day and eat by candlelight. Some traditions should have no rhyme or reason – isn’t that what makes them memorable? Besides, if you know the value of it from The Christmas Story classic, you’ll understand why this tradition can be awesome, and hassle-free.
Grab a coffee, or hot chocolate, and walk around decked out villages in your area. I’m sure wherever you are from there are little towns, or villages, around the outskirts of yours. You know, like the famous Bavarian-style town in Helen, Georgia. They’re fun to walk around, grab a bite, take in the lights and soak in all the Christmas-ness.
For those that live in and around Central Florida, Mount Dora, Winter Garden, Celebration, St. Augustine and Park Avenue in Winter Park are some pretty good ones to venture to.
Buy each other something sexy, and wear them for a special night. I can’t dish romantic Holiday traditions without giving you ways to spark intimacy.
Honestly, no plans at all are okay too! If you’re just not into the whole committing to traditions thing or are more of the go with the flow around the Holiday type, that’s cool too! Christmas is not about having strict traditions year after year, but finding ways to make the season personal and special in your own way.
