If you have recently lost a loved one or even if it has been years since you lost a friend or family member, Christmas time can be difficult. The holidays are definitely one of the biggest triggers when it comes to grief after a person you love passes away.

But there are ways that you can happily remember and honor your deceased loved ones to make the holidays joyful again instead of sad and gloomy.

Just by doing some few simple activities you’ll find that you can cherish the memories you had with your loved one rather than just feeling sad about them not being here this year.

How To Keep Your Lost Loved One’s Memory Alive At Christmas

Make A Financial Contribution To A Charity In Your Loved One’s Name

Choose a charity or foundation that was near and dear to your loved one. You don’t have to make a huge contribution but you could use the money you may have spent on their Christmas gift this year and instead donate it to something you know they would have supported.

Hang A Memorial Ornament For Your Loved One On Your Christmas Tree

You can either make a special ornament for your loved one or you can choose from some very beautiful memorial Christmas ornaments. This can be a great way to include him or her in the tradition of decorating your tree and just have a little memorial to remember them each holiday season.

These types of ornaments even make nice Christmas gifts for your other family members or friends who may be missing someone as well.

Write A Letter To Your Loved One

If you have anything left unsaid or you simply  just want to let your loved one know what may be going on in your life right now, write them a letter. This is actually a really good way to deal with your grief and sort of let go of any unresolved feelings or just let your emotions out.

You can write the letter and then burn it or rip it up afterwards. You can keep it in a safe spot to look back on next year or you can even attach it to a balloon and send it up to Heaven.

Visit Their Grave With A Christmas Wreath or Flowers

Although your loved one may not be here on Earth anymore you can still honor them by keeping their grave site nice and even decorating it for Christmas with a small wreath or little decoration.

It can just be a small way you can help “brighten” up the grave site and let your loved one know you will never ever forget them.

Watch Their Favorite Christmas Movie or Listen To Their Favorite Christmas Songs

Get together with friends or family and celebrate your loved one by watching their favorite Christmas movie.

Or turn on some holiday tunes and reminisce about listening to their favorite Christmas songs together in the past years. You may just feel your loved one surrounding you as you get to relive those wonderful holiday memories.

Reach Out To Other Family Members To Share Memories With

Honor your loved one this holiday and share your memories with other people who loved him or her. You can even get together for a holiday dinner or lunch and cook your loved one’s favorite foods and just celebrate their life.

It can be cathartic to talk about different memories and you may even learn some new things about them from other people.

Consider Donating Some Of Your Loved One’s Items To Less Fortunate For The Holidays

After someone you love has passed away it can be hard to part with any of their belongings, but Christmas times is the perfect time to consider donating some of their items to people who are less fortunate. This way you can feel good that their belongings are helping other people instead of just being tossed away.

Of course you don’t have to get rid of everything as you I would recommend you definitely keep the “special” items but the other belongings can definitively be a help to others during the holidays.

You can even choose to give away some special belongings that they had to other family members or friends who would love to receive the keepsakes as a gift this Christmas.

Volunteer Your Time To Help You Stay Busy This Holiday

Most people find that holidays hit them the hardest when they are at home with not much to do. Instead of having that idle time this holiday season, volunteer to help an organization in your area.

It could be serving meals at a soup kitchen, stocking shelves at a food pantry, helping out at your church, or even volunteering your time at a local animal shelter. You may even find yourself enjoying it so much you choose to volunteer all year long and may even meet some new friends.

Continue On Your Christmas Traditions

Your loved one wouldn’t want you to stop all your Christmas traditions just because they aren’t here on Earth to celebrate with you. Instead, honor his or her memory by continuing on these traditions and even adding new ones that incorporate remembering your loved one into the holiday celebrations.

It can easy to want to stay home and not deal with parties and get-togethers or even decorate for the holiday, but being alone by yourself and not celebrating won’t bring your loved one back. But on the other hand, being with people you love during this time of grief you may just be able to smile and laugh again this holiday.

Embrace the family traditions and you may just feel your loved one’s presence as you go pick out that Christmas tree at your favorite tree farm or as you sit and pray at midnight Mass.

Keep A Gratitude Journal

When you are feeling lost and alone it can be hard to see the positive aspects of your life. But, by keeping a gratitude journal you can really remember how blessed you are in your life.

Each day you should write down at least 2 things that you are really thankful for in your life. It can be anything from a person or place to something small that happened to you that day. This helps you to focus on the positive and allows you to start training your brain to focus less on the negative.

Plus, you can come back and re-read your entries in your jounral for those days that are super hard and tough and you think you don’t have anything to be thankful for.

Frame Pictures Of Your Loved One and Give To Other Family and Friends Who May Be Grieving Along With You

Don’t only surround yourself with pictures of your departed loved one but share photos of him or her with other people who may be grieving over them this holiday as well.

You can even dig up some older pictures to frame and give out as Christmas presents and put a smile on other people’s faces.

Do Something Special For Yourself This Holiday

When you are grieving the loss of a loved one, especially if it was a spouse or close family member it can be hard to want to do anything special for yourself. But, be sure that you take some time out this holiday season and do something for yourself whether something small like getting a manicure or something a bit bigger like spending a weekend away at a bed and breakfast.

You can even do something for yourself that you know your loved one would have liked for you to do whether it is taking that trip to a place you both loved or buying yourself that gift that they have always wanted to buy for you.

Although the holiday season can be tough for anyone who has lost a loved one whether it was their spouse of 30 years or their parent or best friend, there are special ways that you can remember and honor your loved one and bring forth some comfort this Christmas.

You only get one year to celebrate your baby’s first Christmas. Although holiday time with a baby can be hectic make sure you take the time to really sit and remember this special time in your little one’s life.

You may even find that now having a child brings back the magic of Christmas that you once had when you were younger.

Here’s how you  can make your baby’s first Christmas extra special and one that you will remember for years to come.

10 Ways To Make Your Baby’s First Christmas Special

Get A First Christmas Ornament For Your Tree

One tradition that I like to do with my kids each year is a new personalized ornament for them to hang on the tree every year . You can start this tradition with your baby with an adorable personalized first Christmas ornament.

There are lots of great ornaments to choose from as there are baby boy first Christmas ornaments as well as ones for girls. There are even some that can be for either a boy or girl that allow you to personalize the ornament with your child’s name and year. Some ornaments even allow for birth stats or at least the birthday on the ornament as well.

Hanging that baby’s first Christmas ornament on the tree every year is a great way to remember your child’s very first holiday.

Be Sure To Get Christmas Photos Of Your Baby

You are going to want to document every celebration of the holiday with your baby and that includes some adorable Christmas themed photos of your little one.

I would definitely recommend professional Christmas photographs if you can afford them, but you can also attempt to take some yourself as well. If you are going to attempt the photos yourself, check out some of the photography tips for taking pictures of babies.

The only downside to having to take the pictures yourself is that it’s hard to actually be in the photos with your baby if you are taking them.

Once you have gotten the photos, have a few framed for around the house. You can also hand them out to family members. You can even choose to have the pictures made into your Christmas card as well.

Also, be sure that you take lots of photos during the holiday celebrations as well. Try to not get so caught up that you forget to take pictures to remember it by.

Start The Tradition Of A Christmas Eve Box

If you don’t already have plans for Christmas Eve night, then consider starting the tradition of a Christmas Eve box for your child.

Since your little one probably doesn’t quite understand the whole gift opening part yet (unless they are closer to a year old) you can simply just place the items in the box and use them for your child that night.

Some items that I would recommend for a baby’s first Christmas Eve box would include Christmas pajamas, a new Christmas board book, a Christmas or winter themed plush animal, and a fun toy or rattle depending on their age.

Create A Personalized Gift For Baby’s Grandparents

Most grandparents want to be involved in their grandchild’s first Christmas as well. You can help them mark this occasion with a special personalized grandparent gift from your baby.

This could be something that you make on your own or you can buy a personalized item.

Some ideas include a special grandparents ornament, a frame with a picture of your child in it, and a personalized coffee mug. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on these gifts as grandparents just like to be remembered and included in special milestones .

Get Your Baby A Special Stocking

There are really two options when it comes to buying your baby a special Christmas stocking.

The first is to buy her a stocking that reads “Baby’s First Christmas” and simply keep it as a memento for years to come instead of using it again.

The second option is to buy her a stocking that you like and is special to you and use that stocking year after year until she moves out on her own.

To make the stocking even more magical, be sure to include your baby’s name on it and you can even include the year on the inside of the stocking.

When it comes to Christmas morning you can then fill her stocking with all sorts of baby goodies for stocking stuffers.

Focus On Time Spent Together Rather Than Physical Gifts

Think back years and years ago and try to remember your very first Christmas. Can’t do it, huh?

Your baby is most likely not going to remember this holiday, but you most likely will . So, instead of spending a ton of money on gifts your child may not use or play with, concentrate on spending the gift of time with your family.

Of course there are practical gifts you can get for your baby and those tend to make sense especially if you have older kids who are expecting the baby to get gifts from Santa. But, when it comes down to what to buy a newborn for Christmas or Christmas gift ideas for a 1 year old (if your child is older) you really can save a ton of money and simply make memories simply spending time cuddling and loving on your baby.

Buy Your Baby A Special Christmas Outfit

Buy your little on a special baby’s first Christmas outfit that they can wear to celebrate the holidays. They can wear it for pictures as well as for holiday gatherings with family and friends.

There are a lot of cute options for first Christmas outfits for boys and girls. I know that you can find first Christmas onesies just about anywhere they sell baby clothing. There are also hats, bibs, sleepers and more to choose from. In fact you’ll probably have a hard time picking just one outfit so go ahead and get a few items for this special holiday . There are even adorable baby’s first Christmas blankets that you can wrap a newborn in as well.

A cute tradition could even be holding on to these special outfits and clothing pieces and passing them down to future siblings. Then you can have a picture to treasure of every one of your children wearing that special First Christmas onesie.

Start Your Own Family Traditions

If there is a certain Christmas tradition that you did with your family growing up and you want to continue that on with your child, start this first year and simply make your tradition now.

Or maybe there was something that you always wanted to do at Christmas but you’re family never did it.

Go ahead and start your family traditions with your little one . Even if they are too young to understand you can still document it with photos and simply tell them about how the tradition started as they get older.

Decorate Your Home For The Holidays

You’ll want to take photos of your baby all over the house and what better background than your own personal Christmas decorations.

Decorating for Christmas is just a great way to get you into the holiday spirit . Even if you are suffering from lack of sleep from your baby, one look at the magical Christmas lights and you’ll remember that it is all worth it for your little one.

Plus, if your baby is old enough, they will love looking at the glaring Christmas lights on the tree and the shiny ornaments that entertain her.

Make A Baby’s First Christmas Keepsake Box

After all the holiday parties are over and all the gifts have been opened, consider keeping all of your child’s first Christmas items together in a special keepsake box .

Some of the items that you can place in this special box include the photos of your child, the Christmas card you sent out that year, the baby’s first Christmas outfit or accessories she wore, and even wrapping paper from her gifts. You can even write her a special letter that year and include it in the box so she can open years later when she is much older.

One recommendation I would have though is to keep the items that you plan on using for the next year out of the box (like ornaments) instead of having to dig through the box to find them next year. Place the box in a safe spot that you can then bring back out years later.

Your baby’s first Christmas is such a special time that can fly by quite quickly if you don’t simply stop and just enjoy these days with your little one . Of course we can all get caught up in how to make Christmas special, but truthfully by simply spending time and making memories with your baby it will be special for her and you.

If you are looking for things to do on Christmas Eve night or even during the day, there are so many wonderful holiday traditions that you can start with your family this year.

The night before Christmas is the perfect day to spend time as a family and make some holiday memories you’ll remember for years to come.

Starting this year you can make Christmas Eve special for everyone in your family.

It doesn’t matter if you have young children at home or your children are all grown, you’ll find different options that you can include into your family’s Christmas Eve traditions.

Here is a list of if 20 ideas for Christmas Eve traditions for families, adults, and couples.

Fun Christmas Eve Traditions For Families

Watch A Christmas Movie As A Family

Everyone sits down and watches the chosen movie together and simply spends time together instead of on devices or other rooms in the home. You can even make some special treats like popcorn, hot chocolate and some cookies.

You can choose a different movie every year or stick with the same one year after year to make that a tradition as well.

Read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas Or Another Christmas Book Together

Gather around the Christmas tree or the fireplace and read aloud your family’s favorite Christmas book or chose Twas The Night Before Christmas for the perfect Christmas Eve story. Even such a simple tradition can be something kids look forward to every year.

Bake Christmas Cookies For Santa

Get your kids into the kitchen and let them help make some cookies for Santa.

You can even let them pick what type of cookies they think Santa will like best and then decorate them as well. Be sure to leave the cookies on a special plate just for Santa before heading to bed. (don’t forget the milk too!)

Make A Christmas Eve Box For Your Child

Pick a special box and fill it with Christmas Eve goodies including pajamas, a new book, a new stuffed animal and even some snacks. A Christmas Eve box is a great alternative for families with kids who ask for that one gift to open on the night before Christmas. This one they don’t only get a gift to open but they get a whole experience from the box.

This will become one of your favorite Christmas traditions to watch your child open that box every Christmas Eve.

Make A Batch Of Reindeer Food

Let your child mix all the ingredients together for some reindeer food for all of Santa’s friends. A quick reindeer food recipe is just dry quick oatmeal, some Christmas colored sprinkles and some glitter.

Then before your child goes to bed simply sprinkle the reindeer food on your lawn.

Host A Christmas Party With Your Extended Family And Friends

The holidays can get quite busy, but you should definitely still make time to get together with your extended family as well. If you don’t already have a set time you get together with extended family or your close friends, choose Christmas Eve and make it a tradition from now on.

You don’t have to go all out (of course you can if you want). For a cute idea you can even pick a Christmas party theme each year to mix it up.

Ride Around Town Looking At Christmas Lights

Check out all the different Christmas lights in your area as you ride around town drinking some hot cocoa. This can be neat for little ones but I know that even as an adult I still enjoy checking out how people decorate their houses each year.

Track Santa

This is pretty cool especially for younger kids. You can actually track where Santa is on Christmas Eve and even use it to teach your child a bit about different cultures and what they may have as a Christmas traditions.

Of course with this tracker you’ll now when it’s time to hit the bed at night so you don’t miss Santa as well.

Decorate Gingerbread Houses

You don’t have to be a baker to get your whole family to decorate gingerbread houses.

They now sell all types of gingerbread house kits that all are set for you to start decorating. There are even other kits like gingerbread trains and large gingerbread people.

Attend Midnight Mass Or Other Church Service

Celebrate the real reason behind Christmas and attend Midnight Mass or your local church’s Christmas Eve service. This just serves as a good reminder that Christmas really isn’t all about the presents they may get the next day but is also a nice way to spend time with your family and community.

Make A New Ornament As A Family

There is nothing better than handmade ornaments hanging on the tree. Every Christmas Eve choose an ornament that everyone in your family can make. You can find tons of ideas for easy ornaments as well as more complex ones on Pinterest.

New Matching Christmas Pajamas For The Whole Family

In the past few years it has become quite a big thing to have matching Christmas PJs for the whole family. I know that one of the gifts that I started giving my children their first Christmas Eve was a new set of holiday pajamas and we have continued that tradition for over 12 years now.

You definitely don’t have to all do matching PJs, especially if your kids are older, but it can make for a cute picture.

Play Christmas Charades

Get a little silly with your whole family and play a game that everyone can join in on. But, keep it in with the holiday spirit and only choose Christmas related things to act out in the game. Some ideas may include Santa, reindeer, snow, Christmas tree, snowman, elf, the Grinch, and Jingle Bells.

Set Up A Snack Bar For Christmas Eve Dinner

You may have already done a lot of baking and cooking for the holidays, so take it easy on Christmas Eve and have a fun snack bar for dinner. This could include small appetizers that are easy to make like just warming up some meatballs, as well as things like crackers and cheese, warm and cold dips, and nachos.

I know that my kids tend to love dinners like this and it’s nice to be able to relax with the kids instead of spending hours in the kitchen. You can even combine this holiday tradition with one of the other ones listed such as movie night or decorating gingerbread houses.

Deliver Treats To Neighbors

You can spend some time before Christmas Eve or on the morning baking up some treats for your neighbors or close friends. Then, later in the evening, go around delivering your treats with a small card wishing your neighbors a Merry Christmas.

This can be a nice way to maybe just get to say “hi” if you haven’t talked to your neighbors (especially if you live in area where it gets quite cold and snowy) in a while and just wish them happy holidays.

Read The Story Of Jesus’ Birth

If you are a Christian family, then celebrate Jesus’ birth by reading the Nativity Story right out of your Bible. Everyone can gather around and listen and then you can even have a prayer at the end for all your friends and family as well as the less fortunate who may not get to celebrate the holidays.

Some families even have the tradition of placing Jesus in the nativity scene set right before going to bed on Christmas Eve.

Have A Family Polar Express Night

Love the Polar Express? Then, make it a complete night along with reading the book and then watching the movie. You can even print up some printable Polar Express ticket invitations to make it a real official night.

You’re going to need some hot cocoa (what else would they serve on the Polar Express?) as well as some special treats to go along with the ride.

Host A White Elephant Exchange

This is a fun alternative to a regular gift exchange and you can concentrate more on simply just spending time with your family and friends rather than on getting gifts. Check out my tips on hosting a white elephant exchange party .

Make Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt In Your Home

Buy a box (or 2) of candy canes and hide them all around the house for your kids to find. Once all the candy canes are found they can hang them on the tree or even make a special craft with them. You can do something different every year with the candy canes.

Write A Special Letter To Your Child

Every year on Christmas Eve write a special letter to your child about their year. Then hold on to the letters and when your child is grown you can give them a book of the Christmas letters. This makes a wonderful keepsake that they can even continue on with their children.

What sort of things do you do on Christmas Eve? Any other Christmas Eve traditions that you want to add to the list?

Having Christmas traditions with your kids is a great way to make special memories during the holidays.

In fact, if you are like most people, you probably have more memories of things you did together as a family during Christmas rather than specific gifts that you received.

It’s never to late (or early) to start Christmas traditions with your kids. Here are 5 Christmas tradition ideas that you can start with your children this holiday season.

1. Advent Calendar

Starting on December 1st, you and your kids can open a special door or unlock a special treat or prize as you count down the days the 24 days until Christmas.

There are all kinds of cool advent calendars for kids such as LEGO toy ones, other fun character toys calendars, advent calendars that you can fill yourself and use year after year, and also the really inexpensive chocolate filled advent calendars.

These calendars can be used to help teach your child the true meaning of Christmas by telling the Christmas story every day or it can simply just be a fun way to get excited about Christmas.

2. Decorate the Christmas Tree As a Family

Growing up I always though that everyone decorated their Christmas tree as a family but as I got older I found out for a lot of people that simply wasn’t the case.

Get all of your family involved on a special day and make that a Christmas decorating day. If you put up an artificial tree you can simply choose just about any day during the season to put it up. If you have a live tree for Christmas you can always make a special day of it by going and picking out the tree and then that night or even the next day, have it be decorating day.

If you are the type of person who likes your tree to look precise and perfect, consider maybe buying a smaller tree for your kids that they can at least decorate and you can still have your perfect tree as well.

Remember to make this day extra special by turning on the Christmas tunes, lighting a fire, and making some hot cocoa to go along with decorating.

3. Cookie Baking Day

You don’t have to be an expert baker to be able to bake some Christmas cookies with your kids. In fact you can even use pre-made cookie dough that you bake and then have your children decorate and the day will be just as special as if you made all your own cookie dough.

If you have older kids you can even involve them more with the cookie baking process and let them find a special recipe for a cookie or treat that they want to make instead of just making the ordinary cookies you always make for the holidays.

You also don’t have to make a ton of cookies as some kids will lose interest quickly. Even just a simple cut out sugar cookie that they can use cookie cutters to make special designs and then decorate with frosting is good enough for most kids.

If you like baking you can even use these special treats to give out as gifts to your family or your children’s friends.

4. Annual Christmas Ornament

A new Christmas ornament every year to hang on the tree can be a great way to not only allow your child to have some say in decorating the tree but can be a nice way to collect ornaments over the years that your child can take with them when they get their own home.

You can stick with certain themes of ornaments for example you could do a personalized ornament with their name and year on it, or simply just let them go to the store and pick out their favorite ornament for the year.

As your child gets older it is definitely a nice tradition to start allowing them to pick out or at least have some say in their ornament for the year. You can even make a special trip to a store just to pick out the ornament for the tree that year.

Plus, it’s lots of fun for your kids to look back at the ornaments that they have picked out in the past as it makes some really nice memories not only for you, but for them as well.

5. Donate to Charity

Christmas time is a wonderful time to teach your child to give back and to really do something for people who are less fortunate.

Get your child involved with any donations such as donating any gently used toys or clothes, picking out gifts for a special kid or family from an angel tree, picking out a toy to donate to Toys for Tots at the store, or simply donating time or food to a local soup kitchen or food bank.

It doesn’t matter how young they are you can always start teaching them about compassion and giving back to others. Christmas time offers a multitude of opportunities for giving back your time to the community or donating something physical.

Just be sure that you are teaching them the reason why you are donating and why it’s such a good cause rather than just simply doing it.

Some people may not think of this as a “fun” Christmas tradition but you may be surprised just how much fun your child has going through their toys so another little boy or girl can enjoy them or even just picking up some canned goods at your local grocery store to help a family in need. It’s something they will remember year after year and can bring through to their adult life.

6. Visit Local Christmas Lights

Make a night or two with your family and go around visiting local Christmas light displays.

You can choose from simply riding around town checking out different houses or look into professional light displays that you can drive or walk through. You can even make it more special by taking some hot chocolate in thermoses to drink in the car and of course turn on the Christmas music to listen to.

Most people will find that there are local neighborhood displays that you can check out for free and you may even find some displays that have Santa come visit for the kids as well.

Riding around town in the car checking out the lights is one of those childhood memories that you really don’t forget because even though it doesn’t cost a lot of money, it’s time that you get to spend closely with your family.

7. Special Christmas Eve Tradition

If you don’t already have a Christmas Eve tradition in your home, then start one this year. There really are so many different things that you can do on the day before Christmas that can become a wonderful family tradition.

One of the more popular traditions for the night before Christmas seems to be the Christmas Eve box for kids . This is a box that parents make up with small gifts inside, usually something like Christmas pajamas, a Christmas movie, a Christmas book, and other holiday related items that can be used that day and night. It may be that you start the tradition of the box in which there is a new Christmas movie and you watch that as a family while wearing your new holiday pj’s.

Some other Christmas Eve traditions include a midnight Mass or church service, baking cookies for Santa, opening up one special Christmas gift, getting together with grandparents or extended family, having a special Christmas Eve meal, and even going caroling.

By starting a Christmas Eve tradition while your kids are young you can really establish that family tradition and your kids may just look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas day as they get older.

8. Create a Christmas Scrapbook

After Christmas has come and gone, don’t simply just let the holiday go away, but instead create a Christmas scrapbook with all your memories.

The easiest way to do this would be with a digital scrapbook that you can make on websites like Smilebox or Shutterfly . You can then have those pages printed into a photo book that you can display in your home or just keep around to really remember the holidays with your kids.

I know that my kids enjoy looking back on different photo albums from when they were babies and love the Christmas books that we get every year as well. They just make wonderful gifts to yourself to really be able to remember the wonderful times you spent with your kids during that holiday season.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on starting Christmas traditions with your kids (in fact some of them won’t cost you anything) as it simply just takes spending time together as a family and celebrating the wonderful season that is upon us.

These are the memories that both you and your kids will remember for years and years and will be something that you all look forward to every year as Christmas rolls around again.