Christmas is a holiday that is steeped in tradition, whether these traditions are handed down from generation to generation, or are started and adopted as your lives change and your family grows, it does not matter. Some holiday traditions have been around since medieval times others are newer traditions that come from marketing and commercialization, etc. Christmas traditions have a way of feeling timeless and some really are. You might know that every Christmas your whole life will start with a certain meal, or be accompanied by favorite stories. Traditions are part of what make holidays so wonderful. Some Christmas traditions are ancient with pre-Christian roots, or that originate from the pagan winter-solstice celebrations or Roman festivals. Other traditions are relatively modern. Let's take a look at some of the most common traditions:

Christmas Decorations

Decorating for Christmas is a tradition that has been around for ages, as in medieval times the town squares were decorated with holly and evergreen leaves. Today, Christmas is not Christmas without decorations. Some of the most important holiday customs and traditions center around the family Christmas tree. Decorating a tree can be a unique experience for each family. Some like their trees to be perfect, like out of a magazine. Others use strung popcorn, homemade decorations, and years of collected ornaments to create a tree of memories that looks like the kids had a lot of fun. Most families have traditions surrounding the decorating of the tree, and year after year, trees are adorned with treasured ornaments that are stored once the season is over, handed down when children move out, and more.

Other Christmas decorations include garland, mistletoe, and wreaths, as well as figurines of Santa figures, nativity scenes, and more. Lights are another common Christmas decoration tradition. Basically anything that can make a home or neighborhood more festive and fun can be part of the decorating tradition.

Baking

One fun holiday tradition that also leads to expanding waist lines is baking. Usually in the weeks leading up to Christmas, homes are basking in the aroma of baking holiday treats. People make traditional cakes like fruit cakes, as well as an assortment of cookies, edible ornaments, and other treats. These are often used as party snacks, or as gifts. You are sure to receive cellophane wrapped plates of goodies and baskets filled with baked goods. Many families start the tradition of Christmas baking months in advance and freeze the goods, then when Christmas comes around they pull them out and start assembling plates and gifts.

Christmas Parties

Parties are a big part of Christmas, and most are filled with many of the other Christmas traditions. For example, you might have work parties with gift exchanges, or use baked goods as the food for the parties, and decorate with holiday décor.

There are lots of different Christmas party traditions, the most typical are the work parties, family parties, and parties for friends to reconnect. Often, these parties are for decorating the tree and decking the halls, while making plans for Christmas Day. The fact is usually families will gather for large meals and Christmas celebrations.

Stockings

Stockings are a big part of the Christmas tradition and not only in the United States but also all over the world. While not every home has a fireplace, the tradition of hanging stockings so Santa can find them and fill them with goodies and gifts is still alive and strong. Some people simply lay their stockings out on the couch, or if they have a fireplace they are hung above it. Usually these are hung the night before Christmas in anticipation of Santa's arrival. Some stockings are very plain, others are decorated with names, Christmas or winter scenes, and more. Some stockings are passed along with the tradition from generation to generation.

Gifts

Gift-giving is one of the most classic Christmas traditions. This is part of why Christmas has becomes somewhat commercialized, because merchants and vendors know this aspect of Christmas and really focus on it. This tradition basically was derived from the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus in the city of Bethlehem. These gifts were given with no thought to what they would receive in return, and established a tradition of self-less giving. Many families take this tradition and give to the needy, by sponsoring families for Christmas or by giving up their gifts to someone less fortunate. The gifts are often symbols of love and connection, but the spirit of Christmas invokes feelings of giving without thought to return, and of selflessly giving to those in need.

There are many additional traditions that come into play because of the tradition of giving gifts, for example your tradition may be opening one gift Christmas Eve, or having the 12 days of Christmas where you open a gift each day for the 12 days leading to Christmas. There are many ways to vary the tradition of gift giving, and each family has their own customs that come with this common tradition.

Since many families have to be apart for the holidays, they create gift-giving traditions that fit their family's needs. Some of those include gift exchanges, where instead of giving small gifts to many family members, they draw names or come up with other ways of dividing up the family so that each person will receive at least one larger gift from a single family member, rather than many smaller gifts from each person in the family.

Another important holiday stress-reliever that many families have discovered is the ability to order online and have gifts or gift baskets sent directly to their loved ones, saving the cost and hassle of shipping that gift themselves. This also works with companies, with a number of suppliers specializing in selling corporate gift baskets.

Christmas Cards

Christmas cards is a Christmas tradition that is slowly fading now that we have internet and other ways of staying connected, however, it is a fun tradition followed by families and businesses. It is a good way to reconnect with old friends and let them know you are thinking of them. Many people choose to send a card with a family photo so that friends and relatives can see the family if they haven't in some time. Most of the time cards are going to depict a traditional Christmas theme, winter scene or religious picture.

Cookies and Milk for Santa

Most children believe Santa is out all night delivering gifts and coal to boys and girls, and that all of that travel is sure to make him hungry. So, they leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk out for Santa, sometimes with a note thanking him for remembering to stop at their house. Many children extend this tradition by also leaving something out for the elves and reindeer that help Santa on Christmas Eve. They may leave hay or carrots, or a note of gratitude. It is a fun way for children to get more involved with the Christmas Eve festivities.

Football Games

One of the more recent traditions for many on Christmas Day is the watching of the big football games. In many homes this is a male tradition, and the men remove themselves to the television room to watch the shows while the women fix the traditional Christmas meals, and clean up after them. Some families even have their own snow football games, bets, etc. to spice up the traditional of football for the holiday.

Fruitcakes

Love them or hate them, fruitcakes are a Christmas tradition. Some people make their own fruit cakes and others choose to purchase them, but giving a fruit cake as a gift is a traditional gesture, and one that will probably live on for years to come.

Religion

Because Christmas started as a celebration or commemoration of the birth of Christ one of the most important Christmas traditions for many Christians are the religious ones. These traditions vary greatly. Some reenact the scene of the nativity and have children dress up to play the parts. Others read the story of the birth of Christ out of the scriptures around the table, or as a family. Others go to a midnight mass or other religious service. Many offer special prayers that are reserved for the holiday of Christmas. Worship is one of the most common Christmas traditions, and people worship in their own unique ways. Worship on Christmas Eve and Chrismas Day often reminds us of the real meaning of the holiday and brings us the true Christmas spirit.

There are hundreds more Christmas traditions, too many to mention, and these traditions vary significantly from country to country. A family of Dutch decent, for example, may lay their shoes out on December 6th to be filled with treats in order to not let that tradition die. Some large families do not give gifts to everyone, rather they draw names and each person only buys for one other person. Some people make or buy a new ornament every year in order to commemorate their celebrations for the year. Some attend specific plays, pageants or light events. The lists go on, and to each their own. Christmas is most importantly a time to spend with those you love celebrating whatever aspect of Christmas is most important to you. So, whether your tradition involves dressing warm and going on horse drawn sleigh rides, or caroling door to door, or is simpler such as simply having pancakes for breakfast Christmas morning, the tradition is yours and you can either pass it on to future generations or let it die out.