10 Christmas traditions you can start today.

As a parent, your Baby’s First Christmas is one that you will never forget, probably not for the gifts that you give to your baby (they certainly won’t remember them) but for the traditions that you choose to embrace as a family and the memories you'll be creating along the way. Focus on festive traditions your family can revisit and build upon each year to make sure your holiday happiness lives on—in your heart and in your photos! Here, our favourite ideas for how to make baby’s first Christmas special.

Decorate the Christmas tree

Hanging the decorations will probably at the core of your traditions, often following something your family may have done too. Celebrate the season with a special "Baby’s First Christmas decoration" in the years to come you’ll gaze at it with fond memories.

Visit your local Santa

Braving the lines with an infant in your arms may not be for every family, but if the tradition of saying hi to Santa at a nearby store or mall hits home for you, you’re bound to get a memorable photo of your little one on the big guy’s lap.

Preserve your baby’s tiny handprint

Sure, you’ll have photos to look back on, but there’s something extra-special about preserving baby’s handprint in salt dough or paint to remember how tiny your child was at their first Christmas. You may even decide to turn it into a Christmas decoration - one for the whole family!

Decorate your baby’s nursery

Don’t just deck your lounge - deck out your baby’s nursery too! String up some white twinkle lights, add a tiny tree with sparkly ornaments or hang paper snowflakes from the ceiling—there are lots of festive items to pick from. It doesn't have to cost much, op shops usually have a lot of Christmas decorations at a reasonable price.

Hang your baby’s first Christmas stocking or Santa sack

Your family has expanded, so it’s time to hang one more stocking on the mantle! Ok, so we don't always have mantles in NZ homes, but there will be other options for hanging their stocking or places to pop it close to the Christmas tree. Fill it with little books, toys and rattles.

Read Christmas stories

In the nights leading up to Christmas, make your bedtime storybook selections holiday-themed! Whether you choose classics, like 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' or 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', or something more modern, like 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas', you and baby are bound to enjoy the special stories and snuggles.

Find your baby a special gift

Your baby isn’t going to remember what you bought them for Christmas this year, but that’s not to say they won’t enjoy playing with a present! There’s no need to go overboard, but selecting a few special gifts for baby’s first Christmas can bring joy to your little one (and you!). You might pick out a toy or two, or perhaps even an heirloom gift your child can treasure when they’re older.

Dress your baby in a festive outfit

There are quite a few options in stores these days, choose a special outfit picked out and ready to go for baby’s first Christmas. It’ll make your photos that much cuter!

Take a family photo

You can’t let the festive season go by without snapping a Christmas photo of baby! You can go all out with a themed setup or just get a shot of your little one looking cute in their Christmas finery—either way, it’ll beone for the books.

Simplify Christmas

Begin a gift-giving tradition for your baby (and everyone else if you want) by adopting the 'Want, Need, Wear, Read' strategy. For presents every year, give your baby something they want ( you can use your best judgment here whenthey’re very little), something they need, something to wear, and something to read. It’s simple, easy, less stressful for you, there’s less emphasis on getting 'things', and it’s still fun for kids andbig kids alike!