In With the New: Christmas Traditions to Adopt this Year

Christmas is, inarguably, one of the most magical times of the year, but often what makes it so special is those festive rituals we return to, year in and year out. Every family has its own unique way of celebrating with silly yet sentimental traditions that keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the month of December. You might have your own Christmas Tradition ideas set, but should you be looking to add one or two extras to your repertoire, Team Liberty can certainly help. From hosting your first ‘Friendmas’ to embarking on a Bauble Swap, we have plenty of inspiration…

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I may have stolen this tradition from our Global Head of Content, Sophie, but for the last few years, my husband and I take a trip to the Liberty Christmas Shop every November and spend half an hour hunting out the bauble we think represents each other the best. Last year he picked out a pink cowboy boot for me, and I chose a mini sausage dog for him, in honour of our real dachshund, Jerry.

Read More: Discover the best Christmas baubles for your festive treescape

I'm from Brighton so Christmas Day morning isn’t complete without a walk along Brighton beach. The braver members of the family (myself not being one of them) go for a swim in the freezing sea, which is a big Brighton Christmas tradition. I personally prefer to spectate with a takeaway coffee in my puffer coat and beanie. Then when the clock strikes midday we head to the pub for the swimmers’ reward, and the rest of us just cheers to, well… Christmas!

After the over-indulgent glut of food and frivolities that Christmas Day brings, my family likes to recover by spending Boxing Day adding to something we’ve (very creatively) named The Boxing Day Family Quilt. Every year we all purchase our choice of Liberty Fabric and spend the day crafting our squares, ready to add onto the previous ones we created in the years gone by. We hunker down next to the fire with a rotation of our favourite films playing and cut, sew and stuff our individual squares (some looking better than others!). When we’ve all finished, we sew all our squares together and add them onto the end of the ever-growing quilt, which we leave out on display until the new year.

Not only is this a lovely way for us all to bond (and argue over who is using the sewing machine next!), but it also creates a modern family heirloom, reflective of everybody’s personalities, love and time. The best part is that it acts as a time capsule to store memories of our family members who have moved away or are no longer with us, as their squares still sit proudly as part of our very own family quilt, so they always feel present during the most special time of year.

Read More: An Expert Guide on How to Make a Puff Quilt

In the John family, there’s only one dress code on Christmas Day: outrageously overdressed, and if you don’t rise to the occasion, there’ll be no Yorkshire puds for you. Every year, in the weeks leading up to December, my family get together and go on an all-out shopping spree to hunt for outfits for our big Christmas party. Sequins, feathers, cowboy boots… You name it, the John Christmas Party has seen it all.

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One tradition my family never fails to miss every year is brunch on Boxing Day, and if you’re a foodie like myself, it’s the perfect way to wrap up the festivities. In true Boxing Day spirit, pyjamas are mandatory (as is the Buck’s Fizz). From mixing up the pancake batter to buttering the toast, everyone’s got a job to do.

In my household, you're never too old for a bit of Christmas magic, so every year when I go home for the holidays, Father Christmas leaves me a stocking. On Christmas Day, the first order of business is to open our stockings, and while some may look forward to running down to see what lies beneath the tree (understandably so), for me, there's just something about sitting in bed and opening the small trinkets in my stocking that brings back a lovely nostalgic joy. Pyjamas are of course compulsory, as is the satsuma and £2 coin that always awaits me at the bottom of my stocking.

Within my family, I've built up something of a culinary reputation, so cooking the Christmas dinner is a tradition that naturally falls to me. Preparation is key, so in the runup to the big day (maybe two months beforehand) I'll consult my ever-growing library of cookbooks and pull out some options. By process of elimination (taking place on my family's WhatsApp), these options will then be whittled down to a select, perfectly balanced four-course menu, one that's not too demanding (I don't want to be bound to the kitchen all day and night) but isn't as basic as a buffet, either (that would just end my reign as the best cook in the family).

Read More: The Ultimate Dinner Party Menu Ideas

Christmas at our house is all about being cosy, and every Christmas Eve everyone (yes, including Indie, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) slips into a festive pair of pyjamas before cosying up under fluffy blankets to watch our cult favourite Christmas movies. We always make sure we’re double-parked with mulled wine and a hot chocolate so we don’t have to get up during the movie and, of course, make sure we’ve got in-flight snacks, usually a Camembert (or two).

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Every year my mum makes a Christmas pudding and gets the whole family involved, making sure we all get a stir of the mixture and making a wish as we do so (some may know it as Stir-Up Sunday). It’s become one of my favourite Christmas traditions as it keeps the magical element of Christmas alive even as we get older. We even do it when we’re not in the same place over Facetime!