Around the holiday season, we like to focus on making the memories of the season something magical for years to come.
We only have a small handful of traditions that we follow each year because we want this time of year to be one of slowing down and being present with family. We're excited to share with you our favorite tradition of all and that’s our 25 Books of Christmas tradition.
Please note that this tradition can be tailored to fit whichever holiday you enjoy celebrating with your family and during any time of the year leading up to said holiday (ie. Birthdays, Hannukah, Día de Muertos, Diwali, First Day of Spring, Independence Day, etc.).
Step 1. A few days before December, gather up 25 winter themed books in our house and wrap them in wrapping paper and place them under the tree. These books can be a mixture of books already owned, books checked out from the local library, and a few new (or thrifted) books. Tip: If you do not have enough winter themed books starting out or you are on a budget, using your local library as a source for all of these books is a great idea!
Step 2. Each night in December, have the kids unwrap one book from under the tree and that will be the book to read together for bedtime. Tip: If you have multiple children, letting them rotate who gets to unwrap the book each night will help keep everyone on Santa’s Nice List.
Step 3. On Christmas Eve, have the kids unwrap their last book and you can snuggle up in your matching family PJs and read the book by the lights of the Christmas tree. There’s something extra magical about twinkle lights, isn’t there?
This tradition does take a little planning ahead, but there are ways to make it simple if the thought of wrapping 25 books sounds a little too complicated. You could alter this idea and make it The 12 Books of Christmas, or even The 7 or 5 Books of Christmas, if you’d like to keep it closer to Christmas day.
However you decide to implement the tradition of reading together as a family during the holiday season, the memories built and the sweet moments of joy and surprise will be something you carry with you as your children grow up through the years.