1. Hanging Christmas lights
   Lighting candles
2. Cleaning their houses
   Making dinner

Although more and more holidays are bringing decorative lighting into their decoration traditions, Christmas lights have a long history. Before electrical lights, people would put candles in their trees to show that Christ was the light of the world.

1. Prepare Christmas dinner
   Bake cookies
2. String popcorn
   Stuff stockings

When it comes to Christmas traditions, cookie baking and exchanging cookies is one of the most beloved activities. Baking cookies is a reason to get your oven going to warm up your home. Cookie exchanges have been a great way for people to spread their cultures for generations.

1. Building villages
   Creating Christmas scenery
2. Decorating gingerbread houses
   Displaying the Nativity

The act of decorating gingerbread houses goes all the way back to the Brothers Grimm and the story of Hansel and Gretel. The royal icing on these houses represents both snow and mortar, giving us a sweet treat and an excellent holiday activity.

1. Placing the Nativity
   Reenacting the birth of Christ
2. Solstice warmings
   Hanging ornaments

For centuries, different religions have been decorating evergreen trees to represent different aspects of the holiday. Reusable ornaments allowed families to save money each year and give clear representations of their religions.

1. Ice skating
   Hockey
2. Figure skating
   Zipping

Ice skating has been a Christmas tradition for generations. It has always been a great way to get outside and keep active during the winter months. These days, many cities have man-made rinks to ensure safety during the holiday season.

1. Eggnog contest
   Ugly sweater party
2. Costume party
   Cold compress party

Ugly sweater parties have been popular for the last 15 or 20 years. They throw back to the gaudy sweaters of the '70s and '80s that were considered stylish and adorable back then. This activity gets everyone in the holiday mood and excited for get-togethers.

1. Self on the help
   Pixie on a poppy
2. Elf on a Shelf
   Mr. Mischievous

In 2005, a new and fun tradition came out for Christmas. Moving an elf around to surprise children and keep them on their best behavior around Christmastime has been a growing fad ever since. It's a great activity that spans throughout the season.

1. Holly Jolly
   Discrete secrets
2. Gullable gift exchange
   Secret Santa

Having a secret Santa gift exchange is a great way to participate in holiday activities without breaking the bank. Each person in the group picks a name out a hat and buys a present for the person whose name they pick. This helps you avoid spending too much money on Christmas gifts for everyone in the group. Usually, a limit is set on how much each secret Santa should spend on a gift.

1. Advent calendar
   Tree house clock
2. Door pushers
   Punch boards

Advent calendars are marked with 25 days. Each day, you select one box and you get a little gift inside. These gifts are usually pretty small, like a piece of candy or a small trinket. This activity dates back to the early 1900s.

1. Decorating the tree
   Listening to Christmas music
2. Buying presents for others
   Building snowmen

It seems that every year, Christmas music is played on the radio earlier and earlier. While some people consider this is incredibly irritating, others find it a great way to kick off the season. If there were more variety in songs and lyrics, perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult to swallow.

1. Eating cookies
   Drinking hot cocoa
2. Watching Christmas movies
   Lighting a fire

Since television and home movies became popular, one of the most relaxing things to do during the holiday season is to watch Christmas movies with the family. They are wholesome and get you in the spirit of the holiday. The Hallmark Channel has enough movies to keep you busy from Thanksgiving all the way into the new year!

1. Mail pictures
   Write checks
2. Spend money
   Send Christmas cards

One thing that has not gone down in popularity with the electronic communications age is the sending of Christmas cards. Every year, people still love sending and receiving physical cards from their friends and family. Christmas cards are said to have originated London in 1843.

1. Popcorn
   Ice
2. Lights
   Real boughs

Stringing popcorn is not a new activity, and Americans have been doing it for generations. They also used to put a other food items on the tree, including cranberries and apples. Ornaments have replaced this tradition, and eliminated the need to remove spoiled food from the tree each year!

1. Baking
   Crafting
2. Writing Christmas cards
   Wrapping

Crafting for Christmas is not new. For hundreds of years, people have used their skills to create gifts for others instead of buying presents. It's a great way to save money and give a gift from the heart. This tradition is practiced throughout the year, but it boosts in popularity around the holidays.

1. Filling stockings
   Stringing popcorn
2. Writing letters to Santa
   Feeding reindeer

Writing a letter to Santa Claus isn't just about children asking for what they want. It's also about that child reflecting on their behavior for the year. In fact, letters to Santa began as letters "from" Santa to children. Parents would write these letters to help keep children on the "straight and narrow" and behave so that Santa would bring them the gift they wanted. It's also a great way for parents to find out what to get their children to Christmas.

1. "Sheena's Christmas"
   "Jolly Ole Tree"
2. "Christmas Wonderings"
   "'Twas The Night Before Christmas"

"'Twas The Night Before Christmas" was originally published in 1823. These days, you can see many adaptations of the story, but they all say the same thing: a person was trying to sleep, and Santa's arrival woke him up. Reading this story is a great activity for parents and children alike.

1. Wearing matching pajamas
   Finding the Grinch
2. Wrapping presents
   Hiding toys

Many families are now wearing matching pajamas or coordinating pajamas for Christmas. It makes an excellent Christmas photo that families can share on social media. It's also a great bonding experience for families every year to wake up on Christmas morning wearing matching outfits.

1. Riding reindeer
   Visiting Santa
2. Receiving Christmas cards
   Sledding

When it comes to visiting Santa, there are two types of kids: those who are terrified and those who need to tell him what they want. If your child is terrified of Santa, it could be a good thing, as he is technically a stranger.

1. Boulderdash
   Game night tournament
2. Ornament exchange
   Secret Santa

Ornament exchanges are great for everyone. If you're crafty, you can make ornaments for the exchange and if you're not so crafty, you can buy them. Either way, your personality and thoughtfulness really shine during these times.

1. Lemonade
   Lemon tea
2. Hot water
   Hot chocolate

Getting the family together and sharing hot chocolate or hot cocoa is one of the most long-lasting traditions, not just in the U.S. but around the world. Drinking a warm beverage is important after a long day of building snowmen!

1. Look at other people's lights
   Find somewhere to eat
2. Build snowmen with cars
   Throw snowballs

If you're looking for a Christmas activity to keep warm and enjoy some entertainment, you can drive around your city and look at the lights that are up. Some houses even put on entire shows that are in sync with radio stations.

1. Putting a star on a tree
   Picking out a tree
2. Seeing the lights
   Taking a walk

These days, many prefer to have a fake Christmas tree to both preserve the environment and to maintain fire safety. However, some families still partake in the traditional activity of going out and buying a tree for their homes.

1. Giving donations
   Asking for donations
2. Caroling
   Sharing cookies

Singing Christmas carols is not a new tradition, and caroling has been a great way to raise funds for churches, schools and groups. While you don't have to donate to those who sing, you can appreciate the music and give them thanks.

1. Go caroling
   Sing hymns
2. Light candles
   Attend Midnight Mass

Even non-practicing Christians will attend Midnight Mass. It is one of the busiest times of year for churches. This activity is especially important to Catholics in various countries, including Spain and Poland.

1. Christingles
   Jingmingles
2. Ringfingles
   Orange wingles

Christingles are oranges that have a candle in them and a red ribbon around them. They represent Christ being the light of the world. This custom has been around since the 1700s. It originated in Germany.

1. Writing letters to Santa
   Leaving milk and cookies for Santa
2. Petting reindeer
   Staying up for Santa

Santa is a very busy man, and he can get pretty hungry going to every house. Leaving him cookies and milk gives him the energy he needs to get all of his work done in one night. Kids love doing it, and parents love the leftovers.

1. Traveling
   Wrapping
2. Christmas shopping
   Parties

There are people who take Christmas shopping very seriously. They work hard to get the toys that their children want and the hottest items that come out every year. Others simply wait patiently to get those toys and avoid injuries that overenthusiastic shoppers sometimes suffer.

1. Roast chestnuts
   Make popcorn
2. Read by the fireplace
   Light the yule log

While many people don't go back to this activity much anymore, the lighting of the yule log goes back centuries. The yule log is generally lit from the remains of the previous year's log, and the fire would be fed for 12 days.

1. Building a snowman
   Shoveling snow
2. Making snow angels
   Finding snow prizes

Everyone who has built a snowman knows that it requires the perfect consistency of snow and enough of it to get the best snowman around. You can decorate your snowman with a hat, give him a carrot for a nose and even a scarf to keep him stylish and "warm."

1. Manger danger
   The Nativity scene
2. Baby Jesus
   Church scene

The Nativity generally consists of a baby Jesus, a statue of Mary and a statue of Joseph. The scene depicts the birth of Christ. Some Nativity scenes also include the Three Wise Men who were said to have visited Jesus. Many cultures celebrate Three Kings Day on January 6.

1. "The Elf"
   "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"
2. "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
   "The Santa Clause"

Watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is not like watching any other Christmas movie. For decades, this short film has been a staple of the Christmas season in nearly every household that celebrates the holiday.

1. Make elf shoes
   Wrap presents
2. Make costumes
   Stuff stockings

For some who celebrate St. Nicholas Day, shoes and socks are stuffed rather than stockings. This tradition changed a little bit when people realized that shoes can get a little stinky and ruin the gifts inside.

1. Making potpourri
   Making applesauce
2. Making apple spice
   Making cranberries

Potpourri can be made with several different ingredients. For the perfect Christmas scents, people often used orange peels, cinnamon and cloves. This used to be a way for people to remove fish smells from their house, while using leftover ingredients.

1. Write letters to Santa about others
   Pick names from the Angel Tree
2. Volunteer at soup kitchens
   Donate blankets

Those who are less fortunate can write their names and gift ideas on a card and hang it on an Angel Tree. Other members of the community can pick a name from the tree and buy a gift for the person whose name they pick.

1. Winter roses
   Red oaks
2. Poinsettias
   Lily flowers

Poinsettias have long been a great addition to any Christmas decorating trend. Whether alive or fake, they make beautiful additions to homes around Christmas. The winter flowers are strong and versatile.

1. Handing out an ornament
   Making dinner
2. Giving gifts
   Hanging a wreath

The wreath has a long history. It was originally started to show that the owners of the home welcome Christ into their homes. However, the tradition soon changed to indicate that all guests are welcome.

1. Building a Christmas village
   Building a train
2. Finding a store
   Foraging for fruits and nuts

While the act of creating and building a Christmas village isn't as popular as it was 20 years ago, collectors are still looking for pieces to add to their mini towns. It's a great way to use your imagination during the holiday season.

1. Hanging garland
   Kissing under the mistletoe
2. Lighting candles
   Falling in love

The idea of hanging mistletoe is not new. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe began when people realized that the plant could bloom in frigid winter temperatures ... much like love. it was a sign of fertility and vivacity.

1. Rolled treats
   Seasoned almonds
2. Christmas crackers
   Candied twists

Christmas crackers date all the way back to the 1840s. The package is pulled apart and creates a "crack" sound. The toy or candy inside bursts out. This traditional activity is essential for houses across the U.K. on Christmas morning.

1. Watch YouTube videos
   Go Christmas shopping
2. Play video games
   Track Santa

That's right! If you have little ones, you can watch Santa's progress throughout the night on websites or Santa tracking apps. But don't let him get too close to your home. If he catches you awake, he might not stop. After all, he doesn't want to be caught!