Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Heritage Collection

bowl of oranges studded with cloves in decorative patterns

Credit: Meredith

When I was a kid, my grandmother put an orange in the toe of our stockings. It was a special treat to find. She also didn't put up her Christmas tree until Christmas Eve because that was part of the celebration — a gift in itself. Some of those holiday traditions were out of necessity to save money; some were simply time-honored and passed down through the family. But they all created memories treasured to this day. If you're looking for ways to enhance your own family's celebrations, scroll through this advent calendar's worth of simple seasonal ideas and activities to find 25 ways to bring old-fashioned, no-tech or low-tech traditions to your holidays this year.

Advent Calendars

advent calendar assorted goodies in each drawer

Credit: Williams Sonoma

These 25 ideas for bringing back or introducing traditions at Christmas can also tie into another old-fashioned favorite: the Advent calendar. Made to countdown to Christmas and the advent of the season, these calendars can hide surprises like chocolate (Trader Joe's chocolate candies may be the best), wine and beer, LEGO toys, skincare and make-up, and unique options like hot sauce! While the packages on Christmas morning might be opened quickly, an Advent calendar opened one day at a time is a great way to draw out the magic of the season.

Best Food and Drink Advent Calendars

Orange You Glad it's Christmas

three Christmas stocking stuffed with presents and hung on a mantlepiece

Credit: Meredith

Sending a citrus gift or produce subscription box is a lovely way to show you care. You might opt for small, easy-peel mandarin oranges, which are much easier to tuck in a stocking toe than a big navel orange!

Christmas Goose

a roast goose in a baking dish just out of the oven

Credit: Chef John

Fall in Love With Fruitcake

Mini Christmas Cakes

Credit: Allrecipes

The fruitcake. A food pariah and source of debates: Is there really only one fruitcake that has been passed around forever? Yet there's something nostalgic about the dense, deeply flavored cake around the holidays. In the UK, they use fruitcake for wedding cakes (their first anniversary cake slice might taste exactly the same!) Still not a fan of fruitcake? Try an Italian pannetone instead with less fruit and no booze.

Get More Fruitcake Recipes

Make Some Snow Ice Cream

homemade Easy Snow Ice Cream recipe in a glass dessert dish with a spoon

Credit: niahboo_300

When my mom sent us out into the snow with a bowl, food coloring, and flavoring, we knew it meant a fun winter treat was in the works. Making snow ice cream in colder climates can be a great outdoors holiday activity to bring back. Snowing outside? It's ice cream time!

Snow Much Fun: 6 Ways to Eat Fresh Snow

Make Your Own Tree Decorations

homemade Christmas tree ornament shaped and decorated like a snowman

Credit: Melissa Goff

The image of a family stringing popcorn and cranberry garlands, and making dried orange and gingerbread or dough ornaments feels like a Norman Rockwell image or scene from "Little Women." Decorating homemade dough ornaments is an activity even the littlest of the littles can take part in.

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (or Air Fryer!)

roasted chestnuts on a wooden plate with a knife to the side

Credit: Buckwheat Queen

Pecans and walnuts may be the more common holiday nuts, but there's something extra special about chestnuts. Whether you're buying roasted chestnuts at a holiday market, roasting them over a backyard firepit, or using chestnuts in a recipe, the sweet, rich, earthy flavor of chestnuts is a wonderful way to bring get a taste of Christmas nostalgia.

How to Roast and Peel Chestnuts at Home

Don't Forget the Animals

Sweet Potato Bird Balls

Credit: Melissa Goff

Snuggle up for Story Time

hot chocolate topped with whipped cream in a mug decorated with image from The Polar Express

Credit: Hannah Runia

If you're looking for inspiration to create or remember old-fashioned holiday celebrations, look to the bookshelf. Try creating Christmas treats designed around books or book settings such as the "Polar Express" or "A Christmas Carol," then settle in to read the story together instead of turning on the TV.

Get a Taste of Sweet Nostalgia

close up of 5-Ingredient Peppermint Bark recipe

Credit: Kat G

There's something about a candy thermometer and fudge in the fridge that sends me back to my childhood. From ribbon candy to a fun gumdrop tree, seasonal candies are a fun way to celebrate the holidays. Whether you make your own or buy options like traditional hard candies or peppermint chocolate bark, Christmas candies can make sweet memories.

Our Top 20 Most Popular Homemade Christmas Candies

Make Gifts From Your Kitchen

jar of homemade Cowboy Cookie Mix in a Jar recipe displayed with finish cookies, oats, nuts, and chocolate chips

Credit: Mackenzie Schieck

Honor Family Heritage

Italian Cookies with Anise on a cooling rack

Credit: Kim

Merry Cloves to You!

bowl of oranges studded with cloves in decorative patterns

Credit: Meredith

The sensory experience of the holidays drives many of our memories — from fragrant pine boughs and evergreen trees to aromatic spices like cinnamon and cloves. Cloves not only help create familiar holiday scents, they can also make fun patterns on everything from Honey Glazed Ham to unpeeled oranges. Consider assigning the clove patterning to the kids as you do other holiday cooking and baking.

Discover 500+ recipes using cloves.

Quick Bread, Quick Gift

whole and slices loaves of homemade Moist Cranberry Orange Bread recipe on a serving plate

Credit: Molly

One of my favorite childhood memories was having our neighbor pass foil-wrapped zucchini bread over the fence. The still-warm bread was a gift that lasted beyond a plate of cookies. Sharing quick breads (over the fence, in person, or on a porch) is a great option for holiday gifting. A loaf of quick bread can be sliced to serve with breakfast, lunch, tea, or dinner. Wrap it up in cellophane and put it in a festive holiday box for a great holiday gift.

How to Bake the Best Quick Breads

Make a Gingerbread House

homemade gingerbread house decorated for Christmas with candy, toys, and lights

Credit: Vanessa Greaves

Open House, Open Hearts

cookie tray with candles in background

Credit: Getty Images

The easiest way to gather with friends and family is with a holiday open house. Whether you host a drop-in holiday party on your own or have a progressive holiday party at several houses, everyone can enjoy the festivities of the season without a lot of fuss. If you're not comfortable with indoor gatherings outside of your safe circle, consider an outdoor party around a crackling firepit.

How to Host a Holiday Open House
25 Best Christmas Appetizers
Easy Christmas Cocktails

Celebrate With Caroling

people singing Christmas carols outside at night

Credit: Meredith

In the immortal words of Buddy the Elf, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." So bundle up and gather with friends and family to sing old-fashioned Christmas carols together. You can join in with caroling events in your town or simply serenade your block. If walking the neighborhood isn't a go, consider hosting friends for cookies and caroling in your home. Keep it cozy with mugs of steaming hot chocolate or apple cider.

Buy it: Christmas Carol Lyric Book $6.95; amazon.com

Light Up the Holidays!

Christmas luminaria decorated with Christmas tree motifs lighting a stone stairway

Credit: Meredith

Christmas lights seem to go up sooner and sooner every year, but who's complaining? They do their part to make the season bright. Going around looking at fancy lights or visiting large-scale organized light displays is fun, but sometimes simple is best. My city does an annual event where most houses have luminaria at their curbs for that one night, and residents drive around looking at the softly glowing lights. Consider adding luminaria to your own driveway or porch; battery-powered tea light candles make it easier and less messy.

Buy it: Luminaria Kit, $39.00; amazon.com

Oh Christmas Tree!

child and grownup with freshly cut Christmas tree in the snow

Credit: Meredith

My first job was at a Christmas tree farm, helping families choose and cut down trees. Although grocery stores and roadside stands have trees now, there's still something special about tromping through a forest to find your own tree, but you might need a permit if you're on public land. The next best thing to a forest is a tree farm. The National Christmas Tree Association is a great starting point to search for a tree farm near you. Dress warmly and search for your own special tree — a Charlie Brown version or one big enough to touch your ceiling. I know from experience that choosing the right Christmas tree stand is important for the health of the tree. And as an alternative to cutting down (and throwing out) a Christmas tree, consider getting a "balled" living tree to plant in your yard once the holidays are over.

Hot Drinks to Warm Holiday Spirits

Three women with hot chocolate mugs

Credit: Getty Images/svetikd

Christmas Has Gone Crackers

Christmas crackers decorated to look like elves and Santas

Credit: Amazon

For Christmas and New Year's celebrations, crackers or poppers are a fun way to celebrate everything from midnight countdowns to dinnertime fun. The decorative paper cylinders usually include a fortune or joke, small toy or gift, and a paper crown. Popping or cracking them open, donning the paper crowns, playing with the tiny gifts, and reading the jokes aloud is always a highlight of the festivities. Note: If you buy crackers or poppers online, they will come without the popping sound because of shipping regulations. If you want the version that makes a sound when it's pulled open, you'll need to buy them in a store.

Buy it: Set of 8 No-Pop Christmas Crackers, $14.99; amazon.com

Snow Day!

child sitting down in the snow wearing ice skates

Credit: Meredith

Whether or not you grew up where lakes and ponds freeze over, there's something nostalgic and Christmasy about skating and sledding in the snow. Even if you're in a warm location, you might be able to find local ice skating rinks or temporary rinks set up for the season. You can also check with hockey rinks to see if they have public skating times. If you live in a colder climate, a snow hill nearby is an option for easy sledding.

5 Warming Slow Cooker Meals for Post Winter Sporting
30 Hearty Winter Soups to Warm You Up After A Day Outside

Decorate Christmas Cookies

Soft Christmas Cookies in gingerbread man, candy cane, and tree shapes on a white plate

Credit: MDarling

Trimming the Tree

overhead view of homemade Grinch Kabobs made of green grapes, banana slices, strawberries, and mini marshmallows threaded on toothpicks

Credit: Juliemar Rosado (Jmar)

At my grandmother's house, the tree was decorated on Christmas Day morning. There was something special in that moment. Decorating the tree together as a family or with friends can be an event in itself: Gather together, spin the Christmas tunes, and make make snacks and drinks to fuel the fun. While someone unscrambles the lights and others sort out the ornaments, the kitchen can be a merry place to prep the treats!

10 Snacks to Enjoy While You're Decorating the Christmas Tree

Giving Back to the Community

young volunteers packaging produce at a community kitchen garden.

Credit: Meredith

Maybe the biggest and most meaningful traditions at the holidays are all about giving back. Whether you volunteer at your local food bank or gather donations during the Christmas season, joining with others to give back is a holiday gift that keeps giving. As you consider how to serve others during the holiday season, there are tangible ways (food gifts, serving food, gift cards, Angel Trees) but there are also ways of giving that are closer to home, like shoveling a neighbor's snowy driveway.

How To Inspire Your Kids To Give Back With the Gift of Kindness

More Christmas Ideas

homemade gingerbread cookie wreath hung on a wall with a wide red ribbon tied in a bow

Credit: Jessica Furniss

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