The December 1st Party: A Fun Family Tradition to Kickstart the Holidays

Having a December 1st Party is a great way to kickstart the Christmas season. Your family will look forward to this magical tradition every year!

What is The December 1st Party?

On the evening of December 1st, we gather our family around to open one giant (and very exciting) present. It contains several different pieces to make our entire holiday season festive and fun. Here are the items I like to include every year in this family gift:

family christmas tradition

What to include in the December 1st present:

  1. Advent calendar: These fun Christmas countdowns are perfect to build anticipation during the month of December. This year I’m gifting our family a Lego themed calendar, and I know my girls will love playing with each new piece as it is added to the winter scene.
  2. Holiday Pajamas: Everyone gets their own pajamas! They can be classic or holiday-themed, but they are always cozy. This is a special gift to wear throughout the Christmas season.
  3. Christmas Puzzle: One of my favorite holiday family activities is to gather around our table, turn on some Christmas music, and work on a puzzle together. We have so much fun talking, laughing, and just enjoying the ambiance.
  4. Christmas Read-Aloud Book: This year I am including The Christmas Shoes, by Donna VanLiere. This heartwarming story follows the paths of a man and a boy through one momentous Christmas season.
  5. Toy Snow Balls: These fake snow balls are a great alternative if you’d like to have a snowball fight indoors. If you live somewhere that doesn’t get much snow, or you don’t like the cold associated with snow, these are a great alternative! The snow balls are soft, so you don’t have to worry about kids getting hurt. And they’re just the right size! 
  6. Party Light: If you’ve been here a while, you know that I love to use this disco ball to create positive momentum through music and to add fun to my parenting. For the December 1st Party, use this disco ball to have a dance party (or a snowball fight) to your favorite Christmas playlist. One of my favorite features–the lights even change with the beat of the song!
  7. A Seasonal Treat: I love to include anything with peppermint, white chocolate, or gingerbread to add some tasty holiday flavors. Hershey’s Kisses are my go-to, since they are easy to share!

Embrace the spirit of the season with a December 1st party, and let the magic of Christmas fill your home all month long! Wishing you a joyful and enchanting holiday season!family holiday tradition


If you want more ideas of how to make the Christmas season simple yet magical, you will also like these other great resources:

5 thoughts on “The December 1st Party: A Fun Family Tradition to Kickstart the Holidays”

  1. This is a fantastic idea! As Christians who are stopping the celebration of Christmas, I love the ideas you’ve suggested above on 12/1. Thank you!

  2. Thank you for these resources! I already had my kids fill out the questions to find out what matters this Christmas! I was surprised by the answers and that my kids loved when we did “Ninja Christmas Giving” where we park a distance away and try to avoid Ring Doorbells to anonymously give to one of our neighbors. My kids might get ninja costumes instead of Pajamas because they are taking it to the next level! Thank you for your help in adding magic to the season!

  3. Ralphie, you make my life (and my kids lives) better every day! This is the first year we’ll be doing a December 1st party and I know my kids will be SO excited! I got a s’mores maker to add to the box as our special treat for the night! Thank you for this and for everything you do!!

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