10 Holiday Traditions You Can Start During Baby’s First Year

Between the cozy snuggles, slower pace, and twinkling lights, your baby’s first Christmas is full of magic. Even the simplest traditions feel big and meaningful. Whether you’re a brand-new parent or adding another little one to the crew, this season is a beautiful opportunity to start traditions that your family can grow into year after year.

As a Houston newborn and family photographer, I get a front-row seat to the beautiful (and sometimes beautifully chaotic!) moments that shape a family’s story. Even though your little one is still just a bud waiting to bloom, there are still many traditions you can start this year. If you’re looking for ways to savor this sweet season a little more, here are ten ideas to spark your imagination, from sentimental to silly to homemade-with-love.

Precious Holiday Traditions You Can Start with Baby’s First Christmas

1. Create a Keepsake Ornament Each Year

Your baby’s first year is full of “firsts,” and capturing one in ornament form is such a sweet way to revisit those memories. You can use a handprint, a footprint, or a tiny photo from your newborn session. There are SO many cute options, like these I found with a quick Pinterest search.

Over time, your tree becomes a tangible timeline of your growing family. Eventually, you might even want to put up a designated tabletop family keepsake tree so you and others can enjoy reminiscing.

Bonus: grandparents love these as gifts, too.

2. Start a Holiday Photo Tradition

Whether it’s matching pajamas, fun front-porch photos, or a quick snapshot under the Houston holiday lights, picking a predictable spot or style each year makes it easy—and memorable. Some families choose the same chair, tree, or local spot (like Discovery Green or Market Street, The Woodlands). Watching your little one grow frame by frame becomes one of the season’s sweetest joys. Start this year so you can build over time.

3. Build a “First Year” Memory Box

Think of this as a time capsule of your baby’s first holiday season. Include things like their holiday pajamas, hospital bracelet, a favorite board book, an ornament, or a small toy they loved. Every December, you can take it out together and add something new. One day, you’ll hand this box over to your child as a priceless gift you’ve both treasured over the years.

4. Start a Family Advent or Countdown Tradition

Your countdown tradition can be faith-based, experience-based, or just plain fun. For spiritual families, a simple Advent devotional or candle lighting can be a grounding way to slow down during the season. For others, a holiday countdown with tiny experiences—like “read a Christmas book,” “walk through a Houston lights display,” or “make hot cocoa”—keeps things light and joy-filled without adding pressure.

5. Choose a Special Holiday Book and Read It Every Year

Pick one beautifully illustrated book to start your collection—something meaningful, timeless, festive, or nostalgic. Read it on the same night every December and sign the inside cover with the year. As your baby grows, so will your library of memories, all tied to cozy bedtime snuggles. Later, as older kiddos or even teens, you may get some eye rolls or sarcastic giggles, but more than likely, they’ll secretly adore the sweet tradition and how you’ve made it special for them.

6. Begin a Baking (or Takeout!) Tradition

One of the sweetest parts of the holiday season is food—whether you’re baking sugar cookies or grabbing kolaches from your family’s favorite spot. If your baby is too small to help, let them sit nearby in a highchair while you whisk away. In a year or two, they’ll be covered in flour right beside you. Traditions don’t have to be fancy—they just have to be yours.

Fun twist: Whether they’re store-bought or homemade, you can bundle your baby in the stroller and deliver them to neighbors as a family—Secret Santa style or in person. It’s a thoughtful way to spread cheer.

7. Make a “Year-in-Review” Family Video

Even if you’re not a video person, this one is so fun to look back on. Throughout the year, save your favorite phone clips in an album. In December, stitch them together (yes, even rough and unedited!) and watch your year back with cozy blankets and hot cocoa. When your baby (or child) is older, you’ll both laugh at their tiny expressions, wobbly walks, and first attempts at words. You’ll be so glad you preserved those babbles, coos, and adorably mispronounced phrases.

8. Do a Holiday Lights Walk

We may not get much snow, but Houston showcases some incredible light displays—from River Oaks to City Centre—and seeing them through your baby’s eyes is unforgettable. Bundle up, wear the comfy shoes, and make this a low-pressure, easy outing every year. As your little one gets older, stop for cookies and cocoa, take a few photos, and make it a tradition you all look forward to.

9. Start a Giving Tradition

Even with a baby, you can begin modeling kindness and generosity. You could donate a toy, participate in Angel Tree (local) or Operation Christmas Child (global), assemble a Christmas care package for someone in need, or choose a cause to support as a family. As your child grows, they may naturally step into this tradition because it’s what they’ve always known.

10. Write a Letter to Your Baby

This is perhaps the most meaningful tradition of all. Each December, write your child a letter about who they are right now—what you love about them, what they’re learning, what made you all laugh this year. Seal it and save it for a future milestone, like 18th birthdays or high school graduation. It’s a love story in real time.

A Holiday Season Built on Connection

Traditions don’t have to be Pinterest-perfect to be meaningful. The ones your family will cherish are the ones rooted in connection, not comparison. A baby’s first holiday season is one of life’s sweetest chapters, and you get to decide how to make it magical.

If you’re excited to document this season of your family’s life—whether through a newborn session, holiday photos, or storytelling images of your growing crew—I’d love to help you preserve these memories.

Reach out anytime to book your Houston newborn or family photography session. I do mini sessions many Fridays, so it’s easy to snag a spot as your schedule allows.