How to Celebrate Your Baby’s First Christmas

Your baby’s first Christmas is magical. Odds are it won’t be as magical for them as it is for you. But this Christmas is more for you and your family than the baby.

Your little one obviously won’t remember any of it, and depending on the month your baby was born, may not even grasp the concept of Christmas. But this, like a first birthday, is a great memory for you and your partner as parents.

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Baby’s Age is a Big Factor for their first Christmas

Little bitty babies

Babies born toward the end of the year will be very tiny for Christmas, obviously. My cousin’s daughter was born a little over a week before Christmas.

If you have an itty bitty baby when Christmas comes, you may want to stay close to home and not travel too far to visit relatives especially if you’re worried about the baby getting around too many germs.

And don’t stress out too much when it comes to decorating or cooking. Take a pass this year if you need to. Your family will understand that you’re probably not up to making your green bean casserole while you’re dealing with a brand new baby.

Summer babies

Summer babies will be old enough to sit near the presents and may try to open them. But they will definitely need some help.

Toot is a July baby and was more interested in the shiny wrapping paper than the hundreds of dollars of presents we got her.

She had just gotten the hang of sitting with support around Christmastime, so that made for some cute photos. But she wasn’t quite into the whole Christmas idea yet.

I was left with a completely magic-less feeling during Christmas because I expected it to be amazing and for her to love it. It turns out that I was imagining her second or third Christmas, and I was disappointed when that’s not what happened.

Almost Toddler Babies

If you’re lucky enough to have a January baby (like my parents!), your baby will practically be a toddler for their first Christmas! I was 11 months old for mine. For obvious reasons, I don’t remember any of it. I don’t even remember what I was doing 20 minutes ago. (I knew I came in here for a reason!)

By 10 or 11 months your little one should be closer to understanding Christmas and opening presents. There will also be quite a bit more gift options for an almost one-year-old, and they’re easier to travel with.

You’ll be able to share more Christmas food with them since they are able to eat solids and try new things. 

Christmas Traditions to Start with Your Baby

Do you have family traditions that you want to continue with your own little family? Great! Keep them going!

You can even revive a tradition from your childhood. Ask your partner if they have traditions from their childhood that you both could continue for your baby.

If you don’t have any or want to start a new one, you can totally do that too!

Here are some examples of holiday traditions to start:

• Open one present on Christmas Eve.
• Everyone gets a new book, new pajamas, and hot cocoa on Christmas Eve.
• Create an advent calendar.
• Make a paper chain to count down the days to Christmas.
• Read a special Christmas book together.
• If you’re religious, attend a service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
• Take photos with Santa. (If your baby will allow you. See Toot’s photo above. lol)
• Take the plunge into Elf on the Shelf.
• Make an annual donation to a charity or donate toys to Toys for Tots.
• Everyone gets a new ornament for the tree.
• Watch classic Christmas specials.
• Bake Christmas cookies and give them out to friends and family.

Keepsakes to Get

You’ll want to get a stocking for your baby. I absolutely love the personalized ones with their name on it. We got one for Toot for her first Christmas. I never had one when I was a kid. I just had a big red one. 

And no Christmas tree would be complete without a Baby’s First Christmas Ornament. There are a billion to choose from. Most of them will have the year on it. You can also have them customized with their name and birthday sometimes. 

Photos to Take

Since your baby isn’t going to remember this Christmas, you’ll need to take lots of photos. Here are a few moments you don’t want to miss:

• Photos with Santa
• Baby with the tree
• Family photos by the tree
• Baby with Christmas lights (here’s a DIY tutorial from Spit Up and Sit Ups)
• Baby opening presents (with some help!)
• Photos with grandparents
• Generational photos
• Baby with her stocking
• Baby’s face when she sees the tree or lights for the first time
• Family in front of the house with decorations and lights
• Baby with all of her gifts

Gifts to Give a Baby for their First Christmas

I think the best gifts for babies that are too little for toys are just things you need. Clothes are a definite need for babies. Toot got so many sleepers and onesies.

You can even buy ahead to next year if you want. Toot just started wearing her fox jammies I got her last year. You can also buy toys and books to grow into.

Babies will also love teethers, rattles, blankets, soft cuddly toys, and board books. If you need book ideas, here are our 10 favorite books for babies. 

If you want a book that is really meaningful, get a personalized book with your baby’s name. There are a bunch of really cute ones. And they’re my favorite books to read to her. It’s a great gift your baby can enjoy now as well as when they get older.

How are you celebrating your baby’s first Christmas?

Let me know in the comments below!

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