Old School Christmas Traditions

Updated December 22, 2025

We’re going old school this year.

Bring on the nostalgia!

Here’s how to do it….

Multicolor Light Accents

I’m not changing everything we do, but instead adding touches here and there to mimic Christmas from when I was a kid. We traditionally have white lights, so this throw back has been fun.

I hung lights in two of my kids’ windows and then lined the perimeter of the other kid’s room, which gave it a Stranger Things vibe.

I recommend the following for this project:

• 100 count multicolor lights (non-LED)
• Light clips (or something similar)
• Extension cord (if needed)

Clips:

Tips for Multicolor Lights

This is a simple project, but a few tips might help.

If the convenient plastic clips aren’t strong enough, use cup hooks. They are fool proof, but will leave a hole in your wall.

I chose the old school lights rather than LED. I like the way they glow warmly and they’re cheaper too!

The cup hooks will save you some stress, as the plastic ones fall quicker. Follow the instructions on the package and be sure to wipe the area clean before attaching.

Not all multicolor lights look the same. Walmart has a slightly different color palette compared to Target, so keep this in mind if you’re shopping more than once for this project.

Milk Carton Gingerbread Houses

Made popular by kindergarten classes everywhere in the 80s, these childhood classics bear repeating.

I gathered my family for a night recently of decorating and everyone had a good time.

This post shares all about how to do it. It’s easy and inexpensive!

Elementary School Coloring Advent Calendar

My family has been recreating this calendar since 1977 when my big brother brought it home from Kindergarten at Christie Elementary in Plano, Texas.

I hand draw it each year with mostly the exact same designs used nearly 50 years ago. It’s simple: Kids color each day until Jesus is born.

My kids are 18, 19 and 25 and I still make this every year and hang them on the sliding glass door to be colored. And they do it! I will never not have these up in my house at Christmas.

Holiday Card Round Up

After years of collecting (and occasionally losing) our treasured yearly cards, I finally put them all in a large photo album.

Easy to do! Choose any album you like, but make sure it’s big enough. The first one I used was too small.

And secure your photos. I tried another book years ago to keep everything in one place, but the photo pages were pocket sleeves that allowed cards to slip out easily.

Here’s quick reel of how my card collection album turned out.

The Most Popular Christmas Card

We’ve sent funny cards and serious cards over the years, but this one has always stood out. Many years ago, our kids were all dressed up for a wedding, so I sat them down for a photo.

Jack lunged at Lainey while Carter stood by in his usual disbelief and this was our lives at that time. Kids were 2, 3, and 8. Our lives were crazy, so our card was that too.

People still talk about this card today and it’s 17 years old. And it was featured on Awkward Family Photos! Maybe one of my greatest parenting achievements really:

Candied Cranberries

Easy and delicious!

Add a bag of cranberries to a bowl of orange juice and Sprite until just coated and refrigerate overnight. Drain, toss the cranberries with 2-3 cups of powdered sugar, and then spread everything out on a baking sheet. You want every cranberry drenched in powdered sugar. No red in sight!

Bake at 220° for only about 5 minutes to form a candy shell. Back in the fridge for a few hours and then they’re done!

I keep these refrigerated.

In 2025, I packaged and gifted them to neighbors, friends and family. I share how to put these together, along with a link to the cute little pouches, in this post.

70th McDonald’s Happy Meal Snow Globes

These are so easy to do! Here’s what you need:

• McDonald’s Happy Meal toy
• $1.50 snow globe from Dollar Tree
• $1.50 faux snow from Dollar Tree
• Glue gun

Here’s how to do it:

• Take apart the snow globe.
• Hot glue the toy to the bottom of it.
• Fill the snow globe with snow.
• Attach the bottom and then the screw on the outer cap.
• Shake and watch it snow! Here’s a quick reel showing what they look like finished.

Note: There’s a version of this craft where you could add water to make it more authentic, but I don’t think the glue would last long , so I kept it simple with the faux snow alone. Also works better for little ones this way.

Visit a Candy Shop to See how Candy Canes are Made

My kids have seen more old school candy shops across this nation than most. I’ve always loved them, as they share a peek into small town life and always feel a little lost in time.

I recently visited Logan’s Candies in Ontario, California, which is about 45 minutes from Disneyland.

I encourage you to find a candy shop in your area for a fun holiday experience. Here’s all about Logan’s and our candy shop visits over the years.

La Posada

We’ve celebrated twice now with neighbors and I’m so honored each time they include us.

“La Posada” refers to a traditional Mexican Christmas celebration reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging (posada) in Bethlehem.

We take a candlelit walk through the neighborhood, caroling (asking for shelter), and then we conclude with the Catholic Rosary and a huge feast.

Here’s more about this beautiful tradition.

And here’s a reel sharing a glimpse of the celebration.

Other Christmas Projects & Recipes

Check out these gift suggestions and dishes I’ve shared over the years:

• Keepsake Recipe Box – I started this for our kids for their collection down the road 
• “it’s a small world” book – Just over $4
• Santa Stops at Disneyland book – Also under $5
• Frame an old photo – My mom with Santa in the 50’s is so precious!

• Four Ingredient Fudge – Easy and delicious (here’s the peanut butter version, too)
• Easy Breakfast Casserole – What we eat for Christmas morning
• My Most Popular Dish for Entertaining – and it’s red and green!

Additional Resources

Planning a trip? Start with this post. It shares all sorts of basic planning info that will help you get organized. 

Need discounted tickets and hotels? Check out my travel partner, Get Away Today. In business since 1990, they’re the absolute best with both pricing and service. This link takes you to them. Or you can call 855.GET.AWAY toll free. 

***Use code DDaily for an additional $10 off when you book hotel and tickets 

Let me know how I can help you plan!!