Your baby’s first Christmas is a magical time to soak up and share an incredible year with family and friends, whilst also making new traditions that will last a lifetime. Christmas routines for babies can be hard to pin down - so much is going on at this time of year that routines can often go out the window. What’s more, each and every baby is wonderfully unique and will have different needs throughout the day - depending on the age and stage of your little one. Naps, milk and meals aside, we’ve compiled a guide to capture all the moments and milestones that make a baby’s first Christmas extraordinary - for you and them.
Keeping Christmas routines for babies relaxed and joyful
Christmas morning is a whirlwind of excitement, but for babies - especially new and younger babies - comfort and routine matter most. Starting the day gently, perhaps with a cuddle by the tree before opening presents, can help ease them into the celebrations. Christmas is wonderful but can be quite overstimulating for little ones, so try to keep familiar breakfast and nap routines if possible.
Christmas is about creating memories, so if sticking rigidly to a schedule is going to cause more stress, then aim for a happy medium - even short naps or mini milk breaks can help make a difference. Flexibility is key: if your baby needs a quiet moment away from the noise or a change in routine, that’s ok. It might be a great opportunity to go for a quiet winter walk with baby in the pram, away from noise and distractions (cuddles may have to wait)!
Christmas Morning: Creating and capturing those first Christmas memories
Some of the most treasured moments of a baby’s first Christmas are the tiny, fleeting ones: their wide-eyed wonder at the twinkling lights, the first touch of an ornament (maybe not a fragile one!), or their tiny hands exploring a soft new gift.
A photo or video can be a wonderful way to capture these moments. Babies tend to be at their brightest and best in the morning, making it the perfect time for a festive photo. Consider setting up a small “Christmas corner” with the tree, stockings, or festive decorations where you can snap pictures throughout the day. Natural light works best for baby photos, and candid shots often tell the sweetest story - but if you’re not so big on photography, don’t sweat it. This is a wonderful time to capture the authentic joy of Christmas; any snaps of those smiles will feel like the best gift of all.
Keepsakes make beautiful reminders of this special milestone. A handprint ornament, a ‘baby’s first Christmas’ sleepsuit, or a simple photo in a festive frame are all lovely traditions to hold onto - perhaps swapping a sleepsuit for pyjamas once they get too big for them (sob!). And speaking of traditions…
Midday: Meaningful traditions to start together
While this may be your baby’s first Christmas, it’s also the perfect time to begin family traditions. You may have some to carry forward from your own family, or perhaps several to combine between two families. If you don’t have any, now is the time to introduce them. Simple rituals, like reading a Christmas story on Christmas Eve before bed, wearing matching festive pajamas as a family, or even starting the day with a special signature ‘Christmas breakfast’ can become cherished traditions as your baby grows into a child. We’ve compiled a few fun traditions from the My 1st Years team to share for inspiration:
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“Reading ‘The Night before Christmas’ on Christmas Eve - I’m the third generation now reading it to my children, which feels pretty magical.”
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“Watching Christmas movies together - one every day throughout December! - with hot chocolate and snuggly blankets to get us in the Christmas mood”
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“On the 23rd every year we do a drive to see all the Christmas lights in the area - normally with a hot chocolate if I get my way!”
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“We have a BBQ on Xmas Eve at my Mum's after we did it one year at my Uncle's in Canada in the snow. We eat inside, but it's nice to eat something not Christmassy before the Christmas Day eat-a-thon.”
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“We have a tradition of lighting candles as soon as it goes dark and eating Lebkuchen.”
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"We take a polaroid by the Christmas tree each year on Christmas Eve.”
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“My family have a weird one of having Pork Pie for breakfast, they're from Melton Mowbray and it’s a bit of a local tradition there!”
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“My mum buys me and my brother a chocolate Santa every year and we try and smash the other persons before they get to it…”
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“Every Christmas Eve we order a pizza and watch The Polar Express in our PJs.”
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“Christmas Eve box every year - hot chocolate stirrers, a new board game to play and often something silly like new Christmas socks or t-shirts for us all to wear (matchy matchy) and very importantly some sparkly reindeer food to sprinkle on the grass before going to bed just to make sure the reindeers know where we are!”
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“Christmas Eve every year we go out to an Italian restaurant for lunch so Mum doesn’t have to worry about food in the evening. We’ve been going to the same restaurant for 37 years! Then in the evening we have mince pies and exchange family Christmas cards (and now we’re all adults, a quick trip to the pub for a pint/mulled wine). We still do this same tradition now even though myself and my brother don’t live at home anymore but we always make sure we’re there for Christmas Eve lunch. I’ve even roped my husband into taking part now too. Hopefully it will continue for many years to come!”
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“Watching Elf on the 1st of December while putting up Christmas decorations.”
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“We bake cakes or biscuits every Christmas Eve so that we can leave Santa a homemade treat!”
Afternoon: Exchanging personalised baby Christmas gifts to cherish forever
Personalised gifts aren’t just beautiful to look at - they feel particularly special and thoughtful to give, and become treasured reminders of a baby’s first Christmas. From the moment they are unwrapped, these very special tokens of affection become a part of the story of their first Christmas to look back on for years to come.
With the magical atmosphere and time spent with loved ones, gifts are another wonderful highlight of Christmas. Personalised baby Christmas gifts add an extra touch of thoughtfulness for any family with a new addition. Consider keepsake items like personalised ornaments or perhaps something really festive like a personalised stocking or gift sack for all their presents to commemorate a very special year. They aren’t just for baby, either - why not gift grandparent and parent gifts to new parents and grandparents enjoying their first Christmas with a new addition in tow?
If you’d rather get baby a practical yet sentimental gift, there are plenty of excellent choices for something that lasts beyond the season: personalised soft toys, blankets or wooden toys will all be favourites for the weeks and months to come.
Evening: Wind down the day with calm and connection
After all the excitement Christmas Day brings, a quiet evening routine helps everyone unwind. A warm bath, a favourite bedtime story - festive or not, depending on how picky baby is! - or simply snuggling together by the tree allows your baby to feel comforted and secure. Ending the day with gentle touch and reassurance reinforces their sense of safety and connection in the season of comfort and joy.
Amidst the sparkle and excitement, remember that at the heart of Christmas, your presence, love and joy as a family is what matters most. A calm, loving end to the day ensures that your little one’s first Christmas is remembered not just for the gifts, but for the warmth and joy shared together. With baby down for the night - we hope! - you can focus on a little me-time of your own; perhaps indulging in a glass of something sparkling and a well earned rest in front of the fire. If baby isn’t keen on heading to bed just yet, why not take them for a walk to look at the twinkling lights? A magical way to wrap up their very first Christmas.
The start of many Christmases to come
Your baby’s first Christmas is just the beginning of many Christmases to come; filled with joy, love, and shared memories as time goes by. By keeping Christmas routines for babies flexible, you can relax into capturing those fleeting moments, starting small traditions, and choosing thoughtful, personalised gifts - making this holiday unforgettable for you and your baby.
However you celebrate, make space for the small, special moments that truly make Christmas magical. These early memories - first giggles, endless cuddles, wide-eyed wonder at the sparkle and joy of it all - will stay with you long after the lights are packed away, forming the foundation of cherished first Christmas memories that last a lifetime.