The Best Christmas Eve Traditions for Couples

Start Christmas Eve Traditions with your partner this year. It’s a great way to connect during the busy holiday season and enjoy the holidays more.

I’m a big fan of traditions. They give you something to look forward to and they really put me in the holiday mood. I have traditions with my family, myself, and my husband.

Most Christmas Eve traditions seem to focus on the whole family, which is great but having traditions with just you and your partner is fun and important as well. It can be so easy to get caught up in the busyness of the holiday season and forget to spend enough time together. 

Taking time on Christmas Eve just for yourselves can help you reconnect. For myself and my husband, Christmas Eve is extra important as it’s our dating anniversary. While we do spend time with family on Christmas Eve, we try to also make time for each other.

If you aren’t sure what kinds of traditions to start you can check out this list. Use the Christmas date night ideas on the list or just use them as inspiration for your own. Your tradition can be sweet, silly, romantic, or all of the above. Traditions don’t last if they are forced, so find what works for you and your partner, it may take some trial and error.

Christmas Eve Traditions for Couples

Watch a Movie in Bed

Curl up in bed and watch one of your favorite Christmas movies together. The Christmas Eve tradition can be just to watch a Christmas movie together or pick a movie you want to watch every year.

You can make it even more enjoyable by sipping on some champagne or hot chocolate. And don’t forget the popcorn or another fun movie-themed snack.

Give Each Other Sexy Stockings

Fill stockings for each other with things that maybe aren’t so family-friendly. Also, include a sweet love note. If you need a few ideas here are some.

Another great gift to give that you both will enjoy is The Adventure Challenge book. They have a few great options and they are great for making sure you make date nights a priority and keep them fun. 

Exchange Ornaments

Give each other ornaments that represent a memory from that year or something you love about your partner. To make it even more fun you could set up a tree in your bedroom to keep these ornaments on every year.

My husband and I get an ornament from Hallmark each year with the date on it. Those each go on a tree that stays in our bedroom. It’s lovely to have just the Christmas tree lights on at night while in bed. And as the years go by we fill up the tree with beautiful ornaments.

Bake a Sweet Treat

Make and decorate some Christmas cookies. Or maybe decorate a gingerbread house. You could also bake something that will be nice for a morning treat for the whole family.

Look at the Christmas Lights

My husband and I do this each Christmas Eve. We drive around with some Christmas music playing and just look at some of the light displays around town. It’s a cheap and easy tradition but one that we both love.

One year it was snowing and icy, I was sad because I thought we were going to have to skip. However, my husband had me bundle up and we drove very slowly across the street where there are some lights. It was a shorter trip but it was still special. You can even do a Christmas light scavenger hunt.

Exchange a Meaningful Gift

Opening gifts on Christmas can end up being a big blur of excitement. Save one special gift each to be opened on Christmas Eve, just the two of you. It can help make those gifts even more special.

Cook Dinner Together

Order a Blue Apron box and cook one of the meals together. You can then enjoy the meal while watching a Christmas TV special or a Christmas movie.

You could also cook one of your favorite meals. It doesn’t have to be fancy. My parents have a tradition of grilling hot dogs on Christmas Eve and watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

Set up a Hot Cocoa Bar

Make up some hot cocoa and have lots of fun toppings. Once you create your delicious drinks curl up on the sofa in front of your Christmas tree and enjoy your time together.

You can even add some Irish cream to the hot chocolate bar since it’s for adults only! Or try the red wine and hot chocolate trend.

Make candles together

Candles are always a romantic touch for Christmas so why not make your own? You could make some adorable rolled beeswax Christmas tree candles or buy a candle-making kit.

Christmas Date Night Cards

Keep the holiday magic going all season long by having several Christmas date nights.  These fun Christmas date night cards can be given to your partner at the start of the season or throughout the holidays. 

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Some of the best traditions are the ones that start naturally. Even if you have no plan be sure to set aside a bit of time to spend with your partner this Christmas Eve. If you are unable to be together on Christmas Eve, make your own Christmas Eve on whatever day you can be together. The important thing is time together.

More Christmas Inspiration

Keep track of your favorite Christmas traditions in your Christmas planner to make sure you don’t forget which you want to keep going.