15 Holiday Traditions from PBS KIDS and Viewers Like You

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Playing card games, enjoying music, and breakfast with Santa are just a few traditions families have when the holiday season comes around. And celebrating just wouldn’t be the same without these unique traditions!

In the special, Let’s Go Luna! Christmas Around the World, Luna and her friends Andy, Carmen and Leo learn about holiday traditions from countries around the world when they are stuck in Antarctica during Christmas Eve. While they worry that Santa won’t be able to find them on the other side of the world, the kids learn from their fellow Circo Fabuloso performers about favorite traditions from their home countries:

• In France, children leave their shoes by the fireplace to be filled with gifts by Pere Noel, who rides a donkey to deliver them.
• There is Tomte in Sweden, a Santa Claus-like gnome who brings gifts to kids and eats sweet porridge that families leave out for him.

• Senor Fabuloso talks about tio de nadal, a log that brings presents, from Catalonia in Spain.
• And in Italy, La Befana is a witch who brings candy and gifts, then sweeps up the home before she leaves.

In the spirit of these holiday traditions, PBS KIDS asked you for your favorite family traditions during the season! And if you’re looking for new traditions to start with your family, check out these meaningful ideas.

• “We always have music — depending on who all can come, there’s at least a piano and a guitar happening,” says Grace S.

• “We chop a tree down in the woods the day after Thanksgiving,” says Rachelle P.
• “We don’t open our presents till late afternoon on Christmas Day. Taking our time, we open one gift at a time. It goes for hours and we often break to snack or eat again. It makes it so special and not rushed!” says @frankandjudah.

• “Breakfast with Santa. We’re actually going tomorrow!” says Marie S.
• “We make paper chains with glitter and cut out snowflakes to hang on the ceiling plus ornaments on fishing line… Since we have cats, we decorate the ceiling instead of having a decorated tree,” says Janet C.

• “My family plays card games. Sometimes we play them even when there’s not a special event,” says @ayla_girl_.
• “We love lighting the menorah, eating latkes with applesauce, and reading children’s books about Hannukkah with our two-year-old,” says Rachel B.

• “[I love seeing my] kids’ handprints on the tree skirt,” says Stephanie L.
• “At my grandparents’ house we all grew up with ambrosia. This was a family favorite we all helped make at Thanksgiving, Christmas, whenever cousins, aunts and uncles would visit.” says Michelle.

• “We play board games!” says @lil_brandilyn.
• “After dinner and presents the kids get a half of a lemon and a peppermint stick. No idea why except ‘your great grandmother used to do it.’ In her version of the tradition the peppermint stick would have a dollar wrapped around it,” says Candace C.