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Traditional Christmases Are So Last Season, Let's Ring In The Holidays With These 13 Uncommon Traditions

Make your Christmas unique with these new traditions.

Lauren Alice Margheim

Dec 27, 2018

Orlando, Florida

Toa Heftiba

Now don't get me wrong—I love stereotypical, plain old Christmas traditions as much as the next guy. I'll take a hot chocolate while we drive around and look at Christmas lights any day. Just don't try to convince me that Christmas dinner is anything other than those wonderful noodles, rice, veggies, chicken, and signature white sauce from Kobe Steakhouse.

Our Kobe Christmas dinner is probably the most uncommon Christmas tradition my family follows, so I was curious to see what other families do to celebrate the holiday. Below are some uncommon Christmas traditions I've gathered from friends and online submissions. Maybe you'll find one you want to start too!

1. Lasagna Christmas Eve dinner!

Keep it simple and classic the day before the big celebrations!

2. A movie and mimosas!

Honestly, just another excuse to drink mimosas. Sit back with the bubbly and relax while watching "Elf" or "A Christmas Story" or the "Prep and Landing" cartoons!

3. New toothbrushes in your stockings!

Too many Christmas cookies? No worries! Santa's got all your dental needs covered. He's teamed up with the Tooth Fairy to make your smile merry and bright for the holidays.

4. Ornament wishing game!

"Make a wish when placing the first ornament on the tree. If the ornament falls, the wish didn't come true."

5. Sub sandwich Christmas dinner and a movie!

"My family makes open faced sub sandwiches for a late lunch or early dinner and watches Oliver Twist in the evening. My mom told my dad to pick out a Christmas movie to watch the first year they were married and he picked that one because it had snow in the background on the cover. Oliver Twist is not, in fact, a Christmas movie."

6. New calendar on Christmas!

The rest of the year can be a bit of a blur sometimes. Make sure you have a way to keep track of how many days until next Christmas!

7. Traditional British Christmas crackers!

They're so cool. You pull them apart and inside are prizes, jokes, and a paper crown. Maybe this is normal in England, but in America, this is something fun and different than any old Christmas activity.

8. Keep your decorations up until April!

Just because you love Christmas that much. Keep that festive spirit going into the rest of the year.

9. Don't send Christmas cards!

Giphy

It's okay! Just post a bunch of pictures on Facebook! Your friends and family will get the idea.

10. Go see a movie!

There's no traffic on the way to the theater and then the theater itself is practically empty. It's almost like watching a movie in the comfort of your own home, but not!

11. Special wrapping paper!

Use new, surprise wrapping paper to reveal on Christmas day—a different one for each person! This makes gifts easy to find and keep track of before you open them.

12. Celebrate with ESPN!

Giphy

Not Christmas movies. In fact, don't even watch a Christmas movie. Focus on your favorite sports team and bring Christmas cheer cheering them on!

"We've got spirit, yes we do!"

(#10hana)

13. Christmas dinner at a hibachi restaurant!

Giphy

You just cooked a nice dinner on Thanksgiving. Who wants to go through all that work again so soon? Head to Kobe Steakhouse or another hibachi style restaurant for a Japanese Christmas dinner! The best part is you'll have leftovers for the next day too! Plus, the white sauce. Ugh, now I'm hungry.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

"God bless us, everyone!" —Tiny Tim, "A Christmas Carol"

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Recommended for you

Traditional Christmases Are So Last Season, Let's Ring In The Holidays With These 13 Uncommon Traditions

Make your Christmas unique with these new traditions.

1. Lasagna Christmas Eve dinner!

2. A movie and mimosas!

3. New toothbrushes in your stockings!

4. Ornament wishing game!

5. Sub sandwich Christmas dinner and a movie!

6. New calendar on Christmas!

7. Traditional British Christmas crackers!

8. Keep your decorations up until April!

9. Don't send Christmas cards!

10. Go see a movie!

11. Special wrapping paper!

12. Celebrate with ESPN!

13. Christmas dinner at a hibachi restaurant!

Subscribe to our Newsletter

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Phase One: The “I got this” phase

Phase Two: The “I have time” phase

Phase Three: The uncontrollable sobbing phase

Phase Four: The “help me, I've fallen and I can't get up” phase

Phase Five: The rejoicing phase

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

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