The holidays come with traditions: decorating trees, specific foods, gift exchanges, family gatherings. For book people, reading traditions make the season feel complete.

Here are reading traditions worth adopting, whether you celebrate alone or with family.

The Christmas Eve Book Exchange

How it works: Everyone brings one wrapped book (price limit: $20-30). Draw numbers. First person picks and unwraps a book. Each subsequent person can either unwrap a new book or steal an already-opened book.

Why it works: Combines gift exchange with book recommendations. Everyone leaves with something to read over the holiday break. The stealing mechanic makes it fun rather than just polite gift acceptance.

Variations:

• Theme the books (all mysteries, all comfort reads, all from independent publishers)
• Require used/secondhand books only
• Make it genre-specific to your group’s interests

The Holiday Re-Read

Pick one book to re-read every December. It becomes your annual tradition, a way to mark the year passing.

Common choices:

• “A Christmas Carol” - Dickens (obviously)
• “Little Women” - Alcott (the Christmas chapter)
• “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” - Lewis (winter setting)
• Harry Potter books (cozy and nostalgic)
• Your personal childhood favorite

Why it works: Re-reading creates continuity across years. The book stays the same but your life changes, making each December reading slightly different.

Christmas Morning Story Time

For families with kids (or adults who miss childhood): Read aloud Christmas morning before or after presents.

Picture book options:

• “The Polar Express” - Chris Van Allsburg
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” - Dr. Seuss
• “The Jolly Christmas Postman” - Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Chapter book options (for older kids):

• “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” - Barbara Robinson
• “A Christmas Carol” - Dickens (unabridged or adapted)

Why it works: Reading aloud together creates shared experience and slows down the present-opening frenzy.

The Boxing Day Book Marathon

December 26th tradition: Stay in pajamas, ignore obligations, read all day.

Set it up for success:

• Stock snacks and drinks the day before
• Queue up 2-3 books (in case you finish one)
• Eliminate obligations (tell people you’re unavailable)
• Create comfortable reading space (blankets, good light, minimal distractions)
• Turn off notifications

Why it works: Post-Christmas exhaustion makes doing nothing feel justified. Reading all day is doing nothing productively.

Advent Reading Calendar

24 days of reading leading up to Christmas. Different approaches:

Option 1: Short story advent

• Anthology of 24 Christmas stories
• Read one per day December 1-24
• Various anthologies exist specifically for this

Option 2: Poetry advent

• 24 Christmas or winter-themed poems
• Read one each morning with coffee

Option 3: Chapter-based advent

• Pick a 24-chapter book
• Read one chapter per night
• Finish on Christmas Eve

Why it works: Daily ritual builds anticipation and creates structure during busy season.

The New Year’s Book

Tradition: First book finished in the new year matters.

Some readers believe: Whatever you read first in January sets the tone for the year.

Approach it deliberately:

• Choose something hopeful rather than dark
• Pick a book you know you’ll love (guaranteed good start)
• Try something from a genre you want to read more of
• Read something short to finish quickly and build momentum

Superstition or not, it’s a nice way to begin the year intentionally.

The December TBR Jar

Setup:

• Write titles of unread books you own on slips of paper
• Put them in a jar
• Draw one per week in December
• Whatever you draw, that’s what you read

Why it works: Removes decision paralysis about what to read during busy season. The randomness makes it fun.

Variation: Include “reread something” or “read something new” options to mix it up.

Holiday Travel Reading List

Tradition: Curate specific books for holiday travel.

Airport/plane reading criteria:

• Engaging enough to distract from travel stress
• Self-contained chapters (easy to pause)
• Not too precious (can risk damage/loss)
• Length appropriate to travel duration

Road trip criteria:

• Audiobooks for driver
• Physical books for passengers
• Mix of individual and group listening options

Why it works: Associating specific books with holiday travel creates positive reading memories.

The Winter Reading Challenge

December-February challenge: Read books set in winter or cold climates.

Options:

• “The Terror” - Dan Simmons (Arctic horror)
• “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” - Peter Høeg (Danish thriller)
• “The Bear and the Nightingale” - Katherine Arden (Russian fantasy)
• “White Fang” - Jack London (Alaska)
• “Doctor Zhivago” - Boris Pasternak (Russian revolution)

Why it works: Reading seasonally makes books feel more immersive. Winter books in winter just hit different.

The Cookbook Reading Tradition

Not reading recipes, reading cookbooks as literature.

Narrative cookbooks:

• “Blood, Bones & Butter” - Gabrielle Hamilton
• “The Gastronomical Me” - M.F.K. Fisher
• “Heat” - Bill Buford

Why it works: Food and holidays go together. Reading about food extends the sensory pleasure of holiday eating.

The Library Holiday Haul

Tradition: Visit library before winter break, borrow ambitious stack of books.

Strategy:

• Borrow books you’ve been meaning to read
• Include mix of serious and light reading
• Over-borrow (you can always return unread books)
• Stock up before library closes for holidays

Why it works: Free books, no purchase guilt, legitimate reason to read extensively over the break.

The Christmas Letter Book Review

Alternative to traditional Christmas letters: Write annual letter that’s mostly book recommendations.

Format:

• Best books you read this year
• Brief notes on why you loved them
• Recommendations for different family members
• What you’re excited to read in coming year

Why it works: More interesting than generic family updates. Gives recipients actual value (book suggestions). Creates literary time capsule of your reading year.

The Solstice Reading

December 21st (longest night): Lean into the darkness with atmospheric reading.

Book options:

• Gothic novels
• Horror/mystery
• Winter-set literary fiction
• Poetry about night and darkness

Make it ritualistic:

• Read by candlelight
• Create cozy atmosphere
• Start at sunset, read until you’re tired
• Embrace the seasonal darkness

Why it works: Aligns reading with natural rhythms and seasonal changes.

Starting Your Own Tradition

Good holiday reading traditions share characteristics:

Repeatability: Can be done annually without becoming stale

Personal meaning: Reflects your values and interests

Manageable: Doesn’t create stress or obligation

Flexible: Can adapt to changing circumstances

Enjoyable: Actually adds to holiday pleasure rather than feeling like homework

Traditions We’ve Tried and Abandoned

What didn’t work for us:

Reading entire “A Christmas Carol” aloud: Too long, people got restless

Requiring family members to read: Created resentment, backfired

Ambitious 12 Days of Christmas reading challenge: Too much during busy season

Forcing specific books: If it feels like obligation, it’s not a good tradition

The Anti-Tradition Tradition

Some readers prefer: No special holiday reading at all. Read what you want when you want, regardless of season.

That’s also valid. Traditions work for some people and feel forced for others.

If holiday reading traditions feel like pressure, skip them entirely. Reading should enhance your life, not create new obligations.

What We’re Doing This Year

Christmas Eve: Book exchange with close friends (5-6 people, $25 limit)

Christmas Day: Reading aloud one picture book with family before lunch

Boxing Day: Personal reading marathon (already have three books queued)

New Year’s Day: Starting the year with a comfort re-read (probably “The House in the Cerulean Sea”)

Simple traditions that feel meaningful without being overwhelming.

Making It Stick

Start small. One simple tradition is better than five ambitious ones you abandon.

Build slowly. Add new traditions over years rather than implementing everything at once.

Remain flexible. If a tradition stops working, change or abandon it.

Include others thoughtfully. Make sure traditions include rather than exclude family members with different reading habits.

Focus on enjoyment. If it’s not adding pleasure to your holidays, it’s not worth doing.

Reading traditions make the holidays feel richer for book people. They create structure, meaning, and continuity across years.

But they’re optional. Your holiday reading can be as simple as “read what you want” or as elaborate as advent calendars and themed exchanges.

What matters is reading brings you joy during the season. However you accomplish that is the right approach.

Happy reading, happy holidays, and here’s to good books in good seasons.