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DH and I always made cinnimon buns Christmas morning and we plan to continue with DD and future kiddos

We go Christmas tree cutting in early December, and decorate it together obviously. We are starting a new tradition to do an advent calendar this year. We make Swedish cinnamon buns sometime in December. We find neighborhood lights to drive by. Last year we did lights at the zoo but it was so crowded I don't think we'll do that again. Plus I am hugely pregnant and that doesn't sound fun.

@Bao: this year we are wrapping up books for each night in December to countdown for Christmas.

We're atheists, and we celebrate the Winter Solstice as the return of the sun, etc. but it's pretty much like Christmas, just a little earlier in December.

We see a local production of The Nutcracker every year. Until LO is 4 or 5, she'll stay with the grandparents. Once we start taking her, I'd like to take her to the nearest city to see the the professional ballet.

We'll make gingerbread houses when she's old enough.

We bake banana bread or cookies every year and bring them to all the neighbors.

On Solstice Eve, we turn off all the lights (with the exception of the tree) to be mindful of how short the day is. We light candles and lamps, sing carols, and play games.

We drink hot chocolate and eat cookies before bed on Solstice Eve.

We make cinnamon rolls and a quiche Solstice morning.

I make roast lamb for lunch/dinner. We drink cold hard cider and/or hot mulled wine. I plan on following the European tradition of allowing our kids one small cup of their choice.

We make a charity shoebox for kids in Moldova.

We get together with two other families to do presentations one night. Each person performs a song, recites a poem, puts on a short play with a few other people, etc. It's a lot of fun.

We don't do Santa or the Elf, and we're not religious, but I hope that the traditions we have will make this time of year magical for our kids.

@travellingbee: we check out about 3/4 of our books from the library and unwrap those first (3 week check out period.)

Christmas Tree up
Christmas lights up
One book a day Christmas themed until Christmas (we reuse too)
Advent calendar
Christmas lights

I want to take kids to a thing here where you ride a real train and the read the polar express, dress in pjs and drink hot choc but it's like 40/pp. might wait until kids are older to appreciate it!

@wrkbrk: my mom is Swedish and we use her family recipe but they are fairly labor intensive so only do it around the holidays.
Something like this:
http://www.thegumdropbutton.com/2014/02/16/kanelbullarswedishcinnamonbuns/

@Oxana: you had me at Nutcracker

We don't have any traditions yet besides going to pick out our tree and letting LO pick out the one she wants. This year she is more aware of Christmas and has told me Santa is bringing her presents (we've never talked to her about Santa).

We're doing a Christmas countdown (similar to advent calendar) that we're decorating together. It will have treats and activities, like watching Christmas movies, baking cookies, picking out our tree, drawing her teachers a picture, getting new Christmas PJs.

Seeing Santa will be on the list even though DH and I were hoping to avoid this.

We want to start spending Christmas not having to travel, just staying in our PJs, eating pancakes, and watching movies but that will start next year.

I was going to do the 25 books thing but that is just too much Christmas for me!

*Pie lunch on Thanksgiving (Pies for lunch instead of dinner, along with wine and cheese)
*Hiking on Black Friday (unintentional every year, but going along with #optoutside this year since I love the idea)
*Tree and lights up the Saturday after Thanksgiving along with the Ohio State/Michigan game (the one, single game my husband must watch every year)
*Go see Santa in December/drive around to see lights
* Walk the neighborhood on Christmas Eve, our neighborhood puts up luminarios
*Read the night before Christmas on the night before Christmas

We got Christmas light strolling/cruising every year. I love Christmas lights personally so I totally love that DS loves it just as much. He gets so excited when he sees them!!

Traditions on Christmas Eve: open gifts from her uncle, go to Christmas Eve service, leave out cookies and milk for santa with a carrot for Rudolph.
Traditions on Christmas: Wake up early, open gifts.

Everything else we do will change as years pass and she gets older.

Elf on the Shelf
Decorate Christmas tree
Decorate Christmas cookies
Christmas movies (my favorite)
We go to the lights parade every year (this year we are missing it and the girls are going with my sister due to an anniversary party we have)
Christmas parties
Family Christmas celebrations
Santa in DH's hometown

We do a gift from Mrs. Claus the Friday after Thanksgiving. New Christmas pajamas and a Christmas movie. A family friend used to do that and I loved the idea of doing the new jammies at the start of the Christmas season instead of Christmas Eve so the little ones can wear them all December.