Baby's First Christmas: Keepsakes and Traditions You'll Be Glad You Started

Your baby won't remember their first Christmas. You will, though. And one day, they'll want to know what it was like: who held them, what they wore, whether they cried on Santa's lap (a classic), and which ornament on the tree is "theirs."

Here are the classic first-Christmas keepsakes, some newer ideas, and how to make room in the traditions for big brothers and sisters, who tend to get a little lost in all the baby excitement.

Classic first-Christmas keepsakes

The first ornament

A dated "Baby's First Christmas" ornament is perhaps the most popular first-Christmas keepsake. It goes on the tree every year after, and when your child grows up and has their own tree, it can go with them.

Ideas for making it personal:

• An ornament with the baby's name and year
• A clear ornament holding a tiny handprint, a lock of hair or a hospital bracelet
• A salt-dough handprint, baked and painted
• An ornament chosen by a sibling

Starting a tradition of one new ornament per child per year is lovely. By eighteen, each child has a small collection to take with them.

The first stocking

Adding a new stocking to the mantel is one of the sweetest moments of a growing family. Many families choose a stocking that matches the others, with the baby's name stitched or written on it. Our film One Tiny Stocking is about a child who added a tiny stocking with a question mark to her drawing of the family's stockings, for the baby who wasn't born yet.

Handprints and footprints

A newborn's hands and feet change incredibly fast. Ink or paint prints on a card, an ornament or a canvas, dated, make a record you can't recreate. Some families repeat it every Christmas and compare.

The first Christmas photo

Whether it's a professional shoot, a baby asleep under the tree, or the famous crying-on-Santa's-lap photo, take it. Then consider a yearly tradition: the same spot, the same pose, every Christmas.

Newer first-Christmas traditions

A letter to your baby

Write a letter about the baby's first Christmas: who visited, what you ate, what the baby did (slept, mostly), how you felt. Seal it and put it in their memory box. Add one each year if you like. By the time they're grown, they'll have a record of every Christmas in your words.

A first-Christmas book

Start a small photo book or journal just for Christmases. One page per year: a photo, the date, a few lines about what happened.

Guests sign something

Ask everyone who visits during the baby's first Christmas to sign a card, a book or a tablecloth. Years later, it's a snapshot of the people who welcomed them into the world.

A first-Christmas outfit, saved

Keep the tiny outfit they wore on Christmas Day. It's one of those things that seems unnecessary at the time and becomes priceless later.

Don't forget the big sibling

When a baby arrives, the attention shifts, and older children notice. A first Christmas with a new baby can be wonderful for big brothers and sisters, or quietly hard. A few ideas to keep them at the center:

Give them a job

• Hanging the baby's ornament on the tree
• Choosing the baby's first Christmas gift
• Helping open the baby's presents (the baby won't mind)
• Teaching the baby about Christmas: reading a story, showing the lights

Make sure they get their own moment

A gift just for them, from the baby. A one-on-one outing with a parent. A special job on Christmas morning.

Let them draw it

Ask the big sibling to draw the family's first Christmas with the baby. These drawings are often extraordinary. Children draw how the new arrangement feels to them. Our film Holding the House is about a big sister who drew herself holding up the whole house after the baby came. Another, The Whale Brother, is about a boy who drew himself as a whale carrying his baby sister's tiny boat.

These drawings tell you a lot about how a child is adjusting. They're also beautiful keepsakes.

First-Christmas gifts for the family

For new parents

Something practical (sleep, food, help) or something sentimental (a framed photo, an ornament). Both are welcome.

For new grandparents

A first-Christmas photo of them holding the baby, framed. Or a keepsake with the baby's handprint.

For the big sibling

A gift that celebrates their new role: a "big sister" or "big brother" book, an outing, or their own drawing made into something special.

Making a sibling's drawing into a first-Christmas keepsake

At ANORA, we embroider children's drawings on hoodies and T-shirts. A big sibling's drawing of the new baby, or of the family's first Christmas together, can become something the big kid wears proudly, or a gift for the parents. We stitch the drawing exactly as it was made, crooked lines and all. You'll see a preview before you order.

You can upload a drawing here. Production and U.S. delivery take approximately 12 business days from the start of production, so give yourself time before the holidays. During our grand opening, code BESTGIFT takes 15% off.

Frequently asked questions

What are good baby's first Christmas keepsakes?

Dated ornaments, handprint or footprint art, a first stocking, a first-Christmas photo, a saved outfit, and a letter to the baby about the day.

When does baby's first Christmas count?

It's simply the first Christmas after the baby is born, whether they're one week or eleven months old. Some families also mark a "bump's first Christmas" during pregnancy.

How do you include an older sibling in baby's first Christmas?

Give them jobs, such as hanging the baby's ornament or choosing a gift, make sure they have their own special moment, and ask them to draw the family's first Christmas together.

What should you write in a letter for baby's first Christmas?

Who was there, what you did, what the baby was like at that age, funny moments, and how you felt. Date it and keep it in their memory box.