If you look back at all of the things you remember about your childhood holidays, you probably won’t be able to single out a specific toy or meal (unless it involved a food fight), how clean your home was or how perfect your mother’s strung popcorn was.

Chance are, the traditions that your family had together are probably the most fond memories you can recall today—and why shouldn’t they be? Family traditions and rituals make our lives rich and fulfilling. They’re fun, meaningful, and give us something to pass down to our children.

For example, in my family the tradition was always to stay up as late as we could, listening for sleigh bells or Santa. (My dad would actually rattle bells outside sometimes!) Then, the first one of us—there were three of us girls—who woke up had to wake the other sisters up. Then, as my mom fondly recalls, a ripple would go through the house—a small wave of giggling, excited girls fighting the urge to get out of bed until Mom and Dad woke up. This, she says, was always her favorite part—besides the look on our faces when we opened our presents.

Today we still have some of these traditions. We get fruit in our stockings, and open them first; the men are in charge of baking the homemade pies while the women cook the dinner—women, in this case, being my mom, who prefers to do it all the night before.

These are very basic traditions, but added together they create a rich, warm family experience. What traditions can you recall from your childhood? What traditions do you wish you’d had? It’s never to early to start one. Here are some ideas for starting Christmas traditions; feel free to add your own.

• Go caroling on Christmas Eve. Bring goodies or hot chocolate for your neighbors.
• Design an ornament every year. Either make one for the whole family, or have each member make his or her own unique design.
• Gather around and sing together inside like they do in the movies. Don’t have a piano? Use whatever instrument you have, or simply let the radio keep the beat going for you.
• Pick out a charity together to give to—either for Christmas or for the entire year to come.
• Hold a family game, competition, or Olympics with winter themes, such as candy cane relay races.
• Go somewhere you never really go on Christmas Eve, such as the bowling alley, a local diner, the movies, or anywhere else that’s open. Then, on Christmas, refuse to leave the house for anything!
• Watch a marathon of Christmas movies.
• Read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” or any other favorite Christmas stories out loud.
• Burn a Yule log—or make one to eat!