12 Best Christmas Traditions from Ree Drummond
Updated: Jan. 09, 2023
The Pioneer Woman has plenty of Christmas traditions we'd like to steal for our holidays. Here are a few of Ree Drummond's favorite things—from spending time with family to matching pajamas!
Draw Names for Gifts
This Christmas tradition actually begins on Thanksgiving. While the extended family is gathered together, draw names for a gift exchange. Instead of everyone buying gifts for everyone else, each person gets to give (and receive!) one. Ree says it’s fun to see how much thought and creativity folks put into that one gift.
Need some inspiration for gifts? Check out the home decor items from the Pioneer Woman we’re shopping now.
Spend a Day with Family
The holidays are hectic, so carve out a day to spend with your family. For Ree and her husband (the “Marlboro Man”) this means an annual ski trip with the kids. But how about a fun day of sledding followed by hot cocoa and games? You could also take an evening drive to look at holiday lights.
Watch a Christmas Movie
“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” We all know certain Christmas movies by heart—they’re so much fun to watch together every year. Ree’s favorite is It’s A Wonderful Life. For my family it’s Scrooged and Elf.
From roast beast to Clark Griswold’s eggnog, make these recipes inspired by your favorite holiday flick.
Bake for Your Neighbors
Bake up cookies, quick breads and other holiday treats to bring to your neighbors. If you’re new to the neighborhood or yours doesn’t have this tradition yet, your family can get the ball rolling. Just wait and see how quickly other neighbors join in!
These cookie swap classics would be great to give as gifts.
Help Your Kids Bake for Each Other
This is something Ree recalls fondly from her childhood, when she and her sister would bake their older brother’s favorite cookies for him. She turned the tables with her own kids by having her sons bake for their sisters! These Christmas treats are perfect to make with kiddos.
Set out a Nutcracker
Ree danced in the holiday ballet The Nutcracker as a child, so she is very fond of decorating with nutcrackers at Christmas. They’re available in every size and all sorts of styles, from the beautiful, traditional German nutcrackers to Kurt Adler versions based on characters like Jack Skellington and even R2D2 from Star Wars.
Make a Beloved Family Recipe
To keep tradition alive and well, make a cherished family recipe over the holidays. Ree Drummond’s favorite Christmas cookies are her mom’s red and green glazed sugar cookies. For you, perhaps it’s your grandmother’s spiced gingerbread cake, your father’s mulled cider or your family’s famous recipe for fruitcake.
Wear Matching Pajamas
It doesn’t get much more adorable than dressing your entire family—even the pets!—in matching pajamas on Christmas. You can start this tradition for your family with matching flannel pants, or go head-to-toe with matching PJ sets like these from Target.
Hang the Misfit Ornament
We all have one: a broken ornament on our Christmas tree that is just too special or beautiful to throw out. Ree calls hers the “token broken.” Give that misfit ornament a prominent branch on the tree where everyone can see it and share the story of what makes it so special.
Say “Cheers” with Holiday Desserts
Enjoy a few grown-up indulgences during the holiday gatherings. Add a splash of rum to desserts like rum balls and rum-glazed cake, and a nip of bourbon to a chocolate pecan pie. The Pioneer Woman even has a perfect Ree Drummond crispy pie crust hack. Get inspired with these festive Christmas drink recipes, too!
Serve a Traditional Dinner
Since turkey has the spotlight on Thanksgiving, Ree makes a big meal on the night before Christmas featuring beef, like prime rib with Yorkshire puddings on the side. Her family enjoys dinner together before heading to the Christmas eve candlelight service at church.
Want to serve prime rib this Christmas? Here’s how to make it perfectly every time!
Relax on Christmas Morning
After all those weeks of planning, shopping, baking and wrapping, on Christmas morning Ree likes to kick back and be lazy with her family at home. A few no-fuss brunch recipes keep things simple as they enjoy the holiday and maybe even steal a quick nap on the couch.
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