Holidays often come with their own set of beloved customs—think turkey on Thanksgiving, shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day, or jack‑o‑lanterns on Halloween. When it comes to Christmas, many practices pre‑date the 20th century, like candy canes, twinkling trees, and whispering wishes to mall Santas. Yet a handful of traditions have sprouted in the past century, shaping the modern festive season. Below are the 10 newer christmas customs that have taken root, complete with their quirky origins.
10 Newer Christmas Overview
10 Watching Network Television Christmas Specials
The accolade for the earliest TV‑only Christmas special doesn’t belong to Rudolph the Red‑Nosed Reindeer or A Charlie Brown Christmas, which debuted in 1964 and 1965. Instead, the crown goes to Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, a 1962 cartoon adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic tale about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by a trio of spectral guests that guide him toward redemption.
Among the voice talent on Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol were Jim Backus—who would soon star in Gilligan’s Island—and Morey Amsterdam, who was simultaneously juggling duties on The Dick Van Dyke Show while the special was in production.
9 Conducting Toys for Tots Drives
The iconic blue‑topped donation box bearing the Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots logo made its debut in Los Angeles in 1947. A Marine Corps Reserve member, urged to act, founded the organization to distribute the handmade dolls his wife crafted to children in need, filling a void where no similar charity existed.
During that inaugural year, 5,000 toys were gathered and handed out. Fast‑forward to 2023, the program has delivered roughly 677 million toys, books, and games to 301 million financially disadvantaged youngsters.
8 Listening to Radio Stations’ Christmas Music Marathons
Circa 1990, a Phoenix‑based adult‑contemporary station known by the call letters KEZ defied its consultants’ counsel and flipped to nonstop Christmas music right after Thanksgiving. Contrary to the skeptics, listeners embraced the format, sparking a wave of stations nationwide that now run commercial‑free holiday playlists, though the exact start dates differ from market to market.
In 2024, Chicago’s 93.9 FM kicked off its holiday rotation on November 1, while Cincinnati’s 94.9 FM began on November 18. New York City’s 102.7 FM and Philadelphia’s B101 joined the festivities around the same time. Notably, Fort Wayne, Indiana’s 95.1 FM may hold the record for the earliest non‑satellite Christmas‑only broadcast, launching an all‑holiday lineup in July 2020 amid COVID‑19 lockdowns.
7 Wearing Ugly Christmas Sweaters
The modern craze for garishly festive sweaters—think glitter overload, pom‑pom extravagance, or a Santa caught in an un‑characteristic pose—took off in the early 2000s. Earlier, more modestly tacky versions appeared in the 1950s and resurfaced in the 1980s.
Today, fast‑food chains and ice‑cream parlors are among the designers churning out these eye‑catchers. Many businesses now host Ugly Christmas Sweater Parties, some of which double as fund‑raisers for charitable causes.
6 Shopping on Cyber Monday
In the early 2000s, the National Retail Federation noticed that online sales surged on the Monday following Thanksgiving, outpacing the days leading up to the holiday. After discarding options like “Blue Monday” or “Black Monday,” they coined the catchy moniker “Cyber Monday” in 2005.
The federation attributed the spike to shoppers using faster work‑day computers to complete their gift lists, a tactic that also helped keep the purchases hidden from the intended recipients.
Sales have generally risen year over year. In 2019, Cyber Monday generated $7.4 billion; by 2024, that figure swelled to $13.3 billion. The only dip occurred in 2022, when sales fell to $9.12 billion from $9.53 billion the previous year.
5 Showings of A Christmas Story for 24 Hours Straight
The marathon tradition began when the 1983 classic first aired on TBS, TNT, and TCM in 1991. Those three networks ran the film six times between the day before Christmas and the day after, expanding to eight showings in 1996.
In 1997, TNT launched the first 24‑hour nonstop marathon. When TNT pivoted to drama programming in 2004, TBS assumed marathon duties, and since 2014 both networks have offered the full‑day viewing experience.
By 2020, 32 million viewers tuned in at some point during the marathon. Director Bob Clark praised the film’s heartfelt take on the holiday season, while star Peter Billingsley noted fans often see reflections of their own lives in Ralphie’s story. Recently, other holiday favorites such as Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation have joined the 24‑hour marathon club.
4 Leaving Milk and Cookies for Santa
Offering Santa a plate of milk and cookies while he makes his rounds began during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The practice aimed to teach children the value of generosity and to foster gratitude for the gifts they received.
Santa reportedly enjoys a wide variety of cookies—peanut butter, snickerdoodles, gingerbread, sugar, oatmeal‑raisin, and chocolate chip—though his milk preference (2 %, oat, soy, etc.) remains a mystery.
Estimations suggest Santa consumes several hundred calories per household, meaning his global snack intake would far exceed recommended daily limits, a caloric overload that no amount of chimney climbing can burn off.
3 Watching Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular
The dazzling holiday production, co‑created by Vincente Minnelli, premiered in the world’s largest indoor theater in 1933. From its inception, the show featured the iconic Rockettes and a nativity tableau.
Over the decades, the spectacle has embraced modern technology, adding LED light walls and 3D effects. Each season, the production utilizes around 1,200 costumes, approximately 30,000 red dots to give the Rockettes a rosy glow, and just under 14,100 batteries.
2 Paying Homage to Rudolph the Red‑Nosed Reindeer
Robert L. May, a catalog writer for a Chicago department store, created the glowing‑nosed reindeer in 1939 as part of a children’s story assignment. He toyed with names like Rollo, Rodney, Roland, Roderick, and Reggy before settling on Rudolph.
May’s own life—feeling isolated after skipping grades and being younger than his classmates, grieving his wife’s death, and struggling to succeed as a novelist—mirrored Rudolph’s feelings of loneliness and melancholy.
1 Reenacting Colonial Troops Delaware River Crossing
For more than seven decades, volunteers gather each Christmas Day along the Delaware River north of Philadelphia, brandishing period weapons and donning uniforms reminiscent of George Washington’s 1776 army. They recreate the historic surprise crossing of the Hessians, marching across the river into New Jersey just as the original troops did.
The event also features 1770s‑themed activities and speeches, persisting even when weather or river conditions prevent the actual crossing. Thousands of spectators—from across the United States and abroad—come to witness the living history display.