45 Favorite Holiday Traditions for NYC Families

We asked our readers what their favorite holiday activities and traditions are and we got lots of responses. New York offers so many opportunities for holiday traditions and it's always fun to start new ones. We hope this list of favorite holiday activities and traditions from our readers inspires you to start some new ones with your family. Share your favorite holiday traditions in the comments below.

And for more great holiday activities and traditions, check out our Holiday Guide.

1. Baking and decorating cookies on Christmas Eve

2. Watching Santa travel across the globe on NORAD

3. Visiting the tree at Rockefeller Center

4. Seeing the Holiday Train Show at New York Botanical Garden

5. Visiting Santa at ABC Carpet & Home or Macy's Santaland

6. Buying our Christmas tree

7. Making snow angels

8. Writing letters to Santa and making him cookies

9. Drinking hot cocoa or eggnog while we trim the tree

10. Christmas Eve mass and dinner with friends

11. Making Christmas cards with the kids

12. Visiting grandma and grandpa's

13. 24 days of Advent calendar surprises

14. Ice-skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center

15. Going on a holiday cookie crawl

16. Talking to relatives on Skype

17. Making sweet potato pies

18. Going on a hot chocolate crawl

19. Seeing The Nutcracker

20. Watching children sing in the school Christmas concert

21. Baking a special holiday cake and decorating it with candy

22. Making chocolate Hanukkah lollipops with the kids

23. Lighting our menorah then celebrating by dancing and singing

24. Driving through the neighborhood viewing the houses decorated for Christmas with a mug of steaming cocoa

25. Ringing in the New Year in Times Square

26. Volunteering with my children to help those in need

27. Having a children’s book swap instead of buying millions of toys

28. Taking in a special holiday season show

29. Ripping open the presents

30. Friends and family from all over visiting us for the holidays

31. Vacationing in the snow or the sun with the family

32. Taking time to enjoy the beautifully decorated holiday windows

33. Watching the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center

34. Mimosas on Christmas morning

35. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular

36. Building and decorating a gingerbread house

37. Visiting the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and checking out their beautiful Christmas trees

38. Shopping at the once a year holiday markets around town

39. Making homemade decorations and donating them at the end of the season

40. Hosting an annual Christmas party

41. Having fun in the snow, sledding and playing

42. Experiencing different religions and cultures with my children

43. Baking and eating Hanukkah cookies

44. Praying the Christmas Novena

45. Opening the first present on Christmas Eve

Find more seasonal fun in our Holiday Guide and find great gift ideas in our NYC Shopping Local Gift Guide.