A first Christmas
3 MINUTES READ
Baby's first Christmas
worth more than a photo.
A first Christmas comes with a lot of photos and very few words. In a few years the photos will show the outfit; the words will tell you what it was actually like. Here is what to write down, short ideas for the ornament and the card, and a first Christmas letter to your baby.
Memories worth writing down on the day
Write a few lines on the evening itself, while it is fresh:
- How old they were, and what they could do that week.
- What they made of the lights, the tree, the wrapping paper.
- Who held them, and who they kept reaching for.
- The first gift they opened (or chewed), and the one they ignored.
- What they ate, if they are on solids, and the face they pulled.
- How they slept, or did not.
- One thing you want to remember about you, this first Christmas as their parent.
Ignored every present and spent an hour patting the tree skirt. Fell asleep on Grandad by four.
What to write on a first Christmas ornament or card
Short is best. A name, a year, and one small detail make it theirs:
- Mia's first Christmas, 2026. Three months old and already loves the lights.
- Our first Christmas as three.
- Leo, 2026. Five months, two teeth, one very shiny bauble.
- The year you joined us. Merry first Christmas.
- Little hands, big wonder. First Christmas, 2026.
A first Christmas letter to your baby
A few lines written on Christmas night make a lovely tradition: one letter every year, read together when they are older. Tell them where you were, who was there, what they did, and one thing you hope for them next year.
Our guide to writing a letter to your son or daughter has more on what to include.
Your first Christmas was at Nana's. You wore the reindeer suit for exactly eleven minutes. You laughed at the paper, slept through lunch, and woke up for the pudding. Next year, I think you will be walking to the tree.
Small traditions that start this year
- One line every Christmas Eve. Who they are this year, in a sentence.
- The same photo spot. By the tree, every year, to see them grow.
- A letter each Christmas night. Kept together and given when they are grown.
- A family line. Ask a grandparent to write one memory of the day too.
A first Christmas, in your own words.
One Little Line keeps each memory with the date and your baby's age, and the whole family can add their own. At the end of December, your memories become a letter about their first Christmas month.
Questions parents ask
What should I write for my baby's first Christmas?
Write a few short lines on the day: how old they were, what they made of the lights and wrapping paper, who held them, what they ate, and one thing you want to remember about that first Christmas as their parent.
What do you write on a baby's first Christmas ornament?
Keep it short: their name, the year, and one small detail, such as their age or something they loved that Christmas. For example: "Mia's first Christmas, 2026. Three months old and already loves the lights."
How can I make my baby's first Christmas memorable?
Start one small tradition you can repeat: a line in a journal every Christmas Eve, a photo in the same spot every year, or a short letter on Christmas night that you give them when they are older.