This week, we are focusing on one of the sweetest Christmas traditions: DIY cookies for Santa! Every Christmas Eve, it is very important to leave out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa Claus before going to bed. We all know Santa loves his cookies, but have you ever wondered where this tradition originates from?
Here is why we leave out milk and cookies for Santa, according to History:
Leaving cookies and milk for Santa—and perhaps a few carrots for his reindeer—took off as an American holiday tradition in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. In that time of great economic hardship, many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they were lucky enough to receive on Christmas. Some 80 years later, many children still set out cookies and milk for Santa, whether out of the goodness of their hearts or (in less wholesome cases) as a bribe to receive more gifts from the jolly bearded man in the red suit.
Over the years, different countries have developed their own versions of the cookies-and-milk tradition. British and Australian children leave out sherry and mince pies, while Swedish kids leave rice porridge. Santa can expect a pint of Guinness along with his cookies when delivering toys in Ireland. French children leave out a glass of wine for Père Noël and fill their shoes with hay, carrots and other treats for his donkey, Gui (French for “mistletoe”).
Tea Party Garden Play Tent
What better place to enjoy some cookies than in a Tea Party Garden? Grab the tea set and make way to the tea party! This adorable 43” x 43” x 45” pink house is spacious and bright. Great fun for indoors or outdoors and mesh windows provide added air ventilation. There are also Velcro ties so the door can be kept shut during tea time, or left open for guests to join. Hours of imaginative playtime fun!
DIY Cookies for Santa
What You Need
Cookies
Our cookie recipe was inspired by Cookies and Cups, but feel free to make your own favorite sugar cookie recipe! Sugar cookies are some of the easiest cookies to decorate with, since they turn out nice and bright to let the colors shine, while also flat to make for a great canvas.
- 2 cups (4 sticks) cold butter, cubed
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
Decorating Tools and Materials
- Wilton® Cookie Icing™
- Wilton® Nesting Circles Cookie Cutter Set
- Wilton® Color Mist® Shimmering Food Color Spray
- Wilton® Pearl Dust™
- Wilton® Dusting Brush Set
- Over The Top® Wispy White Cookie Icing
- Toothpicks
How You Make Them
COOKIES MUST BE COOLED BEFORE ICING!
Our decorating steps were inspired by this video, but it is always fun to hand over the goods to your kids and let them have at it!
- Outline the cookie using the Over The Top® icing and fill in (you can use a toothpick to remove bubbles if any appear)
- Repeat for all cookies
- Let sit for 30 mins
- Spray Wilton® Color Mist® to your liking
- Let sit for 15 mins
- Repeat for all cookies
- Using the small Wilton® Dusting Brush lightly dust Wilton® Pearl Dust™
- Repeat for all cookies
- To create the snowflake design use Wilton® Cookie Icing™
- Use a toothpick to perfect your design
- Let sit for 30 mins or until hardened
Keeping Santa’s Magic Alive
If your kids are starting to get a little older, it’s important to keep the spirit of Christmas going for as long as possible. Make sure you shield your kid’s eyes from the next section – we gathered a few of our favorite ways to keep Santa’s magic alive on Christmas morning in addition to DIY cookies for Santa!
Cover Your Tracks
This is Santa 101! Kids these days are sometimes better at navigating electronics than we are, so make sure you’ve closed all your browser tabsor use incognito mode for Santa shopping. Use different wrapping paper than the gifts from you parents, and print name tags rather than write them out. You can also enlist male friends to help write out tags so that your kids don’t recognize any handwriting!
Keep it Consistent
Traditions are an important part of the holiday season, so make sure you’re doing the same Santa-related things every year. For example, have your kids write a letter to Santa every year and have them include their wish list. By getting them things from that wish list, it will help keep the spirit alive. USPS even offers Operation Santa, where children can get letters or presents back. For more information on the best way to get Santa to write you back, check out their website here. You can even have Santa call them by using the Christmas Dialer!
Track His Whereabouts
Personally, one of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions growing up was tracking Santa’s live whereabouts. After dinner on Christmas Eve, we’d pull up the Norad Santa Tracker on the family computer and watch as he rides his sleigh all over the world. The website has become so much more interactive since my childhood that kids can now explore Santa’s village, play games, and listen to Christmas music.
Let Us Know!
Do you make cookies for Santa every year on Christmas Eve? Did you make these DIY cookies for Santa? What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? Tell us in the comments below, or reach out to us on social media. Happy baking!