- I grew up in Argentina, and my family never wore matching pajamas during the holidays.
- As a parent of three, I now get the joy that this tradition brings.
- Making it happen is low effort and generally tear-free.
One of the first culture shocks after I moved to the US was seeing social post after social post of families wearing matching holiday pajamas.
In Argentina, the holidays fall during the summer, and the notion of a white Christmas comes only from movies. Because of that, family traditions are very different. I was used to wearing white on New Year's Eve to scare away bad energy and attract positive vibes. My youngest cousin and I sometimes wore red and white for our Christmas dinner, but it was more of a sexy Santa look than a cute family-matching situation, if I'm going to be honest.
I'll admit that I judged families and their matching pajamas. Then I became a mom, and while I refused the matching looks during our first holiday as a family of three, I started to see the appeal. By the time our twins were born, upgrading us to a family of five, we were ready to go all out. Now it's my favorite tradition during the holidays.
It's low effort
My husband is the one making the magic happen in this house. He is an incredible wrapper, while I still don't know how to make neat corners around a box. He cooks every meal, planning and making sure there are several courses throughout the day. He decorates the tree while I hand him ornaments that I don't really remember getting.
Getting matching pajamas is what I contribute to our celebrations. It's easy enough that I don't get overwhelmed executing it. I buy them online months in advance in the appropriate sizes, keep them in sight in everyone's closet, then make everyone wear them for only 24 hours once a year. Done.
There's the added benefit that I usually get the pajamas from the same brand my kids are used to wearing year-round, so there's no convincing or forcing them to wear their pajamas — they are as thrilled as I am.
It can get expensive, especially if you have a big family. My ultimate tip to keep the cost down is to buy a set for the next year on December 26, when stores have major sales on their holiday pajamas.
It won't last forever
I'm fully aware that there will be a time when my kids tell me they've had it with our coordinated outfits, and I'll respect their call when they make it. I won't make it a forced thing that we have to do even if they don't want to. I had to endure plenty of those forced traditions growing up, and I swore never to do it with my own children.
Who knows, maybe they'll never say no and it'll become a thing way into their adult years. The idea of grandchildren and extended family wearing the same outfit makes my cheesy heart absolutely melt with love.
And while it might seem wasteful to get the whole family pajamas for just one night, we all wear them on random dates once the holidays have passed, especially if I'm behind on the laundry. Recently my husband had a laughing fit when he realized both of us were wearing our "Merry Christmoose 2020" pajamas on November 2021.
The popular children's clothing brand Hanna Andersson began selling matching pajamas around 1990, Louanne Wach, a director of marketing for the brand, told PopSugar in 2019, and social media seems to have reinforced the tradition. So maybe we have many more decades of matching to go.
This holiday season, I'm looking forward once again to seeing my children open their gifts, amazed by what Santa can fit through our chimney, while we all lounge in our pajamas. All day long.