27 Funny Family Portraits Bringing The Perfect Amount of Awkward into The Holidays

Melissa Knudson • Writer

Nov 14, 2026 6:30 PM EST

A collection of excellent bad ideas for your holiday family picture.

Are your holiday cards ready to send?

A decades-long tradition is back for the holiday season, and we are here for it. We know you've spent years trying to get the perfect memory for the family albums, so your grandkids will be able to see how adorable the family used to be. Here's an even better idea: make them see how absolutely out of control the family really is.

Family portraits that capture the magic and wholesomeness of the last couple of months of the year. In this case, they also capture the awkwardness that characterizes them. It's time to stop fighting it. Embrace the silliness of the holiday family portrait concept, and try some of these very extra poses.

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via It's Nice That
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via Aspyn Marie
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via N J
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via Robyn Tyler
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via iobstyyy
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via Quinn Runnion
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via alli / alvira 💗
With the era of unstoppable technology comes the reality that some families will celebrate this special season apart. A different state, or even a different country, try altogether. That is to say that family portrait cards are even more important nowadays, as they are an excellent way to bring families that are physically far away a little closer together during this season. Also, it is the perfect excuse to prove to your parents that you truly are a creative soul at heart, and that the normal parameters of photography will not constrain your creative freedom.
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via Caden Zane Marshall
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via Caden Zane Marshall
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via Alyssa McQueen
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via KamrynBoyette
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via Awkward Family Photos
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via Linda Price
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via Teresa Beckham
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via My Organized Chaos | Easy Family-Friendly Recipes
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via Brenda Lennox
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via Refinery29
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via Anna Outkin
Modern families come in all shapes and sizes. Thus, family portraits should too. It's finally time to include our furry friends in the pictures, while also taking some unreliable inspiration from the 80s aesthetic. Why not play around with those overlays and masks as if there were no tomorrow. Don’t let anyone tell you there is such a thing as “too much drama”.
Thanks to these unexpected family portraits, we can finally say goodbye to the boring “smile for the camera” type of scenario. No one in these photos is actually smiling. Yet, they have brought out all the jolly laughter for the season. Some of them would like to self-identify as bohemian artists, but I very much see all of these models as flawless and brilliant comedians.
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via hailee.joyner
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via alookitikki
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via Awkward Family Photos
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via DateBox Club
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via Jane Macedonia
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via Sophia Shen
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via Anna Schwabenland
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via crown photography & film
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via Ash Jarrett
On that note, let's bring the family holiday cards back, better and more memorable than ever. Feel free to top some of these ideas by adding even more impossible poses, an awkward blocking of the cousins, and unhinged matching pajamas that will make everyone look like a wonderful colorful blob. This is what the holiday season is all about. Get creative, go crazy, and please, do share the results with us. Also, remember the motto here: the least understandable, the better. Make sure to tell a story through your pictures, but mostly make sure nobody really understands that story.