MOPs got me thinkin' yesterday. (Everyone watch out if Wendi gets to thinkin'.) Anyways, I got to thinkin' about traditions that include Christ. And I got curious. How does your family remember Christ during the holiday season? Our speaker gave an example that his family would not set Christ in the manger of their nativity scene until the morning of Christmas to remember what the 25th of December actually meant.
I'm asking because, well, JB and I spent many years as just a family of two. And not that a family of two can't have traditions, but our "tradition" was going to South Florida for Christmas. Last year was the first year, ever, that we stayed home and did Christmas at our own home. And last year Isaac was still very young. But I want to start something with the boys, this year if I can, that we can do every year. And I want it to be something that helps them remember why we celebrate on December 25th.
So share away! And while you are at it, check out the blog I did before Thanksgiving on time-saving shortcuts. You guys really came through with some great bits of advice. Does anyone have any more? I'd love to add to this list (and have actually bookmarked it on the side of my page). Comment away everyone!
13 comments:
We started very early with Bri and baked a cake for his birthday. When I was little the baby Jesus wasn't put out until midnight services on Christmas Eve. We also opted to do midnight services no matter what age our daughter was, she would take a very late nap and be up to enjoy the festivities. this year... well let's just say that we might be considering the children's service at 5 pm. :)
When I was little, we would sing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus at our family Christmas dinner.
We also had sponsored children through Compassion International. We would write them letters all year round. The kids were all over the world (at least one for each of my sibs and I, that matched our age), and for Christmas we would write them letters back and forth about what Christmas means and what family traditions we had in different parts of the world.
We also bake really super yummy sugar cookies with special family recipe buttercream frosting on top...but that's not so much about Christ as it is about really really yummy cookies. : )
: ) Lisa
My mom never put baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas either. There was just an empty gift box with a tag "To:you - From: God" We always made him a birthday cake too. Then before we open presents, we read the Bethlehem story from the Bible. We have always opened one present/one person at a time. It takes longer, but it is more meaningful than diving into a pile of presents, ripping paper off and being done in 5 minutes. This might not be feasable at the boys ages, but as far back as I remember, that's the way we've done it. Maybe to make it last longer on purpose because we didn't have much money to buy a lot? I'm going to have to ask my mom now... :)
When we attended a church that had Christmas morning service we waited until after church to open presents, but DJ was only 1 year at the time. Now that we are again attending a church with Christmas morning services we will have them wait to open presents until after church so DJ and Angel aren't thinking about playing with the toys they just got. There are a lot of families that read the Christmas story out of the Bible or devotional book as a family (or with extended family and friends) on Christmas Eve or day. Some families have the kids (or all family members) put together the manger scene while reading the Christmas story or letting the kids tell the Christmas story using the manger scene.
~Holly
Well, our kids are only 2, but we've been working this year on "why the lights/trees/decorations are up" and "whose birthday is it?!"
They "get it" as much as 2 yo's can, I think. They answer Jesus, or God. We go to church, talk about the nativity scene, etc.
Travis has also been talking about how since it's Jesus' birthday he was nice enough to give us his presents and how wise men gave Jesus presents, etc...but I'm not sure they're getting that! :)
I loved going to Christmas Eve communion service as a family to start the focus right. Then go out for a drive and look at Christmas lights and open one gift before bed.
at our house santa always came in the morning while we were at church so that he came after jesus was born
We have a Christmas tree in our house that every day we hang a "name of Jesus" on it. I just wrote the names and scripture reference on a piece of translucent paper and put ribbon it. Keeps you focused every day on what the true meaning is.
Love Jennifer's idea and am going to do this!
Besides the Nativity, (our first-a handmade, stuffed Jesus,Mary and Joseph because we had no money to buy one and it lasted till it fell apart:)we always had Christmas music and sang carols in the car when going somewhere.
Would tell the kids that because God showed us so much love in sending His son, we show love by exchanging gifts. Getting a tree was always a big deal and collecting new ornaments every year
as well as having the same menus.
JB probably doesn't remember that the reason for the two different kinds of sausage (links and patties) was because they would be set out to look like hugs and kisses! As time went on and the need for a lot more of them arose, I think they just ended up piled on the platter:)
No matter what you do, it will become your own and I know Jesus will be the center of it all:)
love you,
mom k
Every year we do advent (with the wreath and candles) and read through one of three stories over the course of about 4 weeks leading up to Christmas:
Jotham's Journey
Bartholomew's Passage
Tabitha's Travels
The kids, and adults!, love these stories and get excited every year for them.
Also, there is a fantastic book called "Treasuring God in our Traditions" by Noel Piper that has tons of great ideas to keep Christ the center in all of our celebrations. She addresses other holidays too like Easter, Thanksgiving and even birthdays. I have gotten great ideas from this book! It is a must-read!
We really haven't done anything specific yet. We talk to the boys about how it's Jesus birthday. I want to get an Advent calendar - not just the 'how many days till Santa comes' countdown calendar. Other than that we read the Christmas story (we have several different books), have a couple of Nativity sets (2 that they can play with) and watch movies about Jesus' birth.
BTW, if you're gonna do Santa with the boys and let them watch the classic shows, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is really good and there's refernce to 'the most holy night' and the Wisemen bringing gifts to Jesus. Another good movie is Small One by Disney. It's about a boy who has to sell a donkey because it's so old. The donkey's owner sends his little boy on a mission to sell the donkey by the end of the day. He ends up selling it to a man who you later find out is Joseph. I'm a sap anyway, but I cry at the end of it every time we watch it.
Bethany
We have done a birthday cake for Jesus a few years, and Sarah seems to really grasp this tradition now. We let her help us bake it (from a box) and decorate it. This year we started doing an advent wreath each Sunday, but I'm thinking of making it every night as all the talk of presents increases. We spend a lot of time talking about giving gifts because Jesus received gifts from the wisemen and it shows our love for Jesus and for each other. One of our favorite traditions is an advent book that has cardboard figures of the nativity--one for each day of December. Sarah loves taking it out each night and arranging the figures. It may be a little old for your boys this year. We got it from Usbourne books. We also have the Little People Nativity set so the kids can play with it without me getting nervous it will break.
This year is an excpetion....but normally we,
Put up our tree on or soon after Thanksgiving. We put out all our Christmas Books and nativity scenes. We have one inside & a lighted one outside! We do all we can to point our children back to the gift of Jesus. We limit gifts. We draw names for each of us to full another's stocking. We do not do Santa but teach the REAL, historical account of St. Nick. WARNING- this is a personal pref. and can result in a 4 year old telling her preschool class "Santa is dead!" :) We read the biblical account of the birth from the bible on Christmas Eve night or Christmas morning. We allow one or both of our children to read their favorite Christmas book to all who are around to hear! We are in our beds on Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning. We have attended Christmas Eve services as offered. Christmas Eve normally finds us in the homes of friends for "open houses". We have made "Happy Birthday Jesus" cakes in the past and sung Happy Birthday. We participate in Operation Christmas Child each year. One year the children and I helped receive boxes at a local church. This year we plan to give out pumpkin bread baked for our neighbors. Next year I hope to walk through an advent of some kind. Scriputre, candles,etc. These can vary from the why's of the symbols we use in many of our celebration to a daily tid bit of the Christmas Story. We begin enjoying Christmas music just after Thanksgiving. We love watching The Toy that Saved Christmas by Veggie Tales and the OLD Grinch! Do what you can, create your own traditions and they will be so special. Your boys are VERY blessed by you! :)Decorations come down Jan. 1-3. And we normally build "snow men" on the beach with friends sometime between 12/26-1/3. LOVE THAT!
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