Like so many others, Christmas is our favorite holiday and we love it! This year a friend asked me what traditions we do that help to take the focus away from the presents and onto the true meaning of the season, especially for young children.
What is the true meaning?
Of course, it is to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. However, it goes beyond his birth to his ministry and sacrifice for us. Christmas is about the divinity of Christ and the salvation that He gives us. The Love of God is central to His Saving Grace and to the season of Christmas. Therefore, Christmas is a time to share that love. It is a time for “peace and goodwill toward men.”
Bringing ourselves and others to Christ through faith, hope, and charity is what it is all about.
Here are some Christmas traditions that help us feel the Spirit of Christmas— the Spirit of faith, hope, and charity. Serving and uplifting others shares Christ’s love and light and makes Christmas truly meaningful.
Join in the Light The World Initiative. #LightTheWorld
Look up suggestions and a Light The World calendar on https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world-2020 Share the hashtag on social media posts to inspire others to join in as well. Ask your children each day (in the morning or at bedtime) what they want to do to Light the World that day.
Watch movies about Christ’s birth
I find it easiest for my children to pay attention to religious movies first thing in the morning or at bedtime. Here is my favorite Nativity movie: The Christ Child https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world-2020/the-christ-child
Have a Family Service Project
As a family, decide who could use some cheering up or talk about someone with a specific need that you can help with. Decide how to help them and do it as a family. This may be a Secret Santa operation of giving gifts or doing service for an individual.
Reach Out to Seniors
Keeping social distancing guidelines this year may mean phone calls or gifts instead of visits.
Make or Buy Treats For Neighbors
Call Family, Friends, & Those That are Lonely
Have Children choose a family member to give a gift to
My children draw each others names so that they can buy a gift for one of their brothers. This year they earned money to purchase the gift themselves.
Have Christmas Devotionals
I normally do devotional with my children at bedtime. That is when I read the scriptures to them and sing to them. The days and weeks before Christmas I will read Christmas stories and scriptures to them and sing them Christmas songs.
Read Children’s Christmas books that are focused on Jesus Christ.
The following websites have a list of Children’s storybooks about Jesus. You may find some of them at your local library by doing a title search. I read The Animal’s First Christmas last night and it brought a sweet feeling into the room.
Courtney Westlake: Our Favorite Christmas Books About Jesus
ORISON ORCHARDS: 25 Christ-Centered Christmas Books for Children
Amazon: More than 40 Children’s Christmas Books that Focus on Nativity and Jesus (Amazon)
Christmas Morning Devotional
We tell our children that they are allowed to open their stockings as soon as they wake up on Christmas. This gives them something to do and play while they wait for everyone else to wake up. After everyone is awake (mom and dad are always last), we have a family prayer a short devotional before we open gifts.
Give a Gift to The Lord Devotional
I like to do this devotional each year. Teach the children about the gift that God gave to us for Christmas. Then ask them to think of a gift that they will give to him. You can write their desired gifts down and wrap them up. Then, open them on Christmas morning and reread them for a short and fun Christmas morning devotional, because their attention span is short that day.
Seek For Jesus Devotional
This is another fun devotional. Teach about the wise men seeking for the young Jesus. Explain that wise men still seek Him and ways that we can seek Him. Then, have the children go out of the room and hide a small figurine of the baby Jesus from your nativity (or a picture of Jesus Christ). Make it visible, not completely out of sight. Whoever finds Him gets to hide it for everyone next. Keep playing until everyone gets a turn.
I asked my seven-year-old, Daniel, how he wanted to focus on Jesus this Christmas. He said he wanted to hide Jesus Christmas morning before we open presents and then whoever finds Him gets to open a present and then hide Him again. He said we could seek the Lord before each present we open! I think we will do it for each of the kid’s first gifts.
Soup Kitchen Service
When our children are old enough I would like to bring them to help out at a soup kitchen or seniors Christmas dinner. My family did this once when I was a child and it made me feel the Spirit of Christmas more than anything else.
Participate in Christmas Church Services
Find out when your church or a local church is having a Christmas program and watch or attend.
Merry Christmas!
There are a few ideas, many more are on Light The World.
This Christmas has been more joyful to me in contrast to the rest of 2020. This season the love and light of Christ shine even brighter. Merry Christmas!
Beautiful Post! Great reminders and Ideas!