What are your Christmas traditions?

Kelley - posted on 12/14/2009

Hello Clare,

I do alot of volunteer work with and without the kids. My husband and I explained the true meaning of the season to them and incorporated it into our family as a tradition we hope they will pass down to their future children.



We have 3 kids ages 17, 9 & 7, and we let them shop for kids in their age group (5 gifts each) and donate to the battered women's shelter. They love it and have never given us any push back. Besides, we usually take them out of the country to celebrate our son's birthday which is Dec 28th.



No one can really protest what you want to start or share with your family. enjoy the season and your little one!



From 1 Mom to Another,

Kelley

Marie - posted on 12/13/2009

just a couple simple suggetions:

find somethng that takes time to do together. this way you build a tradition that will require relationship to be able to happen. for example, painting sheap wooden ornaments from Michael's each year to add to your tree collection, or makng clay ones. Writing a letter to grandparents telling them you love them and what you want to do in the next year. plant a tree outside of your house watch grow over the years. and my favorite, find someone to secretly love on with a blessing (a kind note, money, food, yard work, or whatever you can give that year.)



The second one is to always read the nativity story from the gospel on Christmas Eve or Morning. Our family differs on which time to do it, but either way it reinforces the actual reasons for Christmas. If your kids can read, have them read some of the verses too. We go on to tell why we give gifts too-because God gave to us and we want to love on others (also the reason to suprise someone-the last on the above list). They may not like it as teenagers, too bad. They need the reinforcement into their minds whether they know it or not. By the way, the battle about eve or morning is this. Do we tell them the night before when they are not distraacted by the presents because they are not opening them that night anyway, or do we require them to exercise self control and sacrifice their desires on the morning of Christmas to recognize what it is all for.



Hope some of this is useful!

Sonia - posted on 12/13/2009

My parents moved to Indiana six years ago. Since then every Christmas Eve we spend the night at my parents house. Being foster parents, we never know how many kids we'll be bringing! My dad gets up very early Christmas morning and fixes us ham and cheese omelets! They are so good. For many foster kids, traditional Christmas dinners can be triggers to unpleasant and horrible memories so for the last five years our dinner consists of enchiladas! We turn on instrumental Christmas music, gather around the tree, talk about Jesus and the real meaning of Christmas, and then have "family communion." It's one of my favorite Christmas moments.

Anne - posted on 12/12/2009

My favorite Christmas Tradition is that before we open any gifts we read the account of Christ's Birth from Like and the verses in Isaiah. Then my husband Prayers for time together that day and for a special Blessing on each one present.

Clare - posted on 12/12/2009

Thanks for all your ideas everyone, keep them coming! I am loving hearing about what other people do and how you make Christmas special and centered around Jesus and the true meaning/ spirit of Christmas. One other thing I think we will do each year is participate in Samaritins Purse 'Operation Christmas Child' where you fill a shoe box of gifts for a child in a developing country... I think it's good to encourage our kids to be thoughtful and generous to those who are less fortunate. And I know samaritins purse adds a Christian Christmas message into each box too.

Heather - posted on 12/12/2009

I found this site today, it's a great resource! It has a whole list of possible Christ centered Christmas traditions.

http://www.christmaspirit.com/traditions...

Heather - posted on 12/12/2009

We also don't do Santa. We have a birthday cake for Jesus every year, after all it is his birthday that we are celebrating. (Yes I know the day is debatable, but this is the day that we celebrate it on.) We get presents because Jesus lives inside of us, and we give presents to others because we want to share the love of Christ with all. We read the Christmas story, and do some kind of related craft. Last year we made paper angel ornaments for the tree with things from the Christmas story written on them (scriptures or simple facts, or names) This year we are making snow flakes to tape to the windows with scriptures about snow or scriptures about Jesus' birth.

My pastor's wife shared her Christmas tradition with us last week. I am thinking about starting it next year. Every ornament on her tree points to Jesus. She has stuff like a shepherds staff, star, manger, stuff like that. I don't have her list yet, but she said that she would get it for me. :) I love that idea!

Velisa - posted on 12/12/2009

We decided as Christian parents,to teach our children(from their 1st Christmas) that Santa Claus was the man that dressed up at Christmas time and visited the malls and stores and gave children candy sticks and sometimes goodies and asked them what they wanted for Christmas. We also told them that other children believed that Santa brought them their gifts--but their gifts came from us--their mom and dad. We taught them from the beginning that we celebrate Jesus birthday at Christmas and that was the reason for Christmas. Because God sent His son as a gift to us--we could also share gifts with others. Also, we didnt have to wait til Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We could give our presents early if we wanted to--and that is one thing that we do. We begin opening our presents earlier and then we can concentrate fully on the Christmas story from the Bible and Jesus birthday. We had a Christmas story book with pictures and let the children "read it" and sing Away in a Manger and Happy Birthday and read from the Bible and pray and then open our main gifts. A manger scene with Baby Jesus(that can be touched)These are just a few things that you can do.

We also did the same with Easter and the Bunny--We give our children their baskets(from their mom and dad who love them) on Saturday so we can enjoy Easter Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Once we started this tradition, it became easier. But, at first, it was tough-- alot of opposition--but we are happy that we did this and our children are 17 and 23 now.

I am not sure what they will do when they have families of their own, but that's what we chose to do for them as our children.

Have a very Merry Christmas with your family and keep CHRIST in Christmas.

Marilyn - posted on 12/12/2009

Hi Clare,my tradition is
having my grand kids come over and telling them the story of Jesus,how He is the reason for the season.before the Christmas dinner and opening up the presents.if not they will be playing or falling a sleep...lol and since is your babys first Christmas,take pictures and share with her/him as he gets older,but remember Jusus is the most important reason for Christmas..
















was a Christian man who helped the poor ,gave to the needy

Kelley - posted on 12/12/2009

Hello Clare,

shortly after I became a Christian, I knew that my Christmas' would no-more be about Santa. But this creat quite a dilema for me.....How was I going to have Christmas without Santa, I didn't know any different. After 5 children (some grown, some still grade school) we have a far richer Christmas celebration that I would had ever imagined.

It begins thanksgiving evening with the house lighting, we all step out on the front yard to watch together. then we try to put up the tree during a holiday movie, a new ornament is gifted to each child (usually symbolizing christian faith...the reason for the season) and they keep these in there own storage tub, to be their's, to be passed along into their hoseholds/marriages, and two of those tubs have gone to the next generation families :)

the Manger is also displayed and just as important as the tree. The tree is lit in rememberance of Jesus being the light of this world, Christmas Eve is absolutely treasured by the kids -young & old- its always pajamas...you could call them our birthday party close for Jesus Christmas morning. and of course the season needs to have 'moms' buckeys!

there are other little things in there, alot of mom and daughter things (I have 4 daughters:)

have fun with making your Christmas memories.