The Christmas Advent season starts the first Sunday after Thanksgiving, where you look forward to celebrating Jesus’ first coming as a baby in a manager. It is the time of year that many families come together to remember the past, pass down stories of faith, values, and create new memories together. Here are some Christmas traditions you can incorporate with your family this year:
The Christmas Story
1. Read passages from the scripture that tell of the nativity story: Luke 2:1-21, Mathew 1:18-2:12. Or, have everyone in the family choose a passage from scripture that means a lot to them, and then take turns reading it and sharing why it is so important to us.
2. Have an advent calendar with bible verses/pictures/hidden treats behind the door of each day counting down to Christmas day.
3. Wrap 12 Christmas booksand open one each day to read with your children.
4. Have kids follow a little shepherd on his quest to find Jesus through, “Shepherd’s Treasure.”
5. Read, “Twas the Evening of Christmas,” poem that share the story of Jesus birth.
6. Have on display the nativity scene in a reachable spot so that the kids can play with it through December. Place baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas day, and light a candle next to him. As an alternative, you can mold a nativity scene from clay dough, or visit a local live nativity scene.
7. Dress up as “wise men” or “Shepard’s” looking for the nativity by using thrifted clothes. Or, act out the Christmas story as a family using a nativity script, or take turns telling the story piece by piece.
8. Prepare and re-enact the “Journey to Bethlehem meal,” turning on Jewish folk music and sharing a simple meal that Mary and Joseph might have shared.
9. Watch Christmas-themed, family oriented movies: The Nativity, Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, Chasing the Star, Chronicles of Narnia, The Passion of the Christ, Silent Night, Ben-Hur, The Note, The Star of Bethlehem, The heart of Christmas etc.
10. Complete a Christmas themed puzzle together
Music
11. Turn on and listen to Christmas-themed music at home.
12. Visit someone, or go door-to-door “wassailing”, aka singing classic Christmas carols that remind us of the love and hope given to the world by God through Jesus.
13. Listen to Handel’s Messiah performed by London’s philharmonic choir, or watch it live at a local event.
14. Read the, “Festival of nine lessons and carols,” and sing together a lesson a day. Or, you can listen to the entire service performed by Chapel of king’s College, Cambridge on BBC on Christmas Eve.
15. Watch a Christmas Play/Concert.
Lights
16. Drive around town and look at Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music and enjoying your favorite ice-cream. And, perhaps put a thank you card in mailboxes of homes that display the nativity in their yard.
17. Take the time to pause, stargaze, and sense the darkness outside at night, thanking God for sending the light. Turn on the Christmas lights and remember that the Light we celebrate at Christmas also shines through our lives as we live for Jesus.
18. Attend your local church’s Christmas Eve candlelight servicewhere the light from the candle represents the light of Christ that guides believers from the darkness.
Food
19. Bake and decorate sugar cookies, or other festive cookies/candies that you put in a jar, and can only eat one each day leading up to Christmas day. Or, perhaps put in a bag and share some with friends and family.
20. Decorate a gingerbread house/manger as a family, or other holiday craft.
21. Make and drink homemade hot chocolate, apple cider, or eggnog.
22. Burn a large yule log in the fireplace on Christmas Eve, or bake a yule log chocolate cake for Christmas day.
23. Have an immediate family Christmas dinner and take turns sharing your favorite part of the Christmas story. Or, organize a holiday party using Christmas themed table clothes, silverware, and/or centerpieces that remind us of God’s gift to humanity. As well as, perhaps host a game night, or cookie decorating party.
24. Organize a birthday party for Jesus, making him a birthday cake and sing Happy birthday. You can also write a Christmas letter to Jesus telling him what your gift will be for him this year.
Decorations
25. Decorate an evergreen Christmas tree representing the cross and everlasting life of Christ. Add a star on top to symbolize the star the three wise men saw, or put an angel on top to symbolize the angel who told the shepherds about Jesus’ birth. You can also hang, “The 12 names of Christ” ornaments that help tell about who Christ is. As well as, sleep under the tree.
26. Decorate a bare Jesse tree branch with ornaments/symbols that represent people from Jesus’ family. On Christmas day, you add an ornament representing baby Jesus, and you can also add a picture of your family to represent being part of Jesus’ family. You can also read a corresponding devotion every day that you add a new ornament to the tree.
27. Decorate the house with holly whose leaves represent the thorns in Jesus’ crown, and red berry represent his blood. Or, bells that represent the ringing of the good news.
28. Have on display an advent evergreen wreath with four candles, one to be lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas day.
29. Implement the 12 days of Christmas (Gifts of the Savior) secret service by doorbell-ditching a simple gift correlating with a gift note/tag that focuses on a name of Christ.
Gifts
30. You can make a gift for a local charity, friend, family, orphan, or widow in need. Or, you can fill a shoebox with toys and gifts for children around the world through Operation Christmas Child and distributed through Samaritans purse. Gift-giving represents the gifts the three wise men gave Jesus upon his birth, and also symbolic of the ultimate gift of God-the gift of his son.
31. Donate to a charity (i.e. Compassion International, World Vision) to help someone in need. Volunteer at a local charity, or do another good deed as a family.
32. Send Christmas Cardsor write a letter to friends and family. Or, perhaps you can create a family holiday greeting video together.
33. Create a “serving others jar” that is filled with ideas of how you can serve your family, friends, neighbors, or community this season. Choose one out of the jar each day leading up to Christmas.
34. Get matching pajamas for everyone in the family on Christmas Eve, and have a photo-op together.
35. Play Christmas bingo by choosing 24 things you would like to do during the Christmas season and write them in a blank bingo card. See how many bingo’s you can get by Christmas Day.
Important: Remember, if you are only able to complete one or two of these, that is OK. Ultimately, the time you spend with the people you value most, even in the quietest of moments and remembering, Jesus, is one of the most important and meaningful parts of the Christmas Season you can do. Merry Christmas!
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Photo source: scripturecatholic.com
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