Keeping Christ in Christmas
It would be silly to say that every year Christmas sneaks up on the world, but in a weird way it does. Every year. Every single year. Oh, not the celebration of Christmas, but the reality of Christmas seems to sneak up every year. Even in the church it can feel like the underlying reality of God coming as man gets lost in the production of a wonderful Christmas seasonal celebration. Undoubtedly the world is struggling with a broad secularistic move. And it can easily be argued that the church is as well. However, you can lead your family towards keeping Christ in Christmas this year and every year. In the midst of all of the lights, the plays, the musical numbers, and everything in between here are a few simple ways to focus on Christ during the season.
Read the Nativity story on Christmas morning
Pause before the chaos of gift opening and read Luke 2 together. There are a lot of ways to do it. You could take turns reading parts of it. Involve the kids. Let them read some of the verses. Start off with the reminder of what this day represents. It is a simple way of sharing with your family the story of Jesus. You can do it with fanfare, or without. Don’t read it monotone and quickly as if you just want to get it over with. Make it a lasting tradition.
Make one gift an experience that creates memories
There is a laundry list of items, toys, and things that we have given to our kids over the years. Legos, games, and clothes oh my. Some of those things they still have. Most of them they don’t. Things are usually pretty temporary. Memories last for their lives. Give the gift of experiences together. Maybe it is a family trip. Could do a parent/child experience. Just find something outside of another item that will be forgotten in a month or two. Have fun with it. Have fun with them. The memories will stick with them and create a positive feeling that will last far longer than a couple months.
Make one gift something that is given away
No, not really suggesting here that you make a donation to the “Human Fund” in their name. If you do that then you deserve to be brought up during the airing of grievances during Festivus. Make serving a part of the gift of Christmas to your family. Go together to help at a food bank. Go shopping together for toys that will be donated to families in need. Shift the focus of the season off of self and onto others. It is a great chance to show love to others and it will create lasting impact on your kids.
Work through Advent as a family
There is a certain comfort in liturgical rhythms, and Advent is a great chance to work through what Christmas means as a family. Advent is celebrated in different ways, but primarily there are four Sundays in which a theme is presented. The themes are hope, joy, peace, and love. As you go through the theme you are invited to reflect on what that theme means to you, pray, and look at how the theme could be more prevalent in your life. It is a wonderful way to prepare for Christmas as a family. There are plenty of resources available online for you. You can set aside a special time each Sunday evening together.
Be present
Don’t just be in the room. Be a part of things. Pay attention. Put your phone down. Engage. Talk. Laugh. Play games together. Enjoy the time. Have fun. The gifts are great. Family is better.
These ideas are not the only ones to help you all keep Christ in Christmas during the season. Come up with your own and go for it. As you and your kids get older they might need to adjust, or be modified for the times. Praying that your Christmas is merry and bright this year, and every year.