December is here and we’re busy preparing for Christmas. When will I decorate? How will I get all that shopping, wrapping, and baking done? Whose house will we visit this year?
For many Christian parents the question is: How can we de-emphasize the commercialized part of Christmas and focus on celebrating the birth of Christ?
When I first published my blog, Is Santa Okay for Christian Families?, it seemed to hit a nerve. A number of parents shared with me their struggle with the place Santa should (or should not) hold in a Christian household. As I explained in my blog, we decided to assign Santa a minor role–as a fictional character–in our Christmas festivities and to emphasize Jesus, instead.
Our goal was to to make celebrating the birth of Christ so much fun the kids wouldn’t miss Santa.
According to our now-grown kids, we succeeded. Here are some fun and practical ways to emphasize Jesus this Christmas.
Decorations
Think Nativity, not Santa.
- Include angels, stars, nativity ornaments on the tree. (It’s not a matter of eliminating secular ornaments, but of what is emphasized.)
- Put a crèche scene in a prominent place.
- Use an Advent wreath as your table centerpiece.
- Explain to your children the Christian symbolism of various decorations. Even wreaths have biblical meaning!
Leading Up to Christmas
Kids love to anticipate the coming of Christmas Day!
- Create a Jesse tree and have the kids place a new figure on the tree each day with an accompanying Scripture.
- Celebrate Advent.
- Use an Advent calendar with pictures of the Nativity vs. a secular theme.
- Visit a live nativity scene.
- Read kids’ books on the Nativity or that emphasize Christian themes.
- Watch movies, such as “The Nativity Story,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or “A Christmas Carol.” Discuss how the themes relate to our walk with God.
- Talk about the true meaning of Christmas.
Reach Out to Others
Christmas is a great time to teach your children to reach out to others with God’s love.
- Involve your kids in the excitement of shopping/making gifts for family members and wrapping them. Model for them the joy of giving to others. Remind them that we give gifts to others to commemorate the gift of God’s Son Jesus.
- Make candy or baked goods with your children and pass them out to neighbors. (We used to bake and give out loaves of orange-cranberry nut bread.)
- Take your kids shopping for gifts for a needy family.
- Serve in a soup kitchen or visit a nursing home together.
- Go Christmas caroling.
Christmas Eve
What a great time to gather the family and focus on Jesus’ birth!
- Sing Christmas carols.
- Read the Christmas story together as a family–Luke 2:1-20.
- One of our favorites–set out an empty “manger” on Christmas Eve. Place a baby doll in the manger after the kids are in bed. When they get up the next morning, before opening presents, gather the family around the manger and thank God for sending the best Christmas gift of all–His Son.
Christmas Day
Celebrate!
- Before opening gifts, take time to pray as a family, thanking God for the gift of His Son Jesus.
- Sing Christmas carols that highlight Christ’s birth.
- Sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. (Some families bake a birthday cake for Jesus, but given the overload of sweets during the season, we decided to forego this tradition.)
What do you do to emphasize Christ at Christmas? I’d love to hear from you!
Leave a comment below.
I hope your family has as much fun as we do celebrating Jesus’ birth.
Have a blessed, Christ-centered Christmas!
Karen