In our family, we have more Christmas traditions than we can count. But one of the ways we stay focused on the spiritual center of the holidays is by lighting a candle on Christmas Eve and reading the nativity story aloud together. We take turns, reading around the room, until the complete story has been told.
There are many simplified versions of the Nativity story available online and in bookstores. Children may also enjoy watching videos such as this one which depicts the story of Christ’s birth in a simplified format with real actors and coordinating text.
If you’re children are very young, they may want to sing happy birthday to Jesus and blow out the candle. Another way we helped our young children understand the concept of Christ was to let them add the baby to them manger as we read “A savior is born.” It added a concrete act to the otherwise very decontextualized idea.
As young children, my kids would write letters to Santa. Now that they are older, I encourage them to write a letter to God. I’ll never read these personal letters. But I challenge the kids to write about who they are, honestly and openly.
I ask them to write what they’ve learned this year, what they feel proud of, what they are grateful for, and what they hope to do better in the year to come. While they should not ask for things, they can ask for others to be blessed in meaningful ways. I also suggest they keep these letters throughout the years, so they can look back and track their journey.
Finally, we believe our faith cannot be developed in what we say, but in what we do. As a family, we strive to live a community-centered life year long, but especially during the holidays…when the focus tends to drift toward “I want….”. We try to set personal goals to ALWAYS give more than we receive, and I’m hoping our children have discovered the real joy comes from the giving.
For more fun holiday ideas, check out my Christmas Countdown, with 25 days of family-friendly activities that will help build stronger bonds with those you love. I also wrote a story for Book Fun Magazine this month about family traditions. The entire issue is packed with great ideas, and it’s available FREE online.