Christian Christmas Traditions Your Family Will Love
What’s Inside: Let’s Celebrate the Real meaning of Christmas with These Christian Christmas Traditions Your Family Will Love!
Christmas lights glimmer on homes making the neighborhood sparkle.
Homemade wreaths make a beautiful setting in the entryway.
The scent of Christmas cookies waft through the air and don’t forget all of the Christmas presents that sit underneath the Christmas tree from busy days of shopping.
It seems like Christmas gets grander as more money is spent on Christmas shopping every year.
In my locale, Christmas decorations started popping up in my local variety store in October. Would it be safe to say that Christmas is more about money than the birth of Jesus? I would say so. It’s become a commercialized frenzy.
But what if we could go back to simpler times, honor the Lord’s birth and have a Christ Centered Christmas?
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What Does it Mean to Have a Christ Centered Christmas?
A Christ-centered life means that a Christian has given their life to Christ and who gives everything we say think and do to our Lord Jesus. The same can be said of Christmas. Christmas time should be a time where we focus on the real reason of Christmas, which is the birth of Christ.
Christmas time should be a time where we focus on the real reason of Christmas, which is the birth of Christ
The History of Modern Day Christmas
The history of Christmas (modern day) and how we celebrate it today, is very interesting. Many people are shocked to learn that Santa Claus was a real person who lived.
Nicholas was born in Patara in A.D. 270 and was a Bishop in the church of Myra, which was a seaport towns off Turkey’s southern coast. He lived in the city of Myra where he lived his entire life (and died in 345). It’s interesting to note that the Apostle Paul passed through the city of Myra in Lycia as mentioned in Acts 27:4-5.
It was in Patara, the hometown of St. Nicholas’s, the tradition of anonymous gift-giving by St. Nicholas originated. St Nicholas threw three bags of gold coins through a destitute family’s window, whose father was considering selling his daughter into slavery. He continued to do the anonymous gift giving, resulting in the tradition of our modern day Santa Claus. If anyone asks you if Santa Claus is real, you can technically say yes!
Why Having a Christ Focused Christmas is Important
Christmas has turned into a commercialized ritual of spending money and comparing yourself to the next door neighbors.
A recent 2022 survey stated that Americans will spend approximately $1000 dollars on gift giving at Christmas.
The pressure is on as giving becomes more commercialized and expectations are high to purchase gifts that are comparable to those they have received. The bar is high.
Is it any wonder that we, as Christians, need to relinquish the reins of a secular Christmas, and find a better way to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas?
The importance of having a Christ centered Christmas is more important now more than ever.
An Exhaustive List of Christian Christmas Traditions
If you want to break away from secular Christmas celebrations and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, I’ve compiled this exhaustive list of new (and some old) traditions that you can start with your family.
Read the Christmas Story
Read the Christmas Story (Luke ch. 2) together on Christmas Eve
Monthly Advent Bible Reading
If you read one chapter a day from the book of Luke, starting on the first of December, you will have read the entire gospel of Luke which speaks of Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection.
Tell the Christmas Story as a Family Using a Felt Board
The felt board goes back to old school, but what a great visual way to visualize Jesus’ birth.
Learn About the Twelve Days of Christmas
From the 12 drummers drumming to the partridge in a pear tree, did you know that each day represents an element in the the 12 days of Christmas? Here’s a book that is a wonderful resource for younger children. There are even ornaments to illustrate the 12 days.
Go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas day
How can we forget celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with the family of God?
Advent wreath
An advent wreath celebrates the arrival of Jesus with wreath and four candles. The. hope, faith, joy and the angels candle which heralded ““Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men”.
Church Christmas reenactments/plays
Many larger churches do huge reenactments of Jesus’ birth and smaller churches do Christmas plays with the children of the congregation. While the former might be a wonderful production, never underestimate the play performed by those in attendance of a church. Children’s Christmas plays have brought me both to tears and to fits of laughter. (We all know how kids are!)
Advent Calendars
Advent calendars are a fun way to countdown the days of December 25th by opening a door daily revealing a surprise inside. (Many times it can be chocolate.)
Set Up the Nativity Scene Together
What a wonderful tradition setting up the nativity set/creche can be together as a family! You can even bring in baby Jesus into the manger on Christmas morning.
Christmas caroling
What about singing christmas carols as you go door to door or in your neighborhood nursing homes? You can sing Away in a Manger as a family together on Christmas Eve.
Practice Hospitality
Practicing hospitality is a perfect gift to those without family members. Every year my Mom would always wrap an extra gift (a box of candy) just in case my brother or sister invited someone over to Christmas dinner. It’s a great way to make them feel welcome.
Have a Birthday Party for Jesus
Christmas can easily become about us. A birthday party can put the focus back where it belongs- on Jesus. Instead of giving a Christmas gift to one another, ‘gifts’ can be brought to Jesus. Everyone can verbally share what gift thy will be giving.
Will you be laying your tendency to be quick to anger at the feet of Jesus? Is it your heart’s desire to be a better wife?
Share it. Your children will see your heart and may God reward that transparency in their future.
Bake a Birthday Cake for Jesus
Bake a birthday cake for Jesus, sing Happy Birthday and ask each family member to share what they are giving to Jesus this year.
Reenact the Christmas Story
Reenacting the story of Jesus in charades would be a blast! You could also dress up as Joseph, Mary, the wise men and all the animals and act out the birth of our savior. Perfectionism isn’t allowed!
Pray Together as a Family
With all of the family Christmas traditions going on, have we taken time to pray together as a family? It’s so important!
Play the Luke 2 “And” Christmas game
Someone mentioned this in a Facebook comment and it’s such a fun game!
Everyone that is participating should sit in a circle and have a small wrapped present such as a candy bar, a notepad, gum or pens. Gifts that aren’t complicated are the best.
Someone will read Luke chapter 2 from the Bible and every time the word ‘and’ is said, everyone passes their gift to the right. At the end of the chapter, you will receive the gift you have.
Serve at a Homeless Shelter
This could be the most selfless way to serve others who don’t have a home during the Christmas holidays
Give a Christmas Dinner to a Family in Need
Buying the necessities for a Christmas dinner and delivering them to a family in need is a wonderful way to demonstrate the love of Christ to those in need.
Make Family Ornaments
Make easy Christmas ornaments as a family together.
Decorate your Christmas Tree Together
Evergreen Trees were symbols of eternal life and the reformer Martin Bucer placed a Christmas tree in Strasbourg Cathedral in 1539. The tree represented a picture of our endless life in Christ. He brought a tree to His family that was lit with candles. (Isaiah 60:13)
Another Christmas tree decorating idea is the Jesse tree which is an advent countdown using ornaments.
Christmas Cards
There are those who still faithfully write out Christmas cards that contain wishes for Christmas and through the coming year.
Christmas Lights
Christmas Lights can symbolize Jesus being the light of the world
Bake Christmas Cookies Together
The scent of sugar cookies wafting through the air… who says it would be wrong to have them on Christmas morning?
Listen to Handel’s Messiah
Before our modern day Christmas music, there was Handel’s Messiah.
George Frideric Handel wrote the over 2 hour oratorio that tells of the promise, passion and the triumph of Christ over death.
Have a Christmas Feast
A Christmas feast is one of the family traditions that can’t be overlooked. With your family sitting around the table while eating traditional Christmas foods, it’s a mainstay of the Christmas season
There are so many different ways to celebrate the holiday season! Have you read about any of your own favorite Christmas traditions in this blog post? Sweet Sister, will you implement any of these Christian Christmas Traditions as a new tradition for you and your family?
