I love Christmas decorations. I love a Christmas tree! It provides the perfect amount of light. I love coming home to see the tree all lit up. It adds warmth and comfort to a home. And I love Christmas lights! I’ve been know to string white Christmas lights throughout my home and leave them up indefinitely. Last year, I went a bit Christmas crazy and attempted some homemade Christmas crafts. But since I do not have a crafty bone in my body, my home ended up looking like a Kindergarten classroom. I still kind of loved it, but I am not sure those decorations will be making a reappearance this year.
Over the holidays, I love getting together with family and friends, that you somehow did not make time to see throughout the year. And I love giving gifts! Finding that perfect gift for someone I love, especially when they are unaware how much they want/need it. I love seeing their reaction. It is priceless.
I love Christmas music – all of it. From O Holy Night to The Chipmunk Song to Jingle Bells to Christmastime in New Orleans. I love singing and dancing along.
All of these things are fun ways to celebrate Christmas. But they have nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ.
My son Finn is almost 3 years old and he is at that age where he is starting to get things. So this year, we are setting the foundation of what he understands about Christmas. Realistically, our Christmas decorations, gift giving and music traditions will continue. But how do we convey to a 3 year old that those things are secondary to Jesus’ birth?
I’ve picked up some ideas from friends, who also have young children. Some have a birthday cake for Jesus. (Of course, I love this idea!) Some avoid the Santa Claus charade. Others support non-profit organizations and downplay the gift giving. Growing up, we always read the story of Jesus’ birth during our family Christmas.
It is a lot to consider. What will we teach our child about Christmas? I hope the secular traditions we choose to continue in our family will not overshadow that Jesus is the reason for this Christmas season.
How do you keep Christ in Christmas?