Oh how I love this time of year!! Sometimes I am made to feel guilty for enjoying this time of year so much. Other well-meaning Christan women turn into leagalists this time of year.
"Don't you realize that Christmas was started by pegans!"
"Don't you know that Jesus wasn't REALLY born on Christmas day, but more like the middle of summer sometime?!?!"
"We celebrate the birth of Jesus and His life year round and not just once a year."
Oh please give me a break and allow me to celebrate with my family! This is the one time of year that businesses allow time off to visit family. And it is an excuse to decorate the house up nice and big and have parties (one's where we can share the message of Christ without people being totally offended because they know that Christmas is about CHRIST).
It is also a wonderful time to reflect on God and His gift of His Son to us. Just because we celebrate Christmas doesn't mean we aren;t appreciative year round of His birth, life, death and ressurection.
One of our Christmas traditions is based on the Victorian tradition of the Christmas pickle. Christmas Eve, after the children were asleep, the parents would hide a pickle on the tree. Whoever found it got a special prize. We hide a nail (to remind us of the purpose of His birth. Whoever finds it gets to tell us what it means and gets to pick the first present from under the tree to give to someone. We go through gifts ONE at a time (rather than giving all the gifts out and people tearing through them and Christmas is over in 5 minutes). After the first person opens their gift (this allows everyone to see what that person got as well as the gift giver to see the reaction and receive thanks) then they get a gift from under the tree to give to someone. This goes on and on until all the gifts are opened.
I must admit taht when extended family is over, gift giving can take quite a while (sometimes with the young ones, they have to be put down for a nap in the middle of opening gifts). But the HOURS of fun of gift giving is so worth it!! My kids (ages 5 and under) are all so patient as they wait for their turn to open a gift. They also truly enjoy seeing everyone and the gifts they get (the focus is not all about themselves and what THEY got).
My children also love the nativities and tell the story of the birth of Christ. Fisher Price has come out with a nativity that while expensive, lasts so much longer than the other nativities (even cloth) that are out there. I highly suggest you look into buying one. Whether you use it year round, or just the Christmas season. It is safe for one year olds, and fun for all ages (yes, even hubby and I have fun with it).
I also wanted to encourage you to check out my online scrapbook (link at right) to see our Christmas card. My husband is so creative! I also made my inlaws a special gift called GrandKids.
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1 comment:
AMEN sister! I get so tired of the "oh-holier-than-thou" routine!
Isn't it so nice to do presents one at a time? We do that within our family too. We grew up that way and I really appreciate that. My parents, who now have a ton of adopted and foster kids, don't do it that way anymore and neither does my DH's family. It really is a shame, ESPECIALLY when you work so hard to make gifts or use precious money to buy gifts and don't even get to see the look on the receivers' face when they open it because you are opening your own! It teaches such valuable lessons to children too. Patience. Humbleness. Thankfulness. A giving spirit. It hinders greed. It's all good! :-)
Merry Christmas!
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