Someone once said that “prior planning prevents poor performance.” This is especially true of the busy holiday season. With a little planning you can avoid much of the franticness, frustration, and even fighting that accompanies this time of year.

Make time before this Christmas season to talk with your spouse, your children, or a friend (whichever applies to your life) and discuss your schedules, your expectations, and your plans. It will calm the chaos of the time of year to answer questions like:

1. What traditions from each of our families do we want to keep as a part of our Christmas celebration?
2. Are there new traditions we would like to add this year?

Adapt the ideas to your family. Make them as simple or as complex as you like. Most of all have fun with them as you celebrate the real reason for Christmas. (ideas from “Creating a Christ-Centered Christmas”.)

Prepare the Manger for Jesus This tradition gives us a daily reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.  You will need a manger, homemade of wood, ceramic, or purchased, etc.  You will also want to keep a basket of straw near the manger.  Sometime during the day (bedtime is a great time), have your family gather at the manger. 

In our home is the special Nativity made with plastic resin shown in the blog picture. Our kids enjoyed retelling the story with the pieces and now our grandkids are enjoying it. Baby Jesus is kept out of the scene until Christmas morning. Throughout the season, each family member adds a bit of straw to the manager as they share what they are thankful for or share some other reflection of the true meaning of Christmas. Our stram is just pieces of cut construction paper.

Then on Christmas, the baby Jesus is placed in the manger on the bed that was built by Christ-like behavior.  This could change the whole atmosphere of your home if everyone is competing for putting in the most straw. First thing Christmas morning, the children run down to see if the baby Jesus is in the manger.

Birthday Party for Jesus: This is especially meaningful to small children, but will be enjoyed by “children” of all ages.  This particular part celebrates not only Jesus’ birth, but also tells the gospel story.

A three-layer cake may be used for this party; however, in our home we use three large, pan-sized pancakes.  We have our party first thing Christmas morning, so it serves as our breakfast, also.  The cake will actually be assembled as part of the party, so you will want to have your table set with all of the components:

• Three layers of cake (or pancakes)
• Small Hearts: one for each person present (candy, paper, or frozen strawberries cut in half work well)
• A taper candle
• One small birthday candle for each person present
• Red syrup (we color Karo syrup with food coloring) or red sprinkles
• Powder sugar or white icing or whipped cream
• A Knife to cut the cake
• Matches

Begin your party by placing the layers one on top of the other.  As you place them explain that the bottom layer represents God the Father, the middle layer represents Jesus the Son, and the top layer represents the Holy Spirit.   Read John 3:16. 

Now share that the shape is round, symbolizing the world Jesus came to save.  Border the cake with the hearts, saying these represent the hearts of men that Jesus wants to change. Read 1 John 1:7b

Then drizzle the red syrup or sprinkle the sprinkles over the cake to represent Jesus’ blood shed for our sins.  As the powdered sugar is sprinkled or the white icing is spread, remember that because Jesus shed His blood, we are washed white as snow.

Place the taper candle in the center of the cake and light it as you remember that Jesus is the Light of the world. (John 8:12) Then let each person light his candle from the large candle and place it in the cake, showing that he or he is Jesus’ light in the world. (Matthew 5:14)   The cake is then cut, remembering as we cut through the layers that through the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) we come to God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son (John 14:6).  You can end your party in prayer or in singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.

Gift Opening that Esteems Others: In our home, no one begins opening presents until everyone is awake and we have had our birthday party for Jesus.  The children take turns each year being in charge of handing out the gifts.  As the family gathers beside the tree, gifts are handed out one at a time.  As each one is handed a gift, he opens the gift as the other members watch.  The recipient acknowledges the gift.  We try to encourage the children to share why they like the gift and to really appreciate and esteem the gift-giver.  This causes all of us to focus on the giver and not the gift.

Sharing Christmas with Neighbors: Bake Christmas cookies and other goodies and, as a family, deliver them to your neighbors with a card which holds the message of Christmas.

Invite neighbors to drop in for dessert.  You may want to sing carols or open the floor for people to share Christmas traditions or memories.  Before everyone leaves, have someone read the Christmas story, or try to let the children re-enact it.  This may be the first time some of your neighbors have heard the story of Christmas, and if it isn’t it will be a good reminder of what the season is really about.

Get together with several other families and go Christmas caroling in your neighborhood and theirs.  If you can’t carry a tune, just make a joyful noise.  Afterwards, go back to someone’s home for hot chocolate and cookies.

Adopt a Family: Through your church, local ministries to the needy, or social services you should be able to find a needy family to adopt.  Take gifts and Christmas dinner to that family.  There could be an ongoing relationship that develops with the family or you may choose a new family each year.  Another approach is to have your adopted family come to your house and share in your Christmas celebration.

Advent Prophecy Wreath: Create an Advent wreath that is a variation of the traditional Advent wreath with four candles which are lit one on each of the four Sunday’s preceding Christmas. The candles can be any color you have representing a theme of your choice (love, names of God, His character, etc.).  In addition to the candles, this wreath has twenty ornaments which represent twenty fulfilled prophecies about Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and return.  Our family uses the wreath for family devotional times from December 1-24.  One prophecy and its fulfillment are read and discussed each day, Monday through Saturday.  Then on Sunday we light the appropriate candle.

Materials Needed:

• Wreath
• Candle holders to place in the wreath
• Four taper candles (the colors of your choice)
• Ornaments (either homemade or bought for the prophecies you want to include)

Ornament: woman (made from mini craft clothes pin with a triangle of cloth draped over the ‘head’)

• PROPHECY:  Genesis 3:16 – born of the seed of a woman
• FULFILLMENT:  Galatians 4:4

Ornament: star / scepter (the scepter is made with a tiny Styrofoam ball stuck on the end of a toothpick and dipped in glue then glitter.  The star is cut from yellow felt and glued to the shaft of the toothpick.)

• PROPHECY:  Genesis 12:3; Genesis 17:19 – descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
• FULFILLMENT:  Matthew 1:2-15

Ornament: crown (cut from gold paper)

• PROPHECY:  Isaiah 9:7 – heir to the throne of David
• FULFILLMENT:  Luke 1:32-33

Ornament: Manger (made from construction paper, filled with tiny bits of straw or raffia)

• PROPHECY: Micah 5:2 – born in Bethlehem
• FULFILLMENT:   Luke 2:3-5,7

Ornament: angel (mini craft clothes pin covered in white felt with foil wings)

• PROPHECY:  Isaiah 7:14 – born of a virgin
• FULFILLMENT:   Luke 1:26-31

Ornament: Magi (mini craft clothes pin covered with purple felt for a robe and a strip around the top of the “hear’. The robe and the headdress may be decorated with sequins.)

• PROPHECY:  Jeremiah 31:15 – attempted slaughter of baby Jesus
• FULFILLMENT:   Matthew 2:16-18

Ornament: thong sandal (made from brown felt, or use a small one from a doll)

• PROPHECY:  Isaiah 40:3-5 – His way was prepared
• FULFILLMENT:  Luke 3:3-6

Ornament: dove (cut from white felt)

• PROPHECY:  Psalm 2:7 – declared the Son of God
• FULFILLMENT:   Matthew 3:16-17

Ornament: heart (cut from red felt and split down the center)

• PROPHECY:  Isaiah 61:1 – came to bind up the brokenhearted
• FULFILLMENT:   Luke 4:18-19

Ornament: decorated robe (cut a T-shirt shape from white felt and decorate with sequins)

• PROPHECY:  Psalm 110:4 – Priest after the order of Melchizedek
• FULFILLMENT:   Hebrews 5:5-6

Ornament: donkey (cut from brown felt or construction paper with a yarn tail)

• PROPHECY:  Zechariah 9:9 – triumphal entry
• FULFILLMENT   Mark 11:7-11

Ornament:  Hosanna banner (cut from felt with Hosanna written in glitter)

• PROPHECY:  Psalm 8:2 – adored by infants
• FULFILLMENT:  Matthew 21:15-16

Ornament: silver coin (dime or nickel)

• PROPHECY:  Zechariah 11:12 – betrayed for thirty pieces of silver
• FULFILLMENT:   Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16

Ornament: lamb (made from a medium pompom ball for the body and a smaller one for the head. Use black pipe cleaner for the legs, nose, and ears)

• PROPHECY:  Isaiah 53:7 – silent before His accusers
• FULFILLMENT:   Mark 15:4-5

Ornament: cross (use stick from the yard or toothpicks or even small nails tied together)

• PROPHECY:  Isaiah 53:12 – crucified with sinners
• FULFILLMENT:   Mark 15:27-28

Ornament: dice

• PROPHECY:  Psalm 22:18 – soldiers gambled for His clothes
• FULFILLMENT: Matthew 27:35-36; Acts 1:9-11

Ornament:  bone (either cut one from felt or a small chicken bone, dried in the microwave and sprayed white)

• PROPHECY:  Psalm 34:19-20 – none of his bones would be broken
• FULFILLMENT:  John 19:31-33, 36

Ornament: spear (a small stick or dowel with a foil tip)

• PROPHECY:  Zechariah 12:10 – His side would be pierced
• FULFILLMENT: John 19:34,37

Ornament: stone (rock from yard)

• PROPHECY:  Psalm 16:10; Psalm 49:15 – He is raised from the dead
• FULFILLMENT:   Mark 16:6-7

Ornament: cloud (cotton ball)

• PROPHECY:  Psalm 68:18 – He is ascended to the right hand of the Father and He will come again,
• FULFILLMENT:   Mark 16:19    Acts 1:9-11

Advent Candles

• Red – His blood shed for our sins

1Peter 1:18-19; 1John 1:7

• White – Our sins forgiven and washed white as snow

Isaiah 1:18

• Green – Eternal life is ours through Jesus

1John 5:13; John 3:16

• Purple – We will reign with Him in glory

2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:6

This tradition allows us to focus on what we celebrate and gives us a real knowledge and understanding of the fact that all Jesus was and is was ordained by God the Father from all eternity and was prophesied many, many years before it ever happened.

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Special thanks to Edye Burrell who wrote “Creating a Christ-Centered Christmas” booklet published through A Family Resource. The resource is out of print. Edye gave permission for sharing the ideas and hope this blog helps your family.