With all of the Holidays approaching I have been looking for new ideas and collecting old ideas to incorporate in the Lohrer Family's Christmas Traditions. My memory is not at all great when it comes to remembering my childhood. At this point, the family tradition that comes from my side is that we always gather at Ma and Pa's on Christmas Day. Which I totally love. I am wanting more to bless my children with though. I want to make it more about Jesus and less about what the world makes of Christmas. Byron brings from his childhood of baking a birthday cake for Jesus and singing Happy Birthday to Him. So that is one family tradition that will be carried on. I believe that they also slept in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. That will definitely be a tradition we do at some point, but Jackson I don't think would do too well with that right now. Oh, I just had a memory come back to me. My sis and I did sleep with my parents every Christmas Eve night in their bed. We did this up until Amy got married.
Now to new tradition ideas, I read these in a Focus on the Family magazine. I am thinking about making a Christmas gift box for Jesus. Then the kids can color pictures, draw pictures, or make crafts that they can give to Jesus. Also, hanging a Christmas stocking with Jesus' name on it. Then Christmas Eve night talking with the kids about what Jesus would like in His stocking. Jaycee and I can bake goodies. The kids and I will deliver them to our neighbors. Through our church, we will participate in our Angel tree. We will take and buy for a child in our church that their family can't afford to buy Christmas gifts for them.
Growing up I knew the reason we celebrated Christmas. I desire for our children to have a passion about it. To really understand what this means to us as believers in Jesus Christ. I want them to learn to be givers and to know that God will always supply all of their needs. For them to learn to be very thankful for all that they do have. Through this I hope that it will carry out into their everyday life.
Any suggestions on more traditions? I would love to "hear" them!
11/19/08
Family Traditions!!!
Posted by Dana Lohrer at 8:08 AM
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5 comments:
hi - it's Hailey - Amanda's friend! Our traditions are everything from having French Dips on Christmas Eve, to opening a book about Jesus every day in December and reading it as a family (we use the same 25 books every year and I wrap them and put them under the tree and Viv can go get one every day).
I've also considered baking Jesus a birthday cake - but haven't done that thus far.
I figure that kids get enough Santa in the world and everything we need to do should be about Christ - which I see that you feel too!
have fun and post what you end up doing.
I love your heart, Dana. I know the Lord will bless all your efforts to instill a passion for God in their hearts.
I love Hailey's idea of opening a book about Jesus every day in December! I think I'm going to do that with my grandchildren...now that they're back home!
Thanks for the idea on the books Hailey! That is a wonderful idea! Yes, I will post on what we end up doing! Totally agree the kids get enough of Santa through the world. At this point, I don't even think my kids know who Santa is. We have never made it an issue or pushed that idea. The origins of Santa is great, but what the world has turned him into is something not so great!
Hey Dana! One of our traditions was that on Christmas Eve, just before opening gifts at my Grandparents house, we would read the Christmas story. All the kids gathered around Grandpa, excited to answer his questions at the end. A tradition that we have with our own family is not so much centered on Christ specifically, but rather ensuring that we are taking time to spend as JUST our family and slowing down. We give the kids (and my parents did this too) a "family game" present early, and we spend the night eating an easy dinner, and playing games. It is one of my favorite memories of Christmas... time spent enjoying our family.
One of our favorite traditions is that we open up our new Christmas Pajamas on Christmas Eve, drag our beds (mattresses) out into the living room (where the tree is), and read the story of Christmas - Luke 2. It is always fun to read the story of Jesus' birth in our new pj's, under the tree. I am a little nervous this year about all the mattresses in such a small space LOL! We also bake Christmas cookies for the Lighthouse Mission in Bellingham.
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