It's December 26th, and when Christmas is over at our house, IT IS OVER. Although the tree still stands and the stockings still hang, I am anxious to resume the order that normally characterizes our home.
From Thanksgiving to December 25th, however, I am all about the traditions that signify Christmas for me. The "comfort and joy" of the famous carol are rooted in the tradition of the season.
I overheard two friends chatting the other day. One said, "It just doesn't seem like Christmas this year." The other asked the obvious: "Why not?" Her friend answered, "I don't know. I guess it's because we didn't do a lot of our usual stuff."
The "usual stuff" actually matters a lot. For one, it tells my children that we are intentional about celebrating Christmas. We think it's important. We love God, and Jesus' birthday is a pretty special day. By taking time to establish the traditions, we also reap the benefits of a full month of deliberate family togetherness. Even though December can be pretty crazy, it's a beautiful kind of crazy, devoid of the high-strung angst that normally characterizes days governed by school and work.
If you haven't already done this, here's six ways to establish traditions that stick.
1. Establish traditions that bind the family together. Beginning on December 1st, the Elf on the Shelf arrives at our house. His escapades are always fun, and the kids look forward to being the first to find him every morning. He is a tricky little elf! We also hang an Advent calendar that my sister-in-law made for us. Every child, from the youngest to the oldest, loves to plunge his/her hands in the deep pockets and feel for the treat of the day. It might be a small piece of candy, a game, or an activity that the family can share. The daily element of surprise adds a bit of fun and builds anticipation.
2. Establish traditions that work within the framework of your family's unique schedule. Since my husband is a pastor, we rarely get to spend the entire day together on Christmas Eve. Years ago, we decided to do something easy, but fun, for dinner on Christmas Eve. We make homemade pizzas. Right now, the kids aren't very creative with their toppings, but they look forward to tossing the dough, stretching it into unique shapes, and decorating it with pepperoni, cheese, and veggies. By the time they have finished and the pizzas are cooking, Gavin is usually back from tying up the loose ends at church.
3. Establish traditions that you can share with others. I love to purchase the largest undecorated gingerbread men I can find. I put them in the freezer and throughout the month of January we bring them out when friends stop by for dinner. Everyone loves to decorate and eat gingerbread, and seeing all the clever creations makes us all laugh. I'll warn you: It's messy, but worth it!
4. Establish traditions that will grow as your children grow. When I had my first child, I wanted to do something for her on Christmas that I would be able to do every year of her life. Some families choose to purchase an ornament every year. Others add to a charm bracelet or necklace. I like to get my kids matching Christmas pajamas. They're getting older now, and on a regular day they would be mortified in matching jammies, but on Christmas they endure looking like overgrown elf clones. And even though they might moan and groan, the smiles we capture we are priceless. The other present they open on Christmas Eve is the gift of a new book or game. As they grow, picture books have evolved into chapter books and fun family games.
5. Establish traditions that respect the reason for the season. We love to read Christmas story found in Luke 2. When our kids were little, Gavin or I would read the story out loud. Now that they're older and fully capable of reading out loud themselves, they take turns reading a few sentences at a time. This year, I finally thought to record their sweet voices arguing over whose turn it was, correcting each other, and finally finishing the story before tearing into the presents under the tree. Good times.
6. Establish traditions that are also rituals. After baths and showers and when the wrapping is put away and the evidence from the pizza party discarded, we pile in the car to gaze at the beautiful lights that decorate our neighborhood. I used to think Christmas was the tackiest time of the year, what with all those mismatched lights and white metal reindeer dotting peoples' yards, but now all that is festive simply brings a smile to my face. I imagine small children begging their dads to wrap the bushes and trees with the twinkling lights. I imagine the family togetherness being enjoyed in the cozy houses nestled between all those decorations. Our shared joy makes my heart swell just a little bit. Whether beautiful, gaudy, sophisticated, or tacky, I'm going to peer out the foggy car window and "ooh" and "aah" because each little display is actually saying, "Merry Christmas" back to me.
Above all else, don't forget to attend a Christmas Eve service. The traditions might make it feel like Christmas, but Jesus is Christmas. Celebrating the season with other believers is where I truly experience God's gift, Jesus; he is Emmanuel, "God with us." The traditions are meaningful, not just because my family is together, but because Jesus's birth make it possible to experience "God with us."
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